Oral health has been one of the primary concerns for many fitness enthusiasts alike. Not just healthy teeth but a fresh mouth is something that one would prefer. Therefore, Dr. Andrew Huberman listed two crucial rules that one must follow to enable good oral health.
In his recent video, Dr. Huberman addressed concerns about oral health and various elements that surrounded it. From the use of fluorides to warnings about bad practices, the neuroscientist highlighted how it was important to take care of the mouth’s environment.
In one particular segment, he uncovered two must-dos that benefit the teeth and overall oral cavity. These two rules have their fundamentals based on how well the microbiome in our mouths thrives. The first protocol that Dr. Huberman suggested, was intermittent fasting.
Saliva production and, consequently, high levels of moisture inside the mouth helped the microbiome stay healthy. But an ideal situation that reinforced both of these factors was when one didn’t eat for an extended break during the daytime.
“There are certain times in the 24-hour circadian period in which your mouth makes the maximum amount of saliva…the saliva has an opportunity to be the optimal pH, that is chemistry for encouraging remineralization of your teeth, and that’s during the daytime.”
Saliva production varies throughout the day. While it increases during daytime, especially when food isn’t involved for an extended period, it decreases during nighttime. Since it plays a crucial role in combating streptococcus mutans, it is important to reinforce oral health at night. Therefore, Dr. Huberman suggested the second rule for maintaining good oral hygiene was to brush at night.
“I would say that nighttime brushing and flossing is perhaps one of the most important things that we could do for overall oral health care.”
Proper brushing and keeping in mind how the body’s natural clock works, one could keep up oral health easily. Aside from what one must do, there are also red flags of overall practices that hinder one’s mouth hygiene. Dr. Huberman listed those in an earlier segment.
Dr. Andrew Huberman warns of six red flags of oral health
Keeping in mind that the foundation of good oral hygiene lies in keeping the mouth moist and ensuring adequate saliva production, some practices do not enable these factors. Dr. Huberman listed six such elements that led to the drying of one’s mouth, increased corrosion of teeth, and decreased saliva.
Alcohol, stimulants, breathing through the mouth, smoking, sugar, and acidic foods lead to bad oral health. These elements put the mouth’s pH off by increasing the acidity, making the mouth drier, and enabling the bad bacteria to thrive. Avoiding these factors could help maintain oral health.
