Maintaining Good Dental Bacteria After Eliminating the Bad

By Paul Ansell – Dentist

Most bona fide nutritionists and dieticians know that quick cleanses and detoxes are pretty much a load of nonsense, and that meaningful changes to diet and health happen over time. Teeth and gums are the same.

A large portion of dental disease is impacted by the sorts of bacteria in our mouths. These bacteria are present due to a range of factors, but mostly because of what we eat and how we clean our teeth. Other issues include the time between thorough dental cleans, smoking, mouth breathing, and other health issues such as diabetes and reflux.

When it comes to your oral health, there is actually a nuclear option. By using the retina scan, passcode, and uncovering the red button, you gain access to the deepest of cleans, some very powerful mouthwashes, antibacterial gels, concentrated toothpastes, and in some cases, antibiotic tablets.

As you can imagine, this combination is reserved for the most serious cases of decay and gum disease. The idea is that once the shock and awe campaign is done, you can hopefully return to a simpler routine.

And of course, you would want that because the big guns also cause problems such as wiping out good bacteria, acute redness and drying of your gum tissue, changes to how you taste your food, and with some products, even staining your teeth.

But sometimes you can’t just brush your way out of a situation or rely on natural toothpaste, and you simply need to use some of the heavy hitters to get things started. And they do indeed work.

Once you have finished your round of intense treatment, it might be tempting to think you can just go back to your bad old ways of not brushing regularly, not cleaning between teeth, eating and drinking the sorts of things that got you into the situation in the first place.

But you can’t, of course.

It’s then time to create a sustainable programme that you can adapt or modify as your needs change because you don’t want to go back, do you?

Once you have altered the bacterial makeup, the next part of the journey is rebuilding. The keys to this are a combination of diet, oral hygiene, control where possible of other health factors, and products suited to provide the appropriate amount of protection and repair.

This doesn’t mean you will never have a sweet biscuit or lolly ever again, or that you will never again “forget” to floss most nights. 

But hopefully, it means you won’t smash four energy drinks a day, get wasted on bourbon and coke cans, fall asleep, wake up, vomit, head to 7-11 for a giant coke slurpee, lose your toothbrush and not bother buying a new one because your mint-ice vape gives you all the fresh breath you need…

Good ideas include:

– Eating less refined food and more fibrous foods and small amounts of cheese.

– Maintaining excellent hydration with water – at least 2-3 litres per day, and much more if you are sweating and doing physical activity.

– Brushing with a recommended toothpaste (usually containing fluoride) with a soft brush twice per day, cleaning between your teeth, and brushing or scraping your tongue. You really do have the 3-4 minutes, 2 times per day, to do this.

– If you drink sugary and acidic drinks, use a straw and don’t brush until at least 30 minutes later. (The sugar and acid are still not good for your general health, but with a straw, they can bypass your teeth.)

– If you have a dry mouth or unresolved issues such as stomach acid reflux, then the ongoing use of specialised remineralising products is a good idea.

– If you have exposed root surfaces of your teeth, it is essential to use different toothpastes to prevent sensitivity and reduce decay in these areas.

– Trying an oral probiotic to kick-start a more harmonious microbiome that will be beneficial for fresh breath, gum disease, and decay reduction. There is

– Getting regular checks with your dentist for monitoring and early intervention if required.