Most Replayed Moment: Don’t Brush Your Teeth After Sugar! The Best Oral Care Routine
This episode explores the oral microbiome's impact on overall health, including links to cancer. It provides actionable advice on diet, brushing techniques, sugar consumption, and the use of specific oral hygiene products to maintain a balanced and healthy oral environment.
Deep Dive Analysis
15 Topic Outline
Oral Bacteria (Fusobacterium nucleatum) and Cancer Risk
Factors Causing Fusobacterium nucleatum and Green Tea's Role
Impact of Coffee and Tea on Oral Microbiome
Sugar Consumption Habits and Tooth Decay
Effects of Acidic and Fizzy Drinks on Enamel
General Recommendations for a Balanced Oral Microbiome
Optimal Timing and Technique for Brushing Teeth
Benefits of Electric Toothbrushes
Commonly Overlooked Areas During Brushing
Understanding Tooth Staining and Safe Whitening Methods
Plaque Removal and Oral Probiotics
The Importance of Using Straws for Oral Health
Negative Effects of Smoking and Vaping on Oral Microbiome
Accessing Oral Microbiome Testing and Integrative Dentistry
Future Vision for Integrated Dentistry and Saliva Testing
7 Key Concepts
Fusobacterium nucleatum
A specific oral bacteria that has been shown to accelerate tumor growth in mice and is linked to colorectal and breast cancer. Its presence can be influenced by poor oral hygiene, genetics, diet, and even transmission through kissing. Green tea is noted as being extremely effective at killing this bacteria.
Oxidative Stress
Described as 'stress for the body,' oxidative stress is a condition that green tea helps to combat. Green tea's anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties contribute to its effectiveness against this stress.
Saliva's Role in Oral Health
Saliva is crucial for oral health, acting as a delivery service that provides food, proteins, and essential nutrients for the good bacteria in the mouth. Reduced saliva flow, caused by factors like coffee, nervousness, sleep, or certain medications, can lead to the death of good bacteria and the proliferation of bad bacteria.
Sugar Attack
This concept suggests that it is better for oral health to consume all sugary items in one concentrated 'attack' rather than sipping sugary drinks or snacking on sweets over an extended period. This allows the mouth's saliva to neutralize the acidity more quickly, preventing prolonged exposure to acid that can lead to decay.
Tooth Erosion
This refers to the wearing away of the outer layer of the tooth, the enamel, often caused by highly acidic drinks like sodas. Prolonged exposure to these acidic beverages can significantly damage the tooth surface.
Extrinsic Staining
These are stains on the teeth that originate from external sources such as coffee, tea, or smoking. They are generally easier to remove through professional hygiene appointments compared to intrinsic stains.
Oral Probiotics
These are beneficial bacteria introduced to the oral microbiome to help balance it. They are often recommended based on specific good bacteria that are found to be missing through microbiome testing, and they require a suitable environment, including prebiotics, to thrive.
11 Questions Answered
While not yet definitively causal, specific oral bacteria like Fusobacterium nucleatum are considered risk factors that can increase the aggression or initiation of certain cancers (colorectal, breast). Research is ongoing with targeted antibiotics to explore a stronger causative link.
Multiple factors contribute, including poor oral hygiene, genetics, diet, and even transmission through kissing.
Directly, coffee has no negative impact on the oral microbiome, but it can dry out the mouth, reducing saliva flow. Reduced saliva means less food for good bacteria, potentially leading to their decline and the growth of bad bacteria.
It's better to consume all sugar in one 'sugar attack' rather than sipping sugary drinks or snacking over time. This allows the saliva to neutralize the acid and return to a healthy state more quickly, preventing prolonged acidic conditions that lead to decay.
No, you should wait 30 minutes after consuming anything acidic or sugary before brushing. Brushing immediately can grind the sugar or acid into your teeth, causing more damage.
No, you should only spit after brushing your teeth. Rinsing with water washes away the beneficial compounds from the toothpaste, making the brushing less effective.
Generally, yes, because electric toothbrushes often do the work for you, time your brushing for the recommended two minutes (most people brush for only 20-30 seconds), and have pressure sensors to prevent brushing too hard, which can reduce gum recession.
The insides of the very back bottom teeth, near the tongue, are frequently missed because people don't angle the brush correctly.
Yes, if done professionally by a good brand. Over-the-counter or online products can be damaging, but a good professional whitening treatment has a minimal impact on teeth, comparable to drinking one Coca-Cola.
For sugary, acidic, or staining drinks, a straw helps bypass the teeth, directing the liquid straight to the back of the throat. This reduces the chance of decay, tooth wear, and staining.
Both are detrimental as they dry out the mouth, reduce saliva flow, and stop blood flow (vascularization) to the mouth. Smoking is a significant risk factor for gum disease and can mask symptoms like bleeding gums due to constricted blood vessels.
13 Actionable Insights
1. Adopt “Sugar Attack” Method
Consume all sugary foods or drinks in one go rather than sipping or snacking over a long period. This allows your saliva to neutralize the acid quickly, preventing prolonged acidic conditions that lead to decay.
2. Optimize Brushing Timing
Never brush immediately after consuming acidic or sugary items; wait 30 minutes to avoid grinding the acid/sugar into your teeth. Always brush right before bed as saliva flow significantly reduces during sleep, leaving bacteria to cause problems.
3. Do Not Rinse After Brushing
After brushing your teeth, simply spit out the toothpaste and do not rinse your mouth with water. Rinsing removes the beneficial ingredients from the toothpaste, diminishing its protective effect on your teeth and gums.
4. Drink Green Tea for Oral Health
Incorporate green tea into your routine as it is highly effective at killing specific oral bacteria like Fusobacterium nucleatum, which has been linked to accelerating tumor growth in some cancers.
5. Use an Electric Toothbrush
Opt for an electric toothbrush as it often performs the brushing work more effectively, ensures you brush for the recommended two minutes, and includes a pressure sensor to prevent brushing too hard.
6. Improve Brushing Technique
Focus on often-overlooked areas like the insides of your very back bottom teeth by getting your elbow up and brushing at a 90-degree angle. For the outsides of teeth, use rotational movements at a 30-degree angle towards the gum margin to massage gums and remove bacteria.
7. Use Straws for Harmful Drinks
Drink sugary, acidic, or staining beverages through a straw to bypass your teeth. This reduces the contact time of harmful substances with your enamel, thereby lowering the risk of decay, tooth wear, and staining.
8. Avoid Smoking and Vaping
Refrain from smoking and vaping as both significantly dry out your mouth, reduce saliva flow, and constrict blood vessels. This can mask gum disease symptoms and are major risk factors for gum disease.
9. Seek Professional Teeth Whitening
If considering teeth whitening, opt for professional treatments from a dentist or hygienist. Be cautious with abrasive whitening toothpastes that can damage enamel, and avoid over-the-counter products that may cause severe damage.
10. Consider Oral Probiotics
Explore oral probiotics, especially if an oral microbiome test indicates a lack of certain beneficial bacteria. These can help introduce good bacteria and rebalance your oral microbiome, provided your diet supports their growth.
11. Manage Dry Mouth Factors
Be aware that coffee, tea, nervousness, and certain medications like antidepressants can dry out your mouth, reducing essential saliva flow. Reduced saliva flow can lead to an imbalance and growth of bad bacteria, as saliva delivers nutrients to good bacteria.
12. Keep Oral Hygiene Simple
For general oral health, focus on the fundamentals: using the right toothpaste, the right toothbrush, and the right floss. Overcomplicating your routine or spending excessive money is often unnecessary for a balanced microbiome.
13. Explore Plaque Reduction Aids
Consider using a water flosser or taking specific supplements designed to reduce plaque buildup. While water flossers are not as powerful as professional tools, they can aid in plaque management.
5 Key Quotes
Every time you sip your your tea with sugar what happens is that the saliva has to go from acidic back to neutral acidic back to neutral acidic and then it starts to just not work properly and the saliva just stays acidic and that's where you start to see decay.
Dr Victoria Sampson
You should never brush straight after anything acidic or sugary... you should wait 30 minutes until you brush your teeth.
Dr Victoria Sampson
You spend two minutes putting all of that on your teeth and then if you rinse it then you're actually removing all of that goodness from your teeth and gums and it's kind of like you haven't done anything.
Dr Victoria Sampson
Your teeth don't grow back so if you keep on exfoliating and getting rid of that surface layer of enamel over a long amount of time that can be quite an issue and quite problematic.
Dr Victoria Sampson
My other dream is that people start testing their saliva and they understand that you know blood is not the only way that we can understand things that are going on within our body.
Dr Victoria Sampson
3 Protocols
General Oral Health Routine
Dr Victoria Sampson- Limit sugar consumption to one 'sugar attack' per day, avoiding consistent sipping or snacking on sugary items.
- Use the right toothpaste, toothbrush, and floss.
- Brush teeth first thing in the morning.
- Brush teeth last thing before going to bed (this is the most important time).
- Wait 30 minutes to brush teeth after consuming anything acidic or sugary; chew sugar-free gum or chewable mints in the interim to neutralize saliva.
- Spit, do not rinse with water, after brushing teeth to keep beneficial toothpaste compounds on your teeth.
- Use an electric toothbrush, as it often ensures proper duration (2 minutes) and pressure (with a sensor).
- When brushing the insides of the very back bottom teeth, raise your elbow and brush at a 90-degree angle.
- When brushing the outsides of teeth, use rotational movements at a 30-degree angle, towards the gum margin, to massage gums and remove bacteria.
- Follow a systematic method for brushing (e.g., all outsides, then biting surfaces, then insides, for top and bottom teeth) to ensure all areas are covered.
Oral Microbiome Testing and Personalized Recommendations
Dr Victoria Sampson- Undergo an oral microbiome test (e.g., Oralis One) to understand the specific bacteria and genetic mutations present.
- Receive personalized recommendations based on test results, which may include specific dietary advice (e.g., green tea, honey) or product suggestions.
- If the test reveals a genetic lack of certain good bacteria, supplement with a suitable oral probiotic (available as a mouthwash powder or chewable tablet) to reintroduce them.
Protecting Teeth from Damaging Drinks
Dr Victoria Sampson- Use a straw when consuming acidic, sugary, or staining beverages (e.g., Coca-Cola, alcohol, but not wine).
- Ensure the straw bypasses the teeth and directs the liquid directly to the back of the throat to reduce contact with tooth surfaces.