Insider Tips for Ultimate Oral Systemic Health

Insider Tips for Ultimate Oral Systemic Health

A healthy mouth is critical to your overall health. While genetics and good dental hygiene habits play major roles in your oral health, innovative products can help you improve your oral health immensely.

Today, we share some trade secrets of leading-edge dental professionals that are also over-the-counter solutions for your whole family.

Read on to learn about these ground-breaking products, recommended by a national dental hygiene educator.

Leading-Edge Dental Hygiene Tips

Recently, we discussed the oral systemic health connection and a saliva test for high-risk bacteria in your mouth that may put you at greater risk of heart disease diabetes, Alzheimer’s and other major illnesses linked to gum disease. (Click here if you missed it!)

Dental professionals and doctors working to prevent cardiovascular disease, stroke, and other illnesses linked to oral health recommend a list of innovative products. We asked Lora Hooper, a national dental hygiene educator to share recommendations she gives patients at The Prevent Clinic. Please note that these products are a complement to good dental care, not a replacement!

“I just want to give new innovative product options for patients to choose from that do not have the edeterminetal side effects of many of the more well-known products,” says Hooper. “These innovative products not only help them microbially for long term use, but also in our time of pandemic they have studies to show the reduction of the viral load.”

Innovative Products for Oral Care, Healing and Protection

What: Xylitol Toothpaste, Tooth Gel, and Mouthwash  

Why: Xylitol neutralizes the Ph/acidity levels in the mouth and increases saliva flow, which washes your teeth. It reduces and prevents cavities and tooth decay. Xylitol is found naturally in fruit, vegetables and berries and made artificially from xylan-rich plants like birch and beechwood. This study explains that xylitol “reduces the levels of mutans streptococci (MS) in plaque and saliva.” MS is one of the main bacteria in the mouth, notorious for causing tooth decay.Hooper recommends Spry Dental Defense products which can be found at select retailers and online.

What: Xlear Nasal Spray

Why: A xylitol product, Xlear Nasal Spray and sinus irrigation cleans and moisturizes the sinuses while killing bacteria. It’s a great solution for adults and children, Hooper says. It helps protect against allergies, colds, the flu, and other viruses. It also opens the nasal passages to prevent mouth breathing at night, which also leads to tooth decay. Xlear products are sold at select stores and online.

“Cavities are caused by strep strains. Xylitol eradicates them,” Hooper explains. “By using this nasal spray, they (children) don’t get cavities; they also don’t get strep and they don’t get ear infections.”

What: Xylitol Sweeteners, Gum, Mints, and Candy

Why: When you’re craving a bit of sweetness or can’t brush and floss, xylitol products are can balance the mouth Ph. They are many options, but a mint or piece of gum has the least xylitol (a gram or less), which is important because it can cause digestive issues. Try only a couple grams a day at first and work up to 6-10 grams daily. (Note: xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs.) Xylitol products are available at select retailers and online.

What: StellaLife VEGA Oral Care Rinse, Gel, Spray, and Recovery Kit

Why: StellaLife VEGA oral care solutions have broad applications. They promote healing, reduce swelling, and relieve pain without opioids. Homeopathic and herbal ingredients include arnica, calendula, chamomilla echinacea, gelsemium, hepar gypericum, ignatia, mercurius, and ruta.

Antimicrobial studies show the rinse is effective against “Strep mutans, Actinomyces v, Strep pyogenes, P. gingivitis, and Bacteroides fragilis, while reducing the anaerobic bacterial load in half for over three hours after a single application.”

Hooper highly recommends StellaLife VEGA products for daily oral care and for people with braces, canker sores, dry mouth, injuries, and cancer. They also protect the mouth and speed healing after oral procedures. Products are available at select stores and online.

“It is so safe for kids. It not only goes after what I’m worried about with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, but it’s also so healing,” says Hooper. “It’s great for our cells. Some people suffer with constant canker sores; it heals and prevents them. I use it with cancer patients and even kids that fall off their bikes.”

She says a good daily routine would be StellaLife rinse after brushing, and Xlear at night prior to bed to clear nasal passages and promote good sleep habits with nasal breathing.

What: ioTech International Molecular Iodine Rinse, Nasal Spray, and Gel

Why: Molecular iodine products kill bacteria in the mouth and unlike povidone iodine mixes can safely be used long-term with no teeth staining and very low toxicity. Studies show molecular iodine kills SARS-CoV-2 in the mouth, prohibiting it from spreading to the rest of the body. Povidone iodine mixes also kill the virus, but they stain teeth and cannot be used long-term because of toxicity, the study says.

Another study covered in Dentistry Today compared the ioTech rinse with three other dental rinse formulas: a hydrogen peroxide rise, a povidone iodine rinse and a chlorhexidine gluconate rinse and found “the only rinse to demonstrate complete effectiveness against the SARS-CoV-2 virus was the molecular iodine oral rinse including molecular iodine 100 ppm, which was completely effective within 30 seconds. The other three rinses were only partially effective, even after 60 seconds.”

This article from Dentistry IQ explains how dentists are using molecular iodine hand sanitizer, rinse, nasal spray, and unscented rinse in air diffusers to prevent transmission of Covid-19 in their practices. It says the nasal spray disinfects areas that gargling cannot reach.

“IoRinse is great prior to going out and immediately upon return; do two 30-second rinses to reduce your viral load,” Hooper adds. “Of course, you could use it just daily morning and night in your routine as well as a great prevention practice in place of StellaLife - just options.”

The ioTech products are available online and through online retailers.

Protection from viruses is reason enough to consider a rinse from ioTech or StellaLife, but they’re also better options than most over-the-counter mouthwashes. Research shows that long-term use of over-the-counter mouthwash is linked to high blood pressure and diabetes. Hooper explains that OTC mouthwash isn’t meant for long-term use. It depletes the good gut bacteria that’s vital to good health. Which brings us to the final insider tip for ultimate oral health – oral probiotics.

What: Oral Probiotics, Mints

Why: You may know it’s good to take probiotics when you take antibiotics, but your body also needs them if you have gum disease or have used OTC mouthwash more than a few weeks.

I use them for treatment of gingivitis and periodontitis when the oral microbiome is in dysbiosis, and we need to work on getting the healthy bacteria back in the oral cavity once they are depleted,” Hooper says.

Plus, oral probiotics are great at reducing cavities, she adds.

Cavities are caused by bacteria, not sugar as the big myth is out there. The sugar only feeds the bacteria which then gives off toxins and makes your mouth more acidic, breaking down your enamel and causing a hole in the tooth,” explains Hooper. “Probiotics can help fight bacteria with bacteria. I say this process is more important than fluoride as probiotics take away the root cause of why you are getting the cavities in the first place. Fluoride is only strengthening the tooth surface but not stopping the cause of the cavity.”

She recommends products by ProBiora Health, which are available from retailers and online.