Top 4 Oral Health Habits to Boost Gut Health
If your gut protocols aren't working, your mouth might be the missing link.
Yeah, I said it.
Your mouth isn't just for chewing or talking. It's the literal front door to your gut. And if that front door is jammed, leaky, or infested with bad bacteria?
Your gut will struggle no matter how many probiotics you pop or diets you try.
Today, I’m breaking down four little-known oral health habits that directly impact your gut health — and how to fix them. These are not your standard "brush and floss" tips. We're going deeper. Think: breathing, bacteria, bones, and biofilms.
Let’s dive in.
The Gut Starts in the Mouth (Yes, Really)
We swallow one to two liters of saliva every single day. That saliva carries bacteria — good or bad — straight into the gut.
So if your mouth microbiome is off? Your gut microbiome suffers. Period.
But here’s the kicker: you don’t need to have bleeding gums or visible decay for this to be a problem. I've worked with hundreds of clients who had "healthy mouths" but couldn’t fix their bloating, reflux, or fatigue until we fixed what was happening orally.
Here are just a few chronic symptoms tied to poor oral health:
- Recurring bloating or constipation
- Headaches and migraines
- Neck and jaw pain
- Autoimmune flare-ups
- Sinus issues
- Fatigue or poor sleep
The science backs it. The oral-gut axis is real. But mainstream medicine is too focused on brushing and flossing. We're about to break that mold.
Habit #1: Stop Mouth Breathing (It’s Ruining Your Gut)
Mouth breathing is sneaky.
Most people don’t know they do it. Yet it silently sabotages your oral microbiome by drying out your saliva — your body's natural antimicrobial shield.
Here’s how to tell if you’re a mouth breather:
- Snoring or waking with dry lips
- Bad morning breath
- Tonsil stones (gross but common)
- Teeth grinding
- Discolored or patchy teeth in the morning
Mouth breathing = dry mouth = bad oral bacteria = bad gut bacteria.
You cannot heal your gut if you’re swallowing infected spit every night.
Quick fix: Ask a spouse to check if your mouth stays open when you sleep. Still unsure? Listen to episode 48 of the Better Belly Podcast with orofacial myofunctional therapist Madison Scott.
Better yet? Book with a therapist like her. They're the PTs for your mouth, helping you fix breathing, swallowing, and sleep-disrupting patterns at the root.
Habit #2: Work With a Biological Dentist (Not Just Any Dentist)
Most dentists miss the root causes.
Biological dentists don't.
They’re the functional medicine version of dentistry. They check for hidden infections, airway issues, and cavitations — pockets of chronic infection in your jawbone that often form after extractions or root canals.
One client had four cavitations, a leaking mercury filling, and metal fragments in her gum.
Her regular dentist? Said everything was fine.
Once we partnered her with a biological dentist and cleared the infections, her gut symptoms — chronic bloating, joint pain, brain fog — dramatically dropped. No extra supplements required.
Find a biological dentist near you and get an evaluation.
Bonus: they also help with safe mercury removal (hello, heavy metals) and can spot structural issues causing mouth breathing.
Habit #3: Brush the Back (And More Than Just Your Teeth)
Most people stop at the front teeth.
But your oral microbiome lives everywhere in your mouth.
The roof of your mouth. The back of your tongue. Your tonsils.
These areas collect biofilm, mucus, and bacteria that feed gut-damaging microbes.
Try this:
- Use an electric toothbrush with a round head
- Gently brush the roof of your mouth and back of your tongue
- Do this especially when you're feeling sick or have post-nasal drip
Yes, you might gag a little at first. But over time, your gag reflex adjusts.
I personally do this every time I feel a cold coming on. It's a game-changer for knocking out microbes before they spread.
This simple upgrade could be the KEYWORD that finally helps your oral microbiome support your gut — not fight it.
Habit #4: Address Hidden Gut Infections That Wreck Oral Health
Sometimes, your mouth isn’t the root cause.
It’s your gut throwing bacteria back into your mouth.
H. pylori is the biggest culprit. This stomach-dwelling bacteria can travel up into the mouth and reseed oral dysbiosis.
One client had perfect oral hygiene — yet had recurring bad breath and gum issues. We found H. pylori, treated it, and boom. Her mouth symptoms disappeared.
Other gut pathogens that mess with your mouth:
- Candida
- SIBO
- Parasites
- C. diff
- Mold
- Lyme
- Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)
If you’ve done everything for your oral health and still struggle, it's time to test your gut.
Inside the Better Belly Blueprint, we help you run labs to identify infections, toxins, and nutrient gaps holding you back. We even tailor protocols based on your results, so you're not wasting time on guesswork.
Quick Recap ✨
Here are the four KEYWORD-packed oral health habits to boost your gut health:
- Stop mouth breathing (check for signs like snoring or dry lips)
- Work with a biological dentist (ditch the outdated evaluations)
- Brush more than just teeth (go for the roof, back, and tonsils)
- Address hidden gut infections (run labs to rule out H. pylori and more)
These aren’t fluff. They’re foundational. Your gut can't heal without a healthy mouth.
FAQ: Oral Health + Gut Health
Can poor oral hygiene cause gut problems?
Yes. Your mouth seeds your gut microbiome. If it's imbalanced, you'll swallow bad bacteria all day.
What is the oral-gut connection?
It's the bidirectional relationship between your mouth and gut microbiomes. Mouth bacteria impact your gut and vice versa.
Do I need a biological dentist?
If you’ve had a root canal, mercury fillings, or mystery health issues? Yes. They're trained to find root causes most dentists miss.
How do I know if I have H. pylori?
Symptoms include reflux, bloating, fatigue, and bad breath. You can confirm with a GI-MAP or stool test.
What's the best way to test my gut?
Join the Better Belly Blueprint. We help you pick labs based on your symptoms and guide you through exactly what to do next.
Written by Allison Jordan, FDN-P — gut health specialist and founder of Better Belly Therapies
EPISODES MENTIONED:
- 46// The Gut-Breath Connection: How asthma, heart palpitations, constipation, IBS, and acid reflux are ALL connected
- 47// The Gut-Sinus Connection
- 45// The Gut-Skin Connection: Is your gut flaring up your skin?
- 42// 6 Secrets Your Sleep Can Tell You About Your Gut
- 139// The Autoimmune Disease-Gut Connection: End Flareups
- 89// The Gut-Allergy Connection
- 41// Anxiety, depression, or ADHD? One reason to check your gut
- 48// Got snoring, sleep apnea, TMJ, or teeth grinding? You may need an Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist! – with Madison Scott, RDH, Myofunctional Therapist
- Listen to our pathogen series:
- 233// H. Pylori Episode: Symptoms of H. Pylori, How to Interpret H. Pylori Test Results, and Why H. Pylori Treatments Fail
- 234// The Candida Episode: Symptoms of Candida Overgrowth, How to Test for Candida, and Why the Candida Diet and Candida Cleanses Don't Work 😱
- 235// The SIBO Episode: SIBO Symptoms, SIBO Testing, and Why SIBO Treatments Fail
- 236// The Parasite Episode: Parasite Symptoms, Parasite Tests, and Why Parasite Cleanses Fail
- 237// The C. Diff. Episode: C. Diff. Infection Symptoms, How C. Diff. is Spread, and Why Chronic C. Diff. is Missed
- 238// Can Mold Make You Sick? Symptoms of Toxic Mold + The Best Mold Test to Get
- 239// Lyme Disease Episode: Lyme Disease Symptoms and Testing, and The Best Lyme Treatment
- 250// Epstein Barr Virus Symptoms, Testing, and Best EBV Treatment
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