As part of your regime to maintain good oral health, you are likely to be aware of brushing your teeth, flossing, and drinking milk. Have you considered the role your gut microbiome plays in optimising the health of your teeth and gums?

Including enough fibre in your diet is important for your oral health as fibre helps to maintain healthy blood sugar and blood pressure levels. Both high sugar and pressure levels are linked with an increased risk of developing gum disease.

When you include fibre rich foods in your diet the food moves further down the digestive system into the stomach and intestines. This means when the simple sugars are taken from the food in these parts of your digestive system, they do not have a negative effect on teeth and do not cause erosion.

A second important component is including different probiotic-rich foods and beverages each day. This includes yoghurt, miso, sauerkraut, kimchi, and tempeh. Probiotics have been linked to reducing your risk of dental caries, periodontal disease, candida infections, and halitosis.

Two positive strains of microbes linked to improving your oral health are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. These species seem to reduce the amount of the type of microbes that promote dental caries such as streptococci and Candida Spp. The types of probiotics found in dairy foods like yoghurt have been the most researched linked to improving your oral health.

Take home message:

Keep your winning smile shining to the world by choosing probiotic-rich sources of food in your diet daily as well as meet your recommended fibre requirements needed for good gut health. One way to make meeting your fibre needs easier is by including a delicious pouch of South Australian Gourmet Food Company Fruit Custard with Added Fibre. Each pouch provides your body with 10.9g of dietary fibre.

References: