2019-04-01 Women's Health

APRIL 2019

PE

TE

R

R

O

SA

/T

H

E^

LI

CE

N

SI

N

G^

PR

O

JE

CT

REALLY WANT A STUNNING

SMILE? FOCUS ON THESE HABITS

THAT TAKE PLACE FAR FROM

THE BATHROOM SINK. BONUS:

YOU’LL SCORE BETTER OVERALL

HEALTH TOO. NOW THAT’S

WORTH CHEESIN’ ABOUT!

Smile

Secrets

You’re ticking all the

boxes for keeping teeth

and gums healthy: going

to your twice-yearly den-

tal checkups, brushing like a boss,

and flossing daily (well, at least as

often as you remember!). But it

might not be enough: More than

30 percent of 20- to 44-year-olds

have untreated cavities, and nearly

50 percent of adults age 30 or older

have signs of gum disease. Yuck.

The real jaw-dropper? When your

mouth isn’t in pristine condition, the

re st of you r b o dy c a n su ffer. “ The

mouth is a gateway for disease,” says

Gerry Curatola, DDS, an integrative

dentist in New York City and the

author of The Mouth-Body

Connection. Gum disease—the

number one cause of chronic low-

level inflammation in the body—is

l i n ke d to ju st ab out ever y t h i ng f rom

heart problems to cancer, notes

Dr. Curatola. But that relationship

works both ways: Having a condi-

t ion l i ke d iabete s c a n up you r o dd s

for tooth loss or gum disease. That’s

why a growing number of dentists

are taking a more holistic approach

to oral care. Sink your teeth into

these say what? links between your

mouth and the rest of your body,

then eat, sleep, and sweat your way

to a n In st a-wor t hy g r i n.

By Clare Baxter
Additional reporting by
Tracy Middleton

You’ve heard about the all-impor-

tant gut microbiome, but know this:

The digestive system starts in your

mouth. And as with the bacteria in

our bellies, you need a healthy mix of

bugs there. A lack of oral bacterial

diversity has been linked to inflam-

matory diseases including IBD and

ar thritis, a s well a s skin conditions

such as psoriasis. Another reason to

strive for balance? When the oral mi-

crobiome is in equilibrium, its resi-

dent bacteria shield against tooth

decay; when it’s out of whack, the

same bugs can actually cause cavi-

ties, says Dr. Curatola. To keep

mouth microbes on their best behav-

ior, cut back on sugar (the sweet stuff

makes them produce acid that at-

tacks tooth enamel). Then work from

the gut up by eating bacteria-nourish-

ing prebiotic foods like artichokes,

asparagus, and bananas.

Your Gut

Mouth-breathing alert! When you

inhale this way during sleep (around

61 percent of us do, according to one

survey), your tongue can drop back

into your throat, blocking the airway,

says functional dentist Steven Lin,

DDS, author of The Dental Diet. Not

getting enough oxygen can lead you

to wake up feeling unrefreshed (the

plight of more than 60 percent of

women, according to another survey).

But the real nightmare is what can

happen to your teeth: Your brain re -

ceives a signal that you’re not get ting

enough O 2. To open the airway, it pulls

your jaw forward—a position that can

cause you to grind your teeth. Beyond

jaw pain and headaches, nighttime

gnashing can loosen or crack teeth or

wear down enamel, making teeth sen-

sitive to pressure and temperature

shifts. Practice nose breathing during

the day; eventually, your body will

adopt the habit when the sun goes

down too. Sleeping on your side can

also minimize the risk of your tongue

falling back, says Dr. Lin.

Your Sleep

Read our lips:

Good health

starts—

literally— right

here.

78 / WOMEN’S HEALTH