There is one huge benefit to having lots of probiotic oral bacteria in your mouth. A healthy population of “good” germs can help eliminate the “bad” germs that cause tooth decay, cavities and gum disease.
How can probiotic oral bacteria eliminate oral pathogens?
Since probiotic oral bacteria love plant fibre so much, their colonies can grow almost exponentially – but only if you “feed” them by eating and chewing high fibre alkaline-forming foods regularly. As their numbers swell, probiotic bacteria can compete indirectly with and eventually dominate pathogenic bacteria via competitive exclusion. This basically means that the good germs take over more of the oral cavity’s surfaces, thus limiting the growth potential of pathogenic bacteria colonies.
However, the tables can turn quite quickly if you suddenly changed your diet from high-fibre vegetables to sugary junk food.
Take a typical three day chocolate Easter egg & junk food binge for example. During these events such as these, you end up starving the probiotic bacteria and boosting the pathogenic bacteria colonies. After which, they can take over your oral cavity within hours. The resulting bacterial acid storm on your teeth significantly increases your usual rate of tooth decay, cavities and other preventable tooth damage over this period.
What are the best foods to improve your oral microbiota?
If your diet is made up of fibre-rich fruit & vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains, you’re all set. A healthy high fibre diet adequately sustains probiotic oral bacteria. Your oral PH will also be more alkaline which helps offset the bacterial acid load from pathogenic bacteria and reduce gum inflammation.
Avoid food and beverages that contain added sugar, artificial sweeteners and refined carbohydrates. These products lower your oral PH – making it more acidic – and feed the bad bacteria that cause tooth decay & gum inflammation.
