There’s a fundamental truth to whole body wellness that is often overlooked: the quality of our blood flow underpins our overall health. Picture your bloodstream as the bustling highways of your body, transporting vital nutrients, oxygen, and immune cells to every nook and cranny. When these pathways are clear and efficient, our bodies thrive. Yet, when congestion or sluggishness sets in, it can spell trouble for our well-being.

Enter nitric oxide (NO), a tiny molecule with colossal significance for our cardiovascular health. While its name might not echo through popular health discourse as loudly as other nutrients or compounds, its role in promoting optimal blood flow is unparalleled. Read on to find out why nitric oxide deserves the spotlight in your journey toward full-body wellness.

Full-body Wellness Begins with Better Blood Flow. Better Blood Flow Begins with Nitric Oxide

The Nitric Oxide Revolution

Nitric oxide serves as a vasodilator, meaning it relaxes and widens blood vessels, allowing for smoother blood flow. This simple yet profound mechanism holds profound implications for various aspects of our health:

1. Cardiovascular Health

A healthy cardiovascular system is the cornerstone of overall wellness. Nitric oxide helps regulate blood pressure, preventing hypertension and reducing the risk of heart disease. By promoting vasodilation, it ensures that blood can flow freely, reducing the strain on the heart.

2. Immune Response

Nitric oxide also plays a vital role in the immune system. It acts as a signaling molecule for immune cells, helping to regulate inflammation and combat pathogens. Optimal nitric oxide levels contribute to a balanced immune response, protecting the body against infections and supporting overall immune function.

3. Cognitive Function

The brain, a voracious consumer of oxygen and nutrients, relies heavily on efficient blood flow. Nitric oxide plays a crucial role in maintaining cerebral circulation, promoting cognitive function, and potentially reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

4. Exercise Performance

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts are increasingly turning to nitric oxide supplements to enhance their performance. Improved blood flow means muscles receive more oxygen and nutrients during exercise, delaying fatigue and improving endurance. Additionally, enhanced nutrient delivery facilitates muscle recovery post-workout.

The Dental Connection

So, why is a dental coaching company talking to you about NO and blow flow?

Easy.

Because here at NextLevel Practice, we’re not just concerned about increasing the number of patients walking in your door or offering the most expensive treatments (though there are many ways we help practices become more financially successful.) At NextLevel, we’re committed to promoting whole body health–we call it Complete Health Dentistry. That means that, as the doctor your patients see most often, you have the opportunity and obligation to help them achieve health in their mouths…and entire body.

The oral-systemic connection has been made clear by countless studies that show how bacteria from the mouth directly affect organs from the brain to the gut and beyond. NO is just another piece in the puzzle that connects the mouth to systems throughout the body.

It’s all because of how the body produces NO. For younger people, their blood vessels themselves produce the NO they need. But after age 40, the body’s ability to produce NO is reduced by half, reducing down to just 10% functionality