Oral Health Benefits of Yoga: Surprising Ways To Improve a Smile

An estimated 42 percent of adults aged 30 and above are affected by periodontitis, commonly known as gum disease. For some, the condition manifests as mild, reversible gingivitis, while others experience a more progressive form that can lead to bone loss.
 

Beyond its effects in the mouth, gum disease is strongly associated with chronic inflammatory conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and arthritis. A study conducted by the University of Toronto in 2020 found that the body’s immune response to gum disease can trigger a hyper-inflammatory response that can negatively impact healthy tissues and organs.

Good oral hygiene and regular cleanings with a dental professional are the principle ways to prevent and treat gum disease. However, new findings suggest that stress management techniques such as mindfulness and yogic practices, combined with conventional treatments, may be the future of whole-body periodontal care and another good reason to get on the yoga mat.

Research published this year in BMC Oral Health  reported that elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol may impact periodontal health by making the gums more susceptible to infection and inflammation. Stress may also lead to lapses in oral hygiene.

Benefits of Yoga

“In itself, inflammation isn’t a bad thing—it’s how the body protects and heals itself after injury, illness or exposure to harmful substances. But when that inflammatory response doesn’t turn off due to physical or emotional stress, the body stays in a constant state of defense, even when there’s no real threat present,” explains yoga teacher Jamie LiCausi, owner of Empowered Alignment Holistic Healing Hub, in Hawley, Pennsylvania. “Many of us live in a constant state of low-grade stress without even realizing it. Yoga isn’t just about finding your zen; it quite literally rewires your nervous system to help you handle stress differently.”

A 2023 systemic review published in the Journal of International Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry found promising potential for yoga to improve periodontal health by reducing systemic stress reactions and periodontal disease risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension.

Dr. Amy Dayries, an integrative dentist in Roswell, Georgia, and host of KnoWEwell’s monthly online show, Healthcare From Your Dentist’s Chair, asserts that yoga can reduce stress-induced teeth grinding, mouth breathing and poor posture promoted by modern lifestyles. Relying on mouth breathing rather than nose breathing can lead to sleep apnea, dry mouth and a misaligned bite, which, if left untreated, may cause tooth decay and gum disease. “Dentally speaking, we see increases in gum inflammation and increased cavity risk because the oral microbiome changes as the body chemistry changes in a stressed state,” she remarks, adding that stress chemicals can remain elevated for many years after the initial stressful event.

The tongue can also play a critical role. According to Dayries, we usually have a low tongue posture (resting on the floor of the mouth instead of the roof) when we slouch, and this bad habit can ramp up the sympathetic nervous system, thereby triggering stress. She recommends a variety of yoga exercises, including hatha yoga tongue exercises, as part of a patient’s dental treatment plan to ease muscle and emotional tension, support stronger posture and decrease mouth-breathing. Such exercises may include placing the tip of the tongue against the roof of the mouth behind the top front teeth, suctioning the rest of the tongue flat against the roof of the mouth, closing the mouth and breathing through the nose.

The Power of the Breath

Pranayama yoga and diaphragmatic breathing can reset the nervous system in a gentle way. “Many of us breathe shallowly into the chest, which means the lower parts of the lungs—the areas where air can become stagnant—don’t get fully ventilated. Over time, that stagnant air holds onto carbon dioxide and other waste gases,” says LiCausi. “When we breathe deeply using the diaphragm, we help move that stale air out. Fresh oxygen circulates through the lungs, nourishing the body, while each exhale clears out toxins and waste.”

Dayries advises that yoga helps us to counterbalance modern lifestyle activities that promote a forward posture. “This is because yoga is centered around one’s breath and holding postural stances, wringing out the lymphatic system through stretching, strengthening and asanas [body postures].” Most of all, she points out, even when oral health problems are in motion, such as gum disease, there is hope to halt things where they are, even if some bone loss is evident. “It is never too late to implement healthy changes,” she says.

Marlaina Donato is an author, composer and painter. Connect at WildflowersAndWoodSmoke.com.

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