2017 is seeing a really deep dive into my health (you can read more about this at ‘Do You Pick and Choose Your Healthy), and as some of you may know part of that has been visiting a biological dentist to have some pretty intensive surgery done. I’ve had my impacted wisdom teeth removed, and 2 teeth that had damaged,infected root canals removed. Its a long, pretty expensive process, but dental health is so important to our overall health and disease prevention that it had to be done. 

Now, I’m a big believer that the strength of your teeth and your likelihood of getting cavities has a large part to do with genetics, but of course there is so much we can do to help improve our oral health. Oral health and the health of our teeth, gums and tongue is a real barometer of health, and is vitally important to the health and wellbeing of our whole body. The mouth and gums have direct links to our digestive system and bloodstream, and as we detoxify through our mouths we have to ensure it is thoroughly clean and healthy! 

“Without strong, healthy teeth you are less able to properly digest food and absorb the nutrients that you need.

What causes the greatest risk to your health is the infection. As it progresses, the infection releases more toxins into the bloodstream, leading to very serious health risks.”

Sources: National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research and American Heart Association

The dental team at Groton Wellness (both Husband Hanway and I are patients there now) have helped me develop a new and improved oral health routine that I’m happy to share with you below: 

Morning

• Oil pull for 15 minutes using extra virgin coconut oil – this is only if I have time and if I remember, but I really see the difference in the whiteness of my teeth if I do it on a regular basis. 
• Brush using our Oral B Genius Pro 6000 (yes, its expensive, but both of us use it 2-3 times a day, and we really believe it is worth it), and Coral White toothpaste. This toothpaste not only tastes great and gently whitens teeth, but it is fluoride and SLS free, and works to remineralize teeth. 
• Scrape my tongue using a Dr Tungs stainless steel tongue scraper. I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now and wouldn’t consider skipping this step. It removes plaque and bacteria from your tongue, freshens breath, and removes toxins that have accumulated during the night (the body’s primary detoxification time). Its also a great way to gauge the health of your digestive system – if I have a yellow or white coating on my tongue (especially towards the back) I know something is awry with my GI system, and I may add some extra probiotics or fermented foods that day. 
• Rinse with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water (1:1). I started doing this after my second surgery to help with healing and now its a part of my daily routine 

Evening

• Floss using Oral B’s Satin Tape – I would love to use a ‘greener’ floss such as WooBamboo, but i have such tight gaps between my teeth that I cant! Flossing should be considered just as important as cleaning your teeth as it does about 40% of the work of removing plaque, banishing the bacteria that can lead to cavities and gum disease. The usual sawing motion between teeth can just cause damage to the gums – my hygienist recommends a ‘c’ shape motion on both sides above or under each tooth for effective flossing.
• Brush again as above
• Rinse again as above, or when I was healing from my first surgery which was a little more severe and I couldn’t use hydrogen peroxide due to the bone grafts (it can damage them) I used Oregadent which was a huge help in healing and preventing infection in my gums. If you have bleeding gums I highly recommend this – but watch out, its pretty powerful! 

I cannot thank the work of my team at Groton Wellness – if you are interested in doing the deep work for your health and getting a Biological Dentist they are amazing and will help you every step of the way. Just tell them the Hanway’s sent you and they will treat you like family!