🦷 Oral Health
👋 Hello Friend
Today, I want to share my oral hygiene routine with you.
But what does oral hygiene have to do with a newsletter that covers coaching, health, and learning? Quite a lot, actually!
Me, checking whether the dental floss is really 25 meters long, as it says on the packaging.
Studies show: Oral Health impacts Brain Health
A study from Neurology found that gum disease and tooth loss are linked to brain shrinkage in the hippocampus, which plays a role in memory and Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, an American Heart Association study based on data from 40,000 adults revealed that poor oral health is associated with a decline in brain health and a higher susceptibility to strokes and dementia.
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My Oral Hygiene Routine
I do the steps of the routine in this order.
💦 Water Flossing
Water flossing reaches areas where there is plaque buildup that toothbrushing and string flossing cannot reach.
It significantly reduces gingivitis (gum inflammation) and bleeding. The pulsating action of the water helps to clean below the gumline and reduce inflammation, leading to healthier gums.
Water flossers are effective in reducing bacteria in the mouth, cleaning periodontal pockets (spaces between the teeth and gums) where bacteria accumulate, thus helping to prevent periodontal disease.
You can read more on the website Relevance of the Water Flosser: 50 Years of Data.
🧵 Expanding Floss
Bryan Johnson mentions in his oral hygiene video that expanding floss can pick up 25% more plaque compared to normal floss. I use this one from Oral-B.
🪥Electric Toothbrush
A study conducted with 50 dental students at the Dental School of Casablanca concluded that ultrasonic and electric toothbrushes showed significantly better plaque reduction compared to manual toothbrushes.
👅Tongue Scraper
Tongue cleaning can reduce the bacterial population on the tongue, improve taste sensation, and reduce the production of volatile sulfur compounds.
Simply said: Scrape your tongue -> smell better, taste better, feel better.
Research published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology indicates that tongue scrapers remove more tongue coating and bacteria compared to tongue brushing alone, leading to improved taste perception and better oral hygiene overall.
🌿Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.
One article from Today’s RDH showed that a tea tree oil mouth rinse used once daily for seven days significantly reduced the number of overall oral bacteria. This effect remained consistent up to two weeks after stopping the mouth rinse.
I use tea tree oil in my evening oral routine.
Additional Tip: Measure your plaque index after brushing your teeth using plaque disclosing tablets. This helps you identify areas you may have missed and improve your brushing technique.
Summary: Oral hygiene is crucial for overall health!
Have a great week!
xx Lukas
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