Click Here To Take Our Dental Health Quiz! 
While dentistry has a long tradition of treating the mouth as something separate from the rest of the body, there’s no escaping the fact that they are connected, both physically and energetically.
The mouth doesn’t exist in isolation from the rest of the world, either. It’s constantly interacting with it – through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the many products we use every day. From microplastics in toothpaste to chemicals in our drinking water to heavy metal pollution in the air, environmental factors can and do affect a person’s oral health.
Let’s take a look at just some of the ways that everyday toxins can do this.
Heavy Metals & Your Mouth
As someone interested in holistic health, you’re probably well aware of the problem with “silver” mercury amalgam fillings. But amalgam isn’t the only problem metal used in dentistry. Other alloys can contain toxic metals, as well, including cadmium, chromium, and nickel. Even “titanium” implants aren’t pure titanium but a mix of titanium and other metals, at least some of which can cause trouble for some patients.
This is why our own practice is not only mercury-free and mercury-safe, but metal-free, too.
But even a metal-free mouth can be exposed to heavy metals through the air we breathe and even some foods, such as the cadmium and lead that’s been found in dark chocolate. Research has shown that particulate matter disrupts oral pH balance, absorbs heavy metals (lead, cadmium), and induces oxidative stress. “During recent years,” as the authors of a comprehensive review published early this year noted, oxidative stress is reported to [be involved] in the development of many oral diseases such as dental caries [tooth decay], lichen planus, oral cancer, and most importantly chronic periodontitis.
Other sources of heavy metal exposure include polluted soil and water – both of which can lead to metals turning up in our food supply – as well as vaping and secondhand smoke.
Endocrine Disruptors & Your Mouth
Endocrine disrupting chemicals can also wreak havoc with teeth. These are chemicals that interfere with your hormones – parabens, phthalates, BPA, bisphenol analogs, and more.
They’re in an enormous array of consumer goods, as well as in pesticides, the residue of which can cling to produce.
Science has shown that some of these chemicals may actually contribute to softer dental enamel, as well as enamel defects that can leave the teeth more vulnerable to decay or breakage. Molars that are severely under-mineralized, according to a 2018 paper in JADA, “may face more than 10-fold higher risk of developing caries.”
And endocrine disruptors aren’t the only environmental toxin that can lead to problems with the enamel. Lead can, too, as can fluoride – just one reason why it has no place in our dental practice.
Toxins & Your Microbiome
Then there are compounds we may be routinely exposed to that reduce microbial diversity in the gut and mouth alike. An ultra-processed diet is perhaps the most notorious offender, but many of the toxins of the kind already mentioned have a similar effect – heavy metals, BPA, phthalates, pesticides…you get the picture.
When microbial diversity drops, so does your body’s resilience. Immune function takes a hit. Chronic inflammation kicks in. Your internal environment becomes much more hospitable to harmful bacteria, less hospitable to helpful microbes.
This all translates to a higher risk of decay, gum disease, and other oral infections.
Because of these environmental impacts, doing what we can to reduce toxic exposures can be considered another important part of oral hygiene. While it may be impossible to avoid all exposure in our chemical-infused world, there’s plenty we can do to minimize it. Here are a couple good resources to help get you started:
