Do you know how many teeth you have in your mouth?
Most of us have 32 unless you've had your wisdom teeth removed, then you have 28.
Today, we're on location in Kauai, Hawaii talking about the oral microbiome: how to properly balance it and have excellent gum and teeth health throughout your entire life.
97% of the U.S. population has some form of low-level active oral gum disease or tooth decay (crazy, right? That statistic shocked me too), but here's the thing, both are 100% reversible – even in advanced stages!
If the steps we take as a society to protect our oral health were working, that statistic would be A LOT lower.
Here’s what oral health expert, and my friend, Will Revak and I discussed at his Hawaiian farm:
Why oral health is such a blind spot in our culture
Busting the myth that what goes in the mouth, stays in the mouth, because the mouth is the most transient place, changing minute-to-minute
Busting the myth that all plaque is bad because we need some for positive biofilms (Will tells us how to create the right texture & amount)
The path to optimal oral health – creating a balanced symphony within the oral microbiome
What people should do who've been using Listerine every day (this is a big no-no)
The easiest, most holistic way to “reseed” your mouth with your own probiotics! Will has an instructional video for you to watch here so you can learn how to do this. When I asked Will what he thought about swishing ferments around the mouth, which I thought was a great way to re-seed, here was his answer, which surprised me: “Incidentally, we aren’t fans of the idea of swishing fermented veggie (juices) around the mouth. It’s really acidic and pretty hard on the teeth. I know Mercola has written positively on this idea, but we think it’s off base. Bottom line, acid dissolution is THE main cause of loss of enamel. Yes, tooth decay happens, but our teeth ‘age’ because little by little, we wear the enamel from our teeth. So, Shine helps protect against this, and we feel it’s wise to avoid long exposure of acids on teeth.”
The best product and essential oils to use to stop bleeding gums and to heal from and prevent future gum disease. It's OraWellness's Healthy Mouth Blend. I've been using and suggesting this for years and have my Gut Thrivers protecting their oral health with it as well. You can find it here and get 10% off with code TWJ10.
The best product to use to re-mineralize cavities and teeth naturally. Will has a new and truly cutting-edge product called SHINE that uses actual bone to re-mineralize the teeth. To understand how it works, click here (then you'll know more than your dentist) or to purchase it at 10% off using code TWJ10, click here. The reviews are fabulous!
Will and his wife, Susan are leaving you with a comprehensive free eBook of ‘best practices' (no email required) which you can download here.
In the words of my favorite great uncle who had false teeth “Be true to your teeth and they'll never be false to you!”
Now we want to hear from YOU. How have you been taking care of your oral health? What's your journey been like? Do you have things that have worked for you to share with our tribe?
