There’s one thing your parents must have said to you over and over: “Did you brush your teeth?!”
And for good reasons… They wanted you to learn how to keep your mouth healthy!
That’s because oral health plays a major role in your overall health.
The health of your teeth and gums are closely related to the health of the rest of your body. How?
Poor dental health can not only cause tooth decay and infection of the gums, but it can also affect your bones, your sinuses and tonsils.
If left untreated, these infections can cause inflammation and it can lead to tooth loss.
And believe it or not, they can also increase your risk of stroke, heart attack and other deadly health issues.
So prevention is key…
Here are 4 tips to keep your mouth healthy and to maintain overall good health.
1. clean your teeth
To keep your teeth clean, make sure to brush twice a day with a soft-bristled brush in slow, gentle, circular motions.
Floss every day! Brushing only does not remove little pieces of food that get stuck between your teeth.
Try tongue scraping first thing in the morning. When you sleep, your body detoxifies from toxins. Some of them come out as a think coating on your tongue in the morning! Use a tongue scraper or a spoon to scrape it off.
You can also try oil pulling before brushing your teeth. Take a tablespoon of coconut oil and gargle for a minute. Then spit it out and brush your teeth. The oil is great to get toxins and bad bacteria out of your mouth.
See your dentist every 6 months for cleaning and checkups.
2. Eat well
The closest from a whole food plant-based diet, the better. Always choose fresh, organic and unprocessed food.
Avoid industrial sugar. The bacteria in your mouth turn sugar to acid, which erodes tooth enamel and causes cavities. Try these refined sugar-free dessert recipes.
Tea and coffee also wear down the enamel…
Certain fruits such as apples can also be acidic. It’s best to rinse your mouth with a sip of water right after eating.
And make sure you drink the right amount of water for your size. A rule of thumb is that we should all drink about 2 litres of filtered water daily.
3. Get enough vitamins C and D
Vitamins C and D are important for the health of your teeth and your bones.
If you think you aren’t getting enough from diet alone, you can supplement. Well, it’s rare that people don’t get enough vitamin C… But vitamin D deficiency is super common in our days!
4. Remove your silver fillings
While countries like Sweden and Norway have banned silver fillings, they are still used in America because they are cheap to install and durable.
Silver fillings (or amalgam fillings) are made up of 50% mercury, a potent neurotoxin. They also contain silver, copper, and tin.
The problem with these fillings is that they continuously emit mercury vapour into your body. Whenever you chew your food or drink hot liquids, tiny little bits of mercury are released in your body from the fillings.
As the mercury accumulates in our body, it causes chronic headaches, anxiety, depression, irritability, fatigue, stomach issues and cardiovascular disease.
You should have your mercury fillings replaced with a composite material.
