Suffering From Poor Dental Health? Get Your Yoga Mats Out

Yoga is good for your body – you already knew that. But did you know that yoga helps in improving your oral health as well?

A good dental care routine includes brushing, flossing, and dental check-ups. Adding yoga for TMJ to the mix will greatly benefit your oral health.

3 Reasons Why Yoga is Good for Your Teeth and Gums

• Yoga Reduces Stress

Yoga is a great way to reduce stress. And consequently, it is good for oral health too.

Stress can do a lot of harm to our teeth and gums. Stressed individuals unconsciously grind their teeth a lot. This leads to worn-down teeth, broken fillings and micro-cracks in the teeth. These conditions may even lead to nerve damage.

Moreover, those who are stressed may not care properly for their teeth and gums. Stress may even cause tension in the jaw leading to headaches and jaw impairment.

Yoga helps in reducing stress, which has a ripple effect on oral health too. No more worn teeth or aching jaws. Yoga also helps in reducing inflammation of the gums.

• Yoga Improves Posture

It is common knowledge that poor posture causes neck and back pain. But, it can also cause dental problems.

Poor posture puts immense pressure on the spine and jaw. Slouching causes your head to fall forward and out of alignment with your spine. This misalignment causes discomfort in the jaw and affects the bite.

Let’s see how bad posture affects oral health:

1. It Affects Bite and Jaw Alignment

The position of the jaw affects the shape of the spine. Slouching and poor posture pushes the jaw out and the skull backward. This compresses the spine and leads to issues like misaligned bite and shortening of jaw muscles. Jaw pain is another negative effect.

2. It Damages the Teeth

Poor posture can apply a lot of strain and tension to your teeth. This leads to damaged, cracked teeth and TMJ pain.

Some yoga poses help in getting the body back in proper alignment. An upright body takes the pressure off the spine and jaw.

If you have dental problems, then doing yoga for teeth isn’t a bad idea.

• Yoga Increases Saliva Production

Saliva washes away bacteria and food particles. When the salivary glands slow down the production of saliva, the mouth gets dry. A dry mouth provides an excellent environment for the bacteria to thrive. Moreover, chronic dry mouth causes tooth decay, plaque build-up, and gum disease.

Certain types of yoga-like vinyasa yoga incorporate breathing techniques that can prevent the mouth from drying. It can even stimulate the salivary glands, increasing saliva production.

By reducing the bacterial growth in the mouth, you can minimize the spreading of toxins through the bloodstream. Apart from washing away the harmful bacteria, saliva also helps in fighting bad breath.

Yoga For Healthier Teeth

You must do yoga for strong teeth and gums. Moreover, it is quite effective in preventing dental diseases and maintaining oral hygiene. So, get your yoga mats out and enjoy yet another benefit of yoga – healthier teeth and gums.