Why Your Oral Microbiome Matters When You Are TTC with Dr Katie Lee

We're digging into why your dental health matters when you are TTC.

The American Dental Association recommends seeing the dentist every six months or an average of twice annually. But it turns out about 25% of the population goes more than five years without visiting a dentist.

A healthy oral microbiome is essential when you are trying to conceive.

Periodontal disease can be linked to egg and sperm health and complications during pregnancy.

Let’s discover how oral health may be linked to fertility and what you can do to improve pregnancy success.

I’m excited to welcome Dr. Katie Lee to the podcast. Dr. Katie is a dentist, speaker, author and coach. Dr. Lee authored a book entitled Saved By the Mouth to educate patients and clinicians on the importance of oral health.



In this episode, you'll learn:

1. What the studies tell us about oral health and pregnancy success outcomes
2. How periodontal disease may be linked to ovulation and lengthen the time for conception
3. The link between pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, preeclampsia, preterm labour and more
4. When to use mouth taping, favourite toothbrush and why, the final word on mouthwash, plus the right diet for optimal oral health

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HIGHLIGHTS:

3:02 WELCOME DR. KATIE LEE

• Katie Lee’s Book | Saved by the Mouth: Be Healthier, Save Money, and Live Longer by Improving Your Oral Health

3:56 DR. KATIE’S JOURNEY INTO DENTISTRY

• How Katie recognized firsthand how oral health impacts overall health
• Katie’s fertility journey and her surprise discovery that the best fertility doctors weren’t paying attention to patient’s oral health

7:40 ORAL MICROBIOME & FERTILITY

• All along the journey of having a baby, oral health is critical.
• Poor oral health can prevent us from getting pregnant, keeping the pregnancy, and it also leads to adverse pregnancy outcomes

10:07 GUM HEALTH

• The main thing when we're talking about fertility is our gum health.
• The relationship between oral health, gut health, and fertility

12:02 ORAL HEALTH & ADVERSE PREGNANCY OUTCOMES

• The two main types of oral bacteria that impact fertility
• These bacteria easily go from our gum tissue into the bloodstream, and they love to colonize the female reproductive system
• It's vital to work on the health of the male partner.

16:18 SIGNS OF GUM DISEASE

• If your gums are bleeding, that means that there's an infection.
• Most people don't even realize that they have bleeding gums because they're not cleaning them properly
• Only about 5% of the population flosses, and only half do it correctly.
• The connection between food intolerances and oral health

18:29 HOLISTIC DENTAL CARE

• You need to see a dentist educated in oral-systemic health.
• The aim should be to support the good bacteria and diversity of the oral microbiome
• If you're using oral care products that kill 99% of all bacteria, you're getting rid of the good bacteria.
• MMP-8 is a crucial biomarker responsible for facilitating the spread of oral bacteria to the rest of the body
• Red flags when it comes to tongue health
• Acid reflux is a sign of systemic inflammation.

24:55 AIRWAY HEALTH

• 85% of all people who have airway health issues are undiagnosed.
• A dentist has perfect access to screen for airway health
• Common signs of airway health issues
• Any inflammation in the body is not going to be good for fertility.
• One way to ensure you're breathing through your nose is to tape your mouth shut

27:47 BRUSHING & FLOSSING

• When brushing, focus the bristles between the junction of the gum tissue and the teeth
• Make sure you're using an electric toothbrush; it’s much more efficient.
• If you’re trying to conceive or are pregnant, you should be brushing and flossing twice a day

30:17 DIET & ORAL HEALTH

• The role of diet in reducing inflammation
• Tooth sensitivity is a warning sign that your body is on fire or inflamed.
• Many sources can be behind sensitive teeth
• Dr. Katie’s top tips for making sure you brush and floss as long and as frequently as you should
• Alcohol-based mouthwash is not good for you.

34:34 SUPPLEMENTS FOR ORAL HEALTH

• Dr. Katie’s top supplement recommendations

36:52 SPECIAL OFFER

• Anyone thinking about getting pregnant needs to get a saliva test.
• Follow Dr. Katie on Instagram @KatieLeeDDS and send her a message with code “saliva23” to get a salivary test at cost, a free teledentistry consultation with Dr. Katie to go over your results, and a personalized care plan to improve your oral health https://www.instagram.com/katieleedds/

37:44 FINAL THOUGHTS

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Book your Supercharge Your Fertility Discovery call here with your partner

During our call, we’ll be discussing what you have tried so far and where you’ve faced challenges. This can feel stressful but is designed to help us get to the root cause of your fertility issues and will help me to give you the best possible action plan at the end of the call. However, to reassure you – on this call we won’t be digging into the trauma associated with infertility/miscarriage/loss – rather we are focused on solutions and an ACTION PLAN as to how our Fab Fertile Method can help you get pregnant naturally. 

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