Mouth to Microbiome: Can cleaning your teeth properly really improve your long term health and prevent disease?
If you’re interested in health and wellness, it’s likely you’ve come across Tim Spector, a prominent British Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, and co-founder of ZOE (the science organisation that ran the original Covid-19 studies). Tim has become known for his work on gut health and how it affects us, and on ZOE’s Science & Nutrition Podcast in March, he was heard talking about the importance of of optimal teeth cleaning and its relationship to gut health. Tim suggested that by cleaning your teeth optimally (and this means flossing or using a dental pick as well as brushing) you can reduce your risk of future dementia and heart disease.
“Just like in our gut and colon, we’ve got these microbes in our mouth and saliva” he says. “They have their own community, and if you have pieces of food stuck in between your teeth this feeds the bad bacteria in your mouth and they are pro-inflammatory. They send out signals to our immune system to say ‘something isn’t right’ and puts the body in a state of stress and prematurely ages it.” So does the research back up Tim’s claims?
Well, your mouth and your gut have something important in common. Both are home to a microbiome – a complex community of microorganisms that play a key role in your overall health. In fact, the oral microbiome is the second largest microbial environment in the body, with the gut (or colon) taking first place. These two systems are closely connected through the digestive tract, often referred to as the oral–gut axis. This means what happens in your mouth doesn’t stay in your mouth. For example, harmful oral bacteria can trigger inflammation that affects the gut, while gut issues like acid reflux can damage tooth enamel.
More Than Just Teeth and Gums
Research is increasingly showing links between oral health and wider health conditions, including:
- Heart disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Certain cancers
Your mouth naturally contains a wide range of bacteria, and most of them are beneficial, helping to maintain a healthy balance. However, when this balance is disrupted, problems such as gum disease (periodontitis) can develop. Gum disease doesn’t just affect your gums. Harmful bacteria can enter the bloodstream and travel to other parts of the body, potentially contributing to inflammation and disease elsewhere. Some of these bacteria can even reach the gut, where they don’t normally belong. This can upset the gut’s natural balance and has been linked to conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and bowel (colon) cancer.
Small daily habits make a big difference:
Here’s how to encourage the healthy balance in your mouth and gut.
Encourage Good Bacteria: Supporting beneficial bacteria helps reduce inflammation and keeps harmful bacteria in check.
Try this:
- Eat gut-friendly foods like natural yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and pickles
- Reduce sugar intake to avoid feeding harmful bacteria in your mouth
Discourage Harmful Bacteria: Keeping harmful bacteria under control helps prevent tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath.
Try this:
- Brush your teeth thoroughly twice a day
- Clean between your teeth daily with floss or interdental brushes
- Regular checkups help your dentist spot any early signs of gum disease
The Bottom Line
A healthy mouth supports a healthy body. By looking after your oral health, you’re not just protecting your smile – you’re contributing to your overall wellbeing too. We’re with Tim on this one.
To book your check-up, call our reception team on 0191 2596506 or email reception@unionquaydental.co.uk
Learn more:
https://zoe.com/learn/tim-spectors-7-health-habits-for-2026