Inside your mouth is a whole community of microbes which are hard at work restoring the natural pH in your mouth after it drops to around three (which is quite acidic) every time you eat or drink something. This is why you produce more saliva when you eat: the saliva and the microbes within it coat the teeth and essentially restore the mineral that’s been lost by exposure to an acidic environment. However, as the pH in your mouth decreases or becomes more acidic, the composition of your oral microbiome changes to include microbes that not only thrive in, but perpetuate that acidic environment.

Ultimately, what this means is that the less saliva you produce, the worse it is for your teeth, and the more exposed you are to caries (i.e. cavities or tooth decay) and the risk factors of them. Given that about 70% of Americans are on at least one prescription medication, and that a side effect of almost every prescription medication is dry mouth or decreased production of saliva, the problem of maintaining a healthy mouth is not just about brushing and flossing each day.

On today’s podcast, Dr. Kim Kutsch, owner of CariFree, returns to the show for a second time to discuss everything he has learned over the course of his career as a dentist, and how he applies it all in his approach to patient care.

By tuning in, you will learn:

• What the CariFree toothpaste, rinse, and gel are composed of and why they are so effective at preventing cavities
• How the healthy oral microbiome functions in the mouth, and what can cause it to change in ways that are damaging to systemic health
• What role genetics play in dentistry

Visit carifree.com to learn more.

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