Most of the immune system resides in the gastrointestinal system. Therefore, the mouth is the main entry point to the immune system, and the health of the mouth plays an important part in the health of the rest of the body. Indeed, horse buyers check out a horse’s mouth so that they can quickly gauge if the horse is healthy or not.

What Is the Oral Microbiome?

The oral microbiome consists of all the microbes living in the mouth, whether they are bacteria, viruses, yeasts or parasites. Its health is dependent on:

• The type of food that is eaten. High-carbohydrate foods, especially processed foods and foods containing sugar, are more likely to contribute to an unhealthy oral microbiome.
• The amount of magnesium, calcium, zinc and trace minerals in the diet
• The presence or absence of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K)
• The amount of antioxidants in the diet
• The pH of the mouth
• The presence or absence of mouth breathing. Breathing through the mouth dries out the mouth by reducing saliva, which is necessary to maintain a healthy oral microbiome. Obstructive sleep apnea and tongue tie are two common causes of mouth breathing.

Research shows (see Sources & References, below, for examples) that some constituents of the oral microbiome are associated with and sometimes even causal of numerous health conditions such as:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Preterm birth
• Preeclampsia

Examples of bacteria that might be found in the oral microbiome that can contribute to chronic health conditions are:

• Prevotella intermedia
• Porphyromonas gingivalis
• Tannerella forsythia
• Treponema denticola

How to Improve the Oral Microbiome

Change the Diet

Improving the diet is key to better oral health as well as whole-body health. Switching to a whole-foods, unprocessed diet removes much of the food source of pathogenic microbes in the mouth and the rest of the gastrointestinal system. Whole foods also contain more minerals, fat-soluble vitamins and antioxidants than the processed-food-heavy Standard American Diet. A whole-foods diet is generally more alkaline (higher pH) and therefore less hospitable to pathogenic microbes. Find out about eating a clean diet here.

Ensure Oral Hygiene

The standard advice of flossing at least once a day and brushing at least twice per day still holds true. In addition, consider using a water flosser and using natural oral healthcare products. Be sure to use products free of fluoride and other toxins. You can use the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database to check the toxin levels of personal-care products.

Consult with Tongue Tie and Airway Specialists

It’s worth the extra time and effort of consulting with specialists if your child is known to:

• Be a mouth breather
• Snore while sleeping
• Have Obstructive Sleep Apnea
• Have trouble latching while breastfeeding
• Gag or choke while breastfeeding or eating
• Have a narrow jaw
• Have a high, arched palate
• Have ADD/ADHD or other neurodevelopmental disorder such as autism, dyslexia or Sensory Processing Disorder

If your child has one or more of these conditions, it’s possible that your child has a tongue tie that is contributing to or even causing these conditions. Specialists can help detect the presence of tongue tie or other tethered oral tissue (TOT). These specialists include:

• IBCLC lactation consultant
• Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs)
• Myofunctional therapist
• Orofacial myofunctional therapist
• Tongue-tie professionals
• Airway dentists

Technically, only a dentist is able to “diagnose” tongue ties but it’s SLPs and myofunctional professionals (SLP or RDH), in addition to dentists, who are the ones that speak to the impact on structure and function.

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