Episode 200: Supporting Your Oral Health

doTERRA: Research shows that good oral health is essential to your general health and well-being, and taking care of your teeth has to be a priority in your life. And today, we'll share some of our favorite tips.

Welcome back to Essential Oil Solutions with doTERRA, the podcast where you'll hear exciting, useful and simple everyday uses for essential oils from experts in the field.

Today's episode is brought to you by the On Guard Protective Blend. A powerful blend of essential oils, On Guard provides a natural and effective alternative for immune support when used internally. Your body does a lot for you, so why not get your guard up?

Today, we're excited to talk to Carol Ann Guest, an experienced dental hygienist, about how you can keep your mouth, gums, and teeth healthy. Carol Ann, thank you so much for joining us today.

Carol Ann Guest: Oh, I am so delighted to be here! I just love this podcast, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to participate today.

doTERRA: Well, this is a topic that I am thrilled to talk about because I don't feel like it gets discussed enough. So to start, I just want to know why is supporting our oral health so important?

Carol Ann: Oh, it's so important. I actually spent 15 years in private practice as a registered dental hygienist. That was my major. My minor is in health education and nutrition. And then I also had the opportunity to teach histology, embryology, and preventive dentistry at Salt Lake Community College for four years.

And I, as an educator, I was always adamant to make sure that my students realized and understood that oral health is a window to overall health and wellness. And this is why I feel that supporting our oral health is so important.

doTERRA: And can you go a little bit more into how our oral health affects the rest of our body?

Carol Ann: Well, our mouth is actually the entry point to our digestive and our respiratory tract. And when we neglect our oral health, it can cause havoc in our body. So we know that that entry point is so critical that we stay on top of it, that we keep it clean and that we do our part.

Also, the pH of our saliva plays such a key role in our oral health. So when saliva is properly balanced, then it protects our teeth and it helps maintain this healthy oral environment. So neutralizing that is so, so critical.

So saliva has proteins and minerals that protect our tooth enamel, and they help prevent decay. And this is one of the reasons I love On Guard Mouthwash so much is because it's alcohol free. And alcohol actually creates a dry mouth and decreases our saliva production, which alters the pH of our saliva. So I love that doTERRA has created this amazing mouthwash that doesn't have alcohol. It's kind of like counterintuitive, right?

The one thing about doTERRA's mouthwash, too, is it reduces plaque, and it helps just to clean the teeth and the gums and just restore that oral health and that normal pH balance that we need.

doTERRA: Absolutely. And, you know, that is funny how some of these products that we’re getting recommended every day or multiple times aren't necessarily the best for our body overall.

Carol Ann: Absolutely. I agree.

doTERRA: Now, what are some of those things that we should be doing every single day and working into our routine to make sure that we're supporting our oral health?

Brushing

Carol Ann: Well, number one, of course, is brush your teeth and doing that at least twice a day. I highly recommend a soft toothbrush. Now, some people think that harder is better, but this actually is not true. Softer is actually better. Hard bristle brushes, they actually increase our recession of the gingiva, which results in increase of sensitivity. And this is because it exposes the root of the tooth.

I love the On Guard Toothpaste. I'm just going to tell you a little bit about this. It's—I love it because if you have sensitive teeth, it is so beneficial because it has hydroxyapatite. And when I—when this product was first released, I was like, “Wow, this is like the bomb.” Because that hydroxyapatite is so powerful because it actually fills the in the open dentin tubules.

So I know that sounds a little complicated, but we have enamel on our teeth and then on the root of our teeth, we don't have that enamel, we have dentin, and it's much softer. So when we have exposed root surfaces and they become sensitive, it's because we need to create that hard enamel covering. And the best way to do it is with hydroxyapatite. And so this will absolutely decrease sensitivity, as it also whitens and it strengthens your teeth.

And then I would just highly recommend that you replace your toothbrush every three to four months. That's one of the things people don't do as often as they should is replace their toothbrush.

