Ever thought much about your mouth?

You eat with it, breathe through it, talk with it...and everyday multitudes of particles, animate and inanimate, pass in and out of it.  Your mouth has its own ecosystem and inside are bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi – your mouth is quite literally alive!

The microorganisms in your mouth, make up your oral microbiota which have a natural and symbiotic relationship with you, as their host by delivering important benefits.

However, this dynamic relationship between microbiota and host, can be skewed out of balance by frequent intake of sugar and/or reductions in saliva flow, which can result in extended periods of low pH (causing a more acidic environment) in the oral biofilm.

These types of conditions can inhibit the growth of beneficial species and drive the selection of bacteria with an acid-producing/acid-tolerating phenotype, increasing the risk of dysbiosis – which can lead to more permanent damage in the form of periodontal disease and tooth decay. 

Periodontal disease is an infection of the gum, bone and surrounding structures of the teeth, caused by the bacteria found in plaque. It is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, and can cause halitosis (bad breath), bleeding gums, moving teeth, and sometimes a loss of confidence

What to do?

Your dentist is a first call if periodontal disease is causing problems, also brushing teeth regularly helps with prevention.

There is also growing evidence supporting the use of oral probiotics in preventing and reducing periodontal disease. 

In the next podcast episode of “Wellness for the Rest of Us,” we speak with microbiologist and oral health expert, Dr John Hale, from Blis Technologies,  about how we can manipulate the oral environment to selectively favour the growth of beneficial species, and moderate the growth and metabolism of the biofilm to reduce the likelihood of things getting out of balance.

 In our Zestt Wellness' Defend Periodontal & Oral Health lozenges we use two of the oral probiotics (Blis K12 and Blis M18) manufactured by Blis Technologies to support the growth of the "good" bacteria, known as Streptococcus salivarius. These good bacteria, crowd out the bad guys and inhibit their growth.  Defend lozenges also contain gold kiwifruit as a prebiotic and source of calcium and folate.

 Scientific evidence shows that taking oral probiotics can help to:

1. Prevent actions of plaque-producing bacteria.
2. Fight the bacteria in your mouth that cause bad breath.
3. Reduce symptoms of gum disease (gingivitis) and reduce associated swelling and tenderness.
4. Enhance immunity by colonising your mouth with "good bacteria" to fight the invaders.

Please contact us if you have any queries admin@zesttwellness.com 

To buy our Defend Periodontal Oral Health lozenges, the only product available with both BlisK12 and BlisM18 oral probiotics and prebiotics (from gold kiwfruit), go to www.zesttwellness.com