Your amazing mouth is a key way your world enters your body and begins the transformation to self. This oral cavity contains, among other things, your tongue, teeth, lips and oral biome. They all have multiple important roles.
Tongue
Your tongue is your organ of taste, where the 6 tastes are registered and the awareness is brought to the brain. Here is a diagram of the tongue with the taste receptors marked out. Notice when you eat something sweet or bitter how and where you taste it. Taste tells your brain to get set to digest, create the right components to transform your food into nutrients that grow your new cells.
Teeth
Your teeth tear break and grind foods into components you can taste. Our teeth and jaw help us look the way we do. Teeth also support word formation for speech. We all stand bleary eyed in front of the bathroom mirror in the morning and brush our teeth without too much thought. Appropriate self care protects and honors all of these important functions.
Lips
Voice and language all exit from you into the world through your lips teeth and tongue. The power of your self-expression in this world comes through your mouth. Wow.
Biome
In addition a community a biome lives in your mouth that protects your health. We all grew up being taught that bacteria is bad rots your teeth and causes all kinds of problems. Many people still believe this. Now it is well understood that a balanced community of bacteria is a protective force for your teeth, gums and entire body. Click for more info
When you use synthetic chemical toothpaste and mouthwash, you run a wrecking ball through your mouth. You kill indiscriminately, the good, the bad and the ugly. Any hope for homeostasis or developing a self regulating community goes out the window.
How do you help your mouth and biome?
- Quit Smoking. Smoking is hard on the whole oral cavity.
- Consistent care for your teeth and tongue. Only organic foods and natural materials to clean your teeth and mouth.
- Rinse with Baking Soda and Sea Salt in water
- Oil Pull with organic fats click for more info
- Scrape your tongue
- Brush with a tooth paste or powder that has no chemical soaps like sodium lauryl sulfate or additives like fluoride. Earth Paste is one example.
- Drink plenty of water so your gums and oral cavity stay hydrated.
- Alkalizing, Antioxidant, noninflammatory foods.
- Green foods
- Low sugar fruits, lemons, berries, cherries
- Sugar, grains and proteins are more acidic.
- Exercise Regular moderate exercise is good for everything including your mouth. It helps circulation and salivation.
- Low stress. Stress acidifies the mouth and the body because of the hormones pumped out when you perceive difficulty. Acidity weakens tooth enamel. Relaxation is a more alkaline condition.
Your amazing mouth will give you power of expression, exquisite taste and guard your body given a chance. Do what you can to help it help you.