In this podcast, I’m going to tell you how to stop dental plaque formation in its tracks. Dental plaque is a biofilm of microbes. A biofilm is a calcium shell built to protect a group of microbes. Plaque is one of the primary causes of gingivitis, bad breath, and tooth decay. You can brush and floss regularly and still get plaque!

Your mouth contains the second-largest group of microbes in your body. The majority of these microbes are known as commensal, so they’re not necessarily friendly but also not unfriendly. If you kill them, you could end up with a candida infection or oral thrush.

Plaque develops when this friendly relationship turns into a pathogenic relationship. Dental plaque biofilms can develop under stress! Poor diet, sugar consumption, smoking, alcohol, and antibiotics can also contribute to dental plaque formation.

Certain chemicals can mimic antibiotics in the mouth. Ironically, chlorhexidine, the main chemical in mouthwash, mimics antibiotics in the mouth. It also increases acidity and the risk of tooth decay.

Fluoride is in the majority of toothpastes and our water supply. It’s been around for 60 years, but there have never been any randomized controlled trials on fluoride in our water.

Fluoride is not controlled by the FDA, CDC, EPA, or the American Dental Association—it's controlled by a private entity. It’s best to filter your water to remove fluoride.

You’ll want to get the good microbes back into your mouth to remove dental plaque. Consume probiotic-rich foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and kefir.

If you chew gum, make sure to choose xylitol gum.

DATA:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s4159...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...