The #1 Top Remedy for Dental Plaque

Dental plaque doesn't only cause cavities and bad breath. Poor oral health has also been linked to serious health problems like heart disease and strokes. So in this video I'll share the teeth cleaning routine I give to my patients based on the latest scientific evidence. The approach has five key steps and each is simple, you can incorporate them right away to start providing better protection for your teeth and gums. Cavities, gum disease and other issues develop slowly, so our strategy is to target the early stages of this process We begin by addressing what's happening between our teeth. Cavities and gum disease are caused by bacteria in our mouths. These bacteria use sugars and starch in the foods that we eat as fuel, which helps them grow. As bacteria mix with food particles and saliva, they form a sticky film called plaque. Between our teeth this causes two problems. First, the bacteria and plaque produce an acid that can eat away at our tooth enamel. That's how cavities form. And the second is that bacteria can irritate our gums, which can lead to gingivitis, an early stage of gum disease. So we need a way to remove food particles and plaque from these hard to reach areas between our teeth. And dental floss is a key tool for the job. It's the first part of the routine that I give to my patients. And I'm going to reveal the top recommended kind of dental floss in a moment, particularly when we consider the ever chemicals like PFAS. Dental floss clears away plaque in food that a toothbrush can't reach. Studies have found that it makes a huge difference. One study, for example, looked at older adults over a five year period and found that those who flossed had fewer calories and lower rates of gum disease. I start with flossing because the order matters. Though many people floss after brushing, a recent study showed that this isn't the best way to do it. Researchers found that those who flossed before brushing had significantly less plaque between their teeth compared to those who brushed first. By flossing first, it lets the toothpaste penetrate the areas between our teeth better because there isn't plaque in the way. So which floss should we use? Well, in this video, I'm going to follow the recommendations from ConsumerLab.com. They provide high quality reviews of health products, and their top pick is ReachMint waxed floss. It's inexpensive, it fits well between our teeth, and it holds up to use without falling apart. Many find wax floss easier to use. It's also free from PFAS. These are a class of chemicals found in everyday products that have been linked to negative health impacts like immune dysfunction, liver disease, and cancer. So what are chemicals like this doing in dental floss in the first place? Well, one of the most common PFAS is PTFE, known by its trade name Teflon. It's a great way to reduce friction, so it's used in some brands of floss to play a similar role to wax. And though there are many sources of exposure to PFAS, avoiding it in a product that we use in our mouths is probably a good idea. And before we start brushing our teeth, there's another tool that I use, and this is the second part of my dental hygiene routine. If the spaces between our teeth are hard to reach, so is another key area, the gum line. Plaque and food can get into the area between our gums and teeth, and this is a perfect place for bacteria to multiply. Over time, this causes inflammation, and at this stage, our gums can become red and bleed. As the problem progresses, the bacteria eat away at the enamel and tissues around the base of the tooth. This creates more of an area for bacteria and food to hide, making the problem even worse. And once again, the solution is to stop the problem before it develops. We can do this by using a tool that targets the gum line, effectively cleaning plaque and food particles from this zone. The tool that we use here is a water flosser. This is a handheld device that uses a concentrated stream of water to clean between and around the teeth. They've been used for decades, and a recent review article on water flosses found that they were more effective in the management of gum disease than other approaches. Personally, I use a brand called Waterpik, but other brands are great as well. Now, I've tried to replace regular flossing with just using the Waterpik, but I find that it doesn't clean as well. My preference is to still do a regular floss, and then I use the Waterpik. Now we come to the third part of the anti-plaque routine. It's the one that we're most familiar with. Brushing. But different approaches to brushing make a massive difference. There's a specific type of brush that I use, which I'll come to in a moment. Now, there's an important aspect of brushing which many of us get wrong, and it's how long we brush for. The average brushing time is around 45 seconds, but the recommended time is much longer. One study found that brushing for three minutes removed 55% more plaque than brushing for 30 seconds. Even brushing for two minutes removed 26 more plaque than the average length of 45 seconds. So how long we brush is important, but if we want to increase the impact of brushing even more, we should use an electric toothbrush. A comprehensive review of the literature by Cochrane concluded that powered toothbrushes remove more plaque than standard ones. But what kind of electric toothbrush should we choose? There's been a long-standing debate about whether rotating or vibrating heads are better. A recent review of the research published in 2021 concluded that vibrating toothbrushes have the edge when it comes to long-term results. So personally, I use the Philips Sonicare line, just the standard one, which is available for about $25 on Amazon. But here's another really important question. What kind of toothpaste should we use when we brush? And this brings us onto the fourth part of the anti-plaque routine. The biggest question, particularly in light of recent comments made by RFK Jr., is whether we should have fluoride in our toothpaste or not. So why do we potentially need fluoride? Well, earlier I mentioned that bacteria in our mouths feed on sugar and produce acid. This acid starts to break down the enamel of our teeth, and when it goes on for long enough, that's what produces cavities, which are holes in our enamel. But our bodies also repair and rebuild tooth enamel, making use of calcium in our saliva. Fluoride supercharges this process, and it helps to rebuild our enamel even stronger. A mountain of research shows that it helps to prevent tooth decay. For example, a comprehensive review by Cochrane found that fluoride toothpaste reduced cavities and other forms of tooth decay more than non-fluoride toothpastes. The review also concluded that there is an increasing benefit to higher concentrations of fluoride, but only up to 1,500 parts per million. Now, this discussion is entirely separate to whether we should be including fluoride in our drinking water or not. The concentration and the amount absorbed into the body are completely different between these two strategies, and I'll link a video in the pinned comment that goes into detail about fluoride in drinking water. Coming back to toothpaste, consumerlab.com's top pick for fluoride toothpaste is Colgate Cavity Protection Toothpaste with fluoride. It hits the right concentration of fluoride, it's accepted by the ADA, and it's also very inexpensive. One other ingredient that's particularly interesting for dental health is xylitol. It's found naturally in many fruits and vegetables, and it has a distinctive sweet taste. But unlike sugar, it's actually good for our dental health. Research has found that it helps to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. It does this in part by reducing the acid production of bacteria that cause cavities and inflammation. Xylitol in chewing gum, for example, can help to add an extra defense for our oral health. But even if we floss, use a water pick, brush correctly, and use a good toothpaste, we're still going to miss some plaque and end up with tartar on our teeth. Tartar is hardened plaque that must be removed by a dentist. So that brings us onto the fifth part of the anti-plaque protocol, regular visits to the dentist. But how often is regular? Well, I have a clean about once every 6 to 12 months. But there are some other things that we can do to reduce plaque formation in the first place and strengthen our body's defenses. First, we can avoid risk factors associated with poor dental health. The most obvious one is diet. If bacteria in our mouths love to feed on sugar, then it's a good idea to cut out sugary drinks and junk food. Acid is also tough on tooth enamel, so we want to be careful not to drink too much soda water, for example, and other carbonated drinks. Another key risk factor is smoking. One study found cigarette smokers were a third more likely to have gum disease and loose teeth and 43% more likely to have teeth removed. It's the same for alcohol. But in addition to avoiding risk factors, we can empower our body's natural defenses. So for example, calcium is a critical mineral in building up and repairing teeth. In order for the body to be able to absorb and use calcium properly, however, other nutrients are key. Specifically, we need vitamin D3 to help us absorb calcium from our food, and then we need vitamin K2 to ensure that calcium goes to where it's needed, as in our bones and our teeth. The benefit for dental health is one of the reasons why I take microvitamin, which contains both vitamin D3 and K2. But just because I take a supplement does in no way mean that you should as well. But vitamin D3 and K2 aren't just important for our teeth. So if you want to explore why they're suddenly exploding in popularity, check out this next video here, where I explain the other surprising health benefits.