Once I first began working towards dentistry, I saved noticing the identical irritating sample in my sufferers. They brushed, they flossed, they did “the whole lot proper.” And but—they nonetheless had cavities, bleeding gums, and unhealthy breath.
At first, I blamed food regimen. Perhaps sugar was the problem? However then I appeared nearer.
The true drawback? They had been mouth respiration at evening. I didn’t have a reputation for it again then, however I used to be seeing oral microbiome dysbiosis in real-time—earlier than it was even a acknowledged situation.
My sufferers who breathed via their mouths at evening had:
✔ Pink, infected gums that bled simply
✔ Persistent unhealthy breath, irrespective of how a lot they brushed
✔ Extra cavities—even with nice hygiene
✔ Frequent canker sores and oral irritation
Now, many years later, science has lastly caught up. Mouth respiration dries out your mouth, wrecks your oral microbiome, and results in all of those points.
💡 Need to know if that is taking place to you? Do this easy check tonight: Tape your mouth shut with Nexcare tape (the one I take advantage of is linked on my web site, however use no matter makes you most snug). If the tape stays on all evening and also you get up feeling refreshed, your nasal respiration might be advantageous. If the tape comes off, otherwise you get up with dry mouth, unhealthy breath, or delicate tooth after your morning espresso—that’s a crimson flag. You might need an airway difficulty (like nasal obstruction or sleep apnea) that wants additional investigation.
🚨 Necessary Notice: Mouth taping isn’t for everybody. In case you have continual nasal congestion, a deviated septum, or sleep apnea, concentrate on enhancing nasal respiration earlier than making an attempt mouth taping. When you wrestle with mouth taping, don’t ignore it—it’s an indication to look deeper into your respiration.
📖 Need to dive deeper? I cowl this intimately in my e book, The 8-Hour Sleep Paradox, which explains how undiagnosed sleep-disordered respiration impacts the whole lot from vitality ranges to mind well being.
Why Mouth Respiration Wrecks Your Enamel
A cheerful tooth is a tooth that’s bathed in saliva.
Saliva isn’t simply moisture—it’s your physique’s pure protection system on your mouth.
It performs a essential function in preserving your tooth robust and cavity-free by:
✅ Washing away dangerous micro organism that trigger decay and gum illness ✅ Neutralizing acids that erode enamel
✅ Delivering important minerals (like calcium, phosphate, and magnesium) to remineralize your tooth (one in all many causes I take this magnesium complement each day)
✅ Supporting your immune system by containing antimicrobial proteins that combat off dangerous micro organism
Each time you eat, your tooth undergo a demineralization cycle—acidic publicity that briefly weakens enamel.
While you’re continuously snacking, your tooth by no means get a break.
The one option to reverse the injury is thru remineralization, which may’t occur with out saliva.
In case your mouth is dry—whether or not from mouth respiration, dehydration, or medicine—you’re lacking out in your physique’s built-in restore system.
Why Saliva is Every thing for Your Enamel & Well being
With out saliva, your tooth would actually crumble.
It’s 95% water, however don’t let that idiot you—saliva is full of enzymes, minerals, immune defenses, and even digestive properties that:
✔️ Hold your mouth’s pH balanced (unhealthy saliva = extra cavities)
✔️ Forestall oral dysbiosis (aka unhealthy micro organism taking up)
✔️ Break down meals and defend your intestine from dangerous microbes
✔️ Even assist lubricate your airway—which is why mouth breathers usually tend to snore and have sleep apnea
Daily, you swallow 1.5 liters of saliva—and with it, about 140+ billion micro organism that go on to your intestine. In case your saliva is off, your total microbiome suffers—resulting in intestine points, irritation, and even pores and skin issues like zits.
Easy methods to Defend Your Enamel from Mouth Respiration
1️⃣ Mouth Taping at Evening – The best option to retrain your self to breathe via your nostril is to tape your mouth shut when you sleep. Many individuals discover higher sleep, no extra dry mouth, and even clearer considering after doing this. When you’re congested or have a chilly, attempt sleeping propped up at an angle—this retains your nasal passages extra open and makes it simpler to breathe via your nostril.
💡 However right here’s why mouth taping can also be a robust diagnostic instrument: If the tape stays on all evening and also you get up feeling nice, that’s signal your nasal respiration is working properly. But when the tape comes off, otherwise you really feel panicked or in need of breath, that’s a crimson flag—you will have an underlying airway difficulty (like nasal obstruction or sleep apnea) that wants additional investigation.
This is the reason I take advantage of mouth taping as a first-line differential analysis earlier than recommending sleep research or interventions. It’s a easy option to collect details about your airway well being earlier than taking the following step.
And personally, I by no means go to mattress with out mouth tape. Nor does my spouse. We’re nice nasal breathers, however the mouth tape ensures our lips don’t fall open whereas asleep. Our Oura ring scores present the distinction after we mouth tape versus after we don’t.
2️⃣ Magnesium for Saliva & Restoration – Since saliva high quality will depend on mineral content material, getting sufficient magnesium is important. Magnesium helps activate enzymes in saliva that preserve its protecting qualities and permits for correct remineralization of your tooth. With out sufficient magnesium, your saliva can’t successfully deposit calcium and phosphate into your enamel, leaving your tooth weak to cavities. Since magnesium performs such a key function in saliva high quality and total restoration, I take one with all seven important kinds.
3️⃣ Intermittent Fasting for Oral Well being – Most individuals consider fasting as a intestine or metabolic hack, but it surely seems it’s simply as necessary for oral well being. Each time you eat, your tooth undergo a demineralization cycle—acid publicity that briefly weakens enamel.
When you’re continuously snacking, your tooth by no means get a break. However while you house out meals or follow fasting, your saliva has uninterrupted time to remineralize and strengthen your enamel.
For my sufferers who wrestle with cavities regardless of nice hygiene, merely eliminating snacks between meals has been a game-changer. Purpose for 3 high-quality, protein-rich meals per day as an alternative of grazing.
That stated, fasting isn’t for everybody—some research counsel it could have drawbacks. However when you do quick, skipping dinner is good. Consuming earlier within the day helps higher sleep, stabilizes blood sugar, and aligns along with your physique’s circadian rhythm.
4️⃣ Brushing Earlier than, Not After, Espresso or Acidic Drinks – Brushing instantly after acidic drinks like espresso can put on away enamel. As a substitute, brush very first thing within the morning, then wait a minimum of 45 minutes earlier than brushing once more. If you wish to reduce acid injury, rinse with water or swish with inexperienced tea to neutralize pH earlier than brushing.
5️⃣ Rebuilding the Oral Microbiome & Intestine Well being – Since taking this probiotic, I’ve seen my breath stays brisker in a single day, and I get up with noticeably much less plaque buildup. It’s been an effective way to assist my intestine and oral microbiome collectively.
6️⃣ Fixing the Harm – For my sufferers who already had injury from mouth respiration, the precedence was remineralizing and defending their tooth ASAP. That meant utilizing nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste and making certain they had been correctly cleansing between their tooth—particularly in dry areas the place plaque buildup was worse. This electrical flosser turned a game-changer for eradicating hidden buildup.
This electronic mail is delivered to you by BIOptimizers
I used BIOptimizers’ Magnesium Breakthrough for a few years earlier than they reached out to accomplice with me. It’s the one magnesium complement I’ve discovered that incorporates all seven important kinds—which is essential for sleep, restoration, and saliva high quality. I extremely advocate it and take it myself each single day. I like receiving messages from all of you telling me how a lot this magnesium complement has modified your lives.
Strive it out for your self. They’ve a 365-day return coverage—that’s how assured they’re of their product. Use my code for a reduction:
👉 bioptimizers.com/askthedentist (Code: ASKTHEDENTIST)
Wishing you a beautiful week,
Mark
P.S. Small modifications add up. When you’ve been coping with dry mouth or unexplained cavities, attempt these tweaks—you could be stunned at how massive of a distinction they make! 🚀
