The terrain of our bodies, its ‘microbiome,’ is host to trillions of microorganisms. Some are beneficial and some are not. You might hear about the ‘microbiome of the gut,’ as well as the ‘microbiome of the mouth.’ Given that the digestive process begins in the mouth, the two are interconnected. Aside from the role the gut plays in digestion, it is also the source of over 50% of our body’s immune cells.
The Microbiome Connection Between The Mouth and Gut
The connection between the microbiome of the mouth and illness has been known for a while. Oral bacteria circulating in the body have been linked with a number of systemic diseases, including gut issues like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth), as well as the autoimmune condition Chrohn’s Disease. But how do these microbes get into the different parts of the body, and more specifically the digestive tract?
1) Microbes from the mouth can directly penetrate the esophagus, the muscular tube connecting the throat with the stomach. Oral bacteria and other microbes found in the mouth can reach the stomach through swallowed saliva, food and drinks. These bacteria generally don’t colonize in a healthy intestine, but in cases where there is gum disease, intestinal imbalance and poor diet, they are able to multiply and exposure to them may become chronic.
2) Bleeding gums due to gingivitis and gum disease can give oral microbes access to the bloodstream, allowing them to circulate systemically. What you need to keep in mind is that if your gums bleed, either to touch, brushing or flossing, the microbes that are causing the bleeding have access to your blood stream and thus your body.
Bacteria living along and under your gums, like P. gingivalis, has been found in the intestines, where it can contribute to a ‘leaky gut.’ P. gingivalis is one of the worst offenders in periodontal or gum disease. This and other ‘anaerobic’ bacteria release very toxic waste and by-products (basically bacteria poop) into any gaps between your gums and teeth. The toxicity of this waste causes inflammation, redness and bleeding gums.
Leaky Gums – Leaky Gut
If the gums in your mouth and around your teeth are inflamed, there is a good chance that your gut is inflamed as well, due to the fact that both mucosal linings are subject to the same environmental, microbial and dietary influences. Leaky gut is an inflammatory condition that allows food particles and toxins to pass into the bloodstream undigested or partially digested causing inflammation in the immune system and body as a whole.
Recently, microbial metabolites directly affecting the gastrointestinal tract have been identified. Metabolites (bacteria poop) can lead to various chronic diseases of the digestive tract. When absorbed into the bloodstream, they can cause low-grade systemic inflammatory.
A New Bad Actor Causing Gum Disease
Spirochetes are very aggressive bacteria. It is also a primary aggrevator of gum inflammation, bleeding and causes gum disease. The problem in the past is that spirochetes are very hard to test for in the mouth, as you cannot isolate or see them by usual means.
Thankfully, we have a high magnification phase constast microscope in the office where spirochetes can be seen and quantified in our attempts to treat gum disease and bring your gums and bone back to health.
Just to get an idea of this bacteria and what it does in the mouth take a look at this video:
What To Do About Red, Bleeding Gums
If you have inflamed gums that bleed when you brush or floss, or if your teeth are loose, be sure to get this checked out by your dentist or hygienist. Learn more about practicing good home care. Ask during your next cleaning appointment! Don’t be shy. It makes all the difference to have healthy teeth and gums in a healthy oral microbiome.
Actually, the most important thing you can do is keep your teeth and gums clean. For most people, this means brushing, flossing and using a rubber tip daily. At Integrative Dentistry we replace your toothbrush and rubber tip (a Stimulator by GUM) when you come for cleaning. (Consider replacing your toothbrush even more often).
The purpose of using these tools is to remove the biofilm that collects along your gum line and between teeth. This white film, called plaque, is the primary food source for oral bacteria. Once bacteria colonize as plaque it may progress to inflammation, red, bleeding gums and gingivitis, the precursor to gum disease. If you want a demo on your to clean your teeth with these tools, you can watch the following short video.
Probiotics to the Rescue
There are also plenty of ‘good microbes’ in the gut that you’ll want to encourage with good habits and a good diet. Probiotics are another way to help beneficial bugs thrive, especially when there has been antibiotic use. Another way to positively affect your mouth and gut is with bacteria rich products, basically fermented foods.
Fermented foods include things like kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, miso, tempeh and apple cider vinear. While all these foods are very good for you and your gut health, I’m going to be focusing on kefir and yogurt moving forward. But not just store bought products that have fillers and gums, but kefir and yogurt that you can make at home.
The reason why I like yogurt and kefir so much is that you can produce extremely high concentrations of beneficial bacteria that have been shown to restore gut health and a healthy microbiome. The second reason is that you can use specific strains of bacteria that have been shown to have specific health benefits for your body; things like hormones, bone, mood/emotions, to name just a few.
And of course, my favorite, these strains of bacteria or probiotics also improve the health of your mouth by rebalancing its microbiome and outcompeting the inflammatory, anaerobes mentioned above.
To Learn More and Follow Along
If you would like to learn more about probiotics and probiotic rich yogurts, please keep a look out for future posts or you can go to my YouTube page and start looking at the videos I’m posting on how to make yogurt at home. There will be more coming as well. Here is the link; www.youtube.com/holisticdds.
If you are interrested in these subjects or other holistic dental issues, feel free to follow along with us by either subscribing to this blog or to my YouTube page. Comment below to share your thoughts or to ask any questions you may have. Thanks for reading.
Dr. Carey O’Rielly, DDS is a holistic dentist practicing at Integrative Dentistry in Encinitas together with Dr. Hyung Jin Bae, who is a gum specialist. To learn more visit our website at myholisticdentist.com or contact us at 760-632-1304.
Carey O’Rielly DDS has been a practicing dentist for 35 years. He went to USC Dental School and Duke University for his undergraduate degree. He grew up in Laguna Beach and now lives in La Costa with his wife Victoria, who runs his office.
He began his career by owning and operating a network of six offices in the San Francisco Bay Area. Presently he owns a private holistic practice in North County San Diego’s Encinitas.
Dr. O started looking for solutions to his health challenges that resulted from the stress and environmental toxicity that built up over a ten year period running his dental network. He has dedicated himself to learning about oral systemic problems and how dentistry can affect your health. He has applied what he has learned over the last twenty years to ensure he, his staff and his patients are protected from the chemicals and toxic materials found in most dental offices. He has produced an environmentally friendly office that is also peaceful and calm.
He is an expert on dental materials having looked at hundreds of biocompatibility lab tests over the years. He has identified the most bio-friendly materials to use in his practice and which dental materials can be used to replace metal fillings and crowns, including BPA free and fluoride free ‘white’ fillings. He also uses metal-free Zirconia or ceramic implants and PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) grafting materials which come from the patient’s own blood.
Dr. O’Rielly teaches C.E. courses on the systemic effects of gum disease. He is an expert in using phase contrast microscopy for analyzing dental infections, where he shows patients what kind of microbes, i.e. bacteria, amoeba, and yeasts like candida are populating the mouth and affecting the body as a whole.
He has an educational blog and is writing a book on dental health called ‘Hidden Dental Infections: Healing Root Canals and Infected Teeth with the Erbium Laser’ where he discusses dental nutrition, toxic dental materials and the effects of old root canals on inflammation and overall health.