Flossing

The second thing is, I always say that you only have to floss the teeth you want to keep. So, of course, flossing is so critical because it accesses inner proximally and really helps to make sure that our teeth and our oral environment is clean.

Using Mouthwash

And number three is use the On Guard Mouthwash. It is so important.

Eating a Healthy Diet

And then four is eating a healthy diet. Believe it or not, our diet is directly linked to so much of what happens in our oral environment and especially limiting like those sugary foods and those drinks. I mean, we're not all perfect. So if we choose to drink a soda, we just need to make sure we're like rinsing our mouth out afterwards with water or the mouthwash or brushing as soon after as we can.

Getting Checkups and Cleanings

And then the last thing I would highly recommend is scheduling those regular dental checkups and cleanings, because as we know in doTERRA prevention is key, and early intervention is critical. And so really getting on top of something when it's small instead of out of control is so much better. And so really sticking to your six-month cleaning appointment and your regular dental checkups is absolutely key.

doTERRA: Yes. And I love all of those. I think our oral health—our good oral health is something we absolutely take for granted until it's gone. And we don't realize how much of an impact that has on our life.

Carol Ann: I agree. I totally agree. In fact, I have been using the On Guard Toothpaste and rinsing with the mouthwash for the last eight or nine years. I think that's how long we've had this amazing product. So powerful, yes.

doTERRA: Absolutely. Well, before we end, Carol Ann, I know you've mentioned the toothpaste and the mouthwash. What other oils or products does doTERRA have to help me support my oral health?

doTERRA On Guard Toothpaste

Carol Ann: Okay. So, yes, I've already mentioned number one is our amazing toothpaste. And one of the things about the toothpaste I want to mention also is the biggest complaint I get is that it doesn't give us that foaming sensation. Like people are like—they want that that foaming.

But really, it's a false sense of clean. Really, that foaming doesn't do anything to help. And so I I've gotten to where I can't stand it. Like if I use another toothpaste, and I have all that foam and all that, oh, just is like, I don't like it as much. So just know that that does not help with the cleaning process, that what truly helps is the contact with the tooth and that hydroxyapatite like we talked about.

doTERRA On Guard

And then another suggestion I would give is On Guard oil in a water pick is really powerful.

doTERRA On Guard Mouthwash

Next one I mentioned the mouthwash and how it controls the pH of the saliva, and I love the mouthwash does the opposite, like we talked about, and creates that refreshing and really clean environment.

Tea Tree

And then another oil I would highly recommend is Tea Tree oil. This is so powerful because it really helps with cankers. So if you or even if you bite your cheek, the epithelium in our mouth actually repairs itself more quickly than any other part of our body. Like it's a has an amazing power to repair quickly.

But applying the Tea Tree oil even speeds up that process. So directly, applying it just topically, just putting some on your thumb and then putting it on your cheek or wherever the canker is. It is so powerful how quickly it will resolve itself, and you'll be feeling better in no time.

Clove

And then another oil that I would highly recommend is Clove. This is so great for oral discomfort, and it's amazing for teething babies. Of course, we would want to combine it with Fractionated Coconut Oil for the teething babies, but it is just such a relief and is very powerful.

So those are some of the recommendations that I would highly recommend to create that optimal health. And I just love doTERRA. Like, I love all of the great oral options that are available to us.

doTERRA: Absolutely, and I agree. Those are some incredible recommendations and really simple and easy ones to work into your routine, which is always great.

Carol Ann, it has been fantastic to talk to you today, to learn a little bit about our oral health, how we can take care of it, and really just take advantage of your expertise with oral health and with the doTERRA products.

Carol Ann: Thank you so much. It was a pleasure.

doTERRA: Thanks for joining us and congratulations on living a healthier lifestyle with essential oils. If you want to try any of the products you learned about, click on the link in the episode description or find a Wellness Advocate near you to place an order today. And remember, if you liked what you heard today, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen.