Once I first began practising dentistry, I stored noticing the identical irritating sample in my sufferers. They brushed, they flossed, they did “all the pieces proper.” And but—they nonetheless had cavities, bleeding gums, and dangerous breath.

At first, I blamed weight loss plan. Possibly sugar was the difficulty? However then I regarded nearer.

The true downside? They have been mouth respiratory at night time. 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 by way of their mouths at night time had:
✔ Pink, infected gums that bled simply
✔ Persistent dangerous breath, regardless of how a lot they brushed
✔ Extra cavities—even with nice hygiene
✔ Frequent canker sores and oral irritation

Now, a long time later, science has lastly caught up. Mouth respiratory dries out your mouth, wrecks your oral microbiome, and results in all of those points.

💡 Wish to know if that is occurring 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 comfy). If the tape stays on all night time and also you get up feeling refreshed, your nasal respiratory might be wonderful. If the tape comes off, otherwise you get up with dry mouth, dangerous breath, or delicate tooth after your morning espresso—that’s a pink flag. You may need an airway difficulty (like nasal obstruction or sleep apnea) that wants additional investigation.

🚨 Vital Notice: Mouth taping isn’t for everybody. In case you have continual nasal congestion, a deviated septum, or sleep apnea, deal with bettering nasal respiratory earlier than making an attempt mouth taping. Should you battle with mouth taping, don’t ignore it—it’s an indication to look deeper into your respiratory.

📖 Wish to dive deeper? I cowl this intimately in my e-book, The 8-Hour Sleep Paradox, which explains how undiagnosed sleep-disordered respiratory impacts all the pieces from vitality ranges to mind well being.

Why Mouth Respiratory 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 in your mouth.

It performs a important position in holding 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 among many causes I take this magnesium complement day-after-day)
✅ Supporting your immune system by containing antimicrobial proteins that battle off dangerous micro organism

Each time you eat, your tooth undergo a demineralization cycle—acidic publicity that briefly weakens enamel.

Whenever you’re consistently snacking, your tooth by no means get a break.

The one strategy to reverse the harm is thru remineralization, which might’t occur with out saliva.

In case your mouth is dry—whether or not from mouth respiratory, dehydration, or treatment—you’re lacking out in your physique’s built-in restore system.

Why Saliva is All the pieces 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 filled with enzymes, minerals, immune defenses, and even digestive properties that:
✔️ Preserve your mouth’s pH balanced (unhealthy saliva = extra cavities)
✔️ Forestall oral dysbiosis (aka dangerous 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

On daily basis, 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 complete microbiome suffers—resulting in intestine points, irritation, and even pores and skin issues like pimples.

Easy methods to Shield Your Enamel from Mouth Respiratory
1️⃣ Mouth Taping at Night time – The simplest strategy to retrain your self to breathe by way of your nostril is to tape your mouth shut whilst you sleep. Many individuals discover higher sleep, no extra dry mouth, and even clearer pondering after doing this. Should 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 by way of your nostril.

💡 However right here’s why mouth taping can be a robust diagnostic software: If the tape stays on all night time and also you get up feeling nice, that’s an excellent signal your nasal respiratory is working effectively. But when the tape comes off, otherwise you really feel panicked or wanting breath, that’s a pink flag—you might have an underlying airway difficulty (like nasal obstruction or sleep apnea) that wants additional investigation.

For this reason I take advantage of mouth taping as a first-line differential analysis earlier than recommending sleep research or interventions. It’s a easy strategy to collect details about your airway well being earlier than taking the subsequent 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 once we mouth tape versus once we don’t.

2️⃣ Magnesium for Saliva & Restoration – Since saliva high quality relies on mineral content material, getting sufficient magnesium is crucial. Magnesium helps activate enzymes in saliva that keep 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 position in saliva high quality and general 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.

Should you’re consistently snacking, your tooth by no means get a break. However if you house out meals or observe fasting, your saliva has uninterrupted time to remineralize and strengthen your enamel.

For my sufferers who battle with cavities regardless of nice hygiene, merely eliminating snacks between meals has been a game-changer. Goal for 3 high-quality, protein-rich meals per day as a substitute of grazing.

That stated, fasting isn’t for everybody—some research recommend it could have drawbacks. However for those who 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 an alternative, brush very first thing within the morning, then wait not less than 45 minutes earlier than brushing once more. If you wish to decrease acid harm, 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 observed 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 harm from mouth respiratory, the precedence was remineralizing and defending their tooth ASAP. That meant utilizing nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste and guaranteeing they have 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 e mail is dropped at you by BIOptimizers
I used BIOptimizers’ Magnesium Breakthrough for a few years earlier than they reached out to associate with me. It’s the one magnesium complement I’ve discovered that incorporates all seven important kinds—which is important 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 an exquisite week,

Mark

P.S. Small modifications add up. Should you’ve been coping with dry mouth or unexplained cavities, attempt these tweaks—you is perhaps shocked at how huge of a distinction they make! 🚀