Oral health
We often underestimate the role our mouth plays in our overall health. Here’s why it matters more than you might think.
Jean Dow
Medical Herbalist & Functional Medicine Practitioner
We frequently underestimate the role our mouth plays in our overall health. We tend to think of it simply as the place food goes in: useful for chewing food into smaller pieces, no more, no less. In fact, the mouth is an important and intrinsic part of the whole digestive system, which is why I give it focused attention in patient care.
01
Your digestion begins the moment you put food in your mouth. The instant you recognise a taste, your body sets in motion a series of chemical and nervous system reactions that let you taste, break down, absorb and assimilate that food, and ultimately make it into you.
Your tongue is intricately designed to pick out sweet, bitter, sour and salty flavours. You have up to 10,000 taste buds, and each lives for about 10 days.
We seem to have forgotten the connection between food and health. Every mouthful you eat ultimately becomes a new cell, part of the process that gives you energy, or part of the millions of chemical reactions happening every second.
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, said: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” He meant it literally.
02
The mouth is lined with mucous membrane, the most absorbent tissue in the body. It’s found in the moist inner linings of the mouth, nose, lungs, urogenital tract and stomach.
Because the cheeks and gums are part of this highly absorbent tissue, it matters that what lives there is protective and healthy, not infected or inflamed. Research is increasingly showing that infection and inflammation can be very much part of this picture.
03
Absorption through the mouth bypasses the digestive tract and goes straight into the bloodstream. Some lifesaving drugs are given this way for exactly that reason. The angina drug nitroglycerin, for example, is sprayed into the mouth and can take effect within a minute.
I use this route for patients having panic attacks: they spray a herbal mixture directly into the mouth and hold it there. It works almost every time.
04
Most of you will have heard of the microbiome: the billions of bacteria we live alongside and depend on. When we treat them well, they give back gifts such as vitamins, neurotransmitters and hormones, and protect us from infection. They live in our mouth too, just as in the gut.
The mouth is warm and moist, with lots of tiny spaces where bacteria can hide. That’s why regular brushing and flossing matter, so healthy bacteria can flourish and unhealthy ones are kept in check. Many mouthwashes can actually harm oral health by clearing out good bacteria along with the bad.
05
What we eat affects what grows in our mouth. Certain unhealthy bacteria favour certain foods, and some foods and lifestyles encourage inflammation.
A 2018 study noted that persistent oral infection, mainly periodontitis, has been implicated in systemic conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease.4
Just as we need to treat our bowel with care and respect, so too do we need to look after our mouth.
06
Refs
Shoemark DK, Allen SJ. “The Microbiome and Disease: Reviewing the Links between the Oral Microbiome, Aging, and Alzheimer’s Disease.” Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 43.3 (2015): 725–738. ↩
Sudhakara P, et al. “Oral Dysbiotic Communities and Their Implications in Systemic Diseases.” Dentistry Journal 6 (2018): 10. ↩
Keep reading
Herbal medicine
7 Sep 2026
2 min read
Read →
Brain health
18 Aug 2026
2 min read
Read →
Herbal medicine
10 Aug 2026
2 min read
Read →
This article is for general information and isn’t a substitute for personal medical advice. Please don’t start or stop any medication without speaking to a qualified practitioner.
Book a free 15-minute call to talk about your health and whether Jean can help.
Free, no obligation. Consultations from £240 + VAT. See fees
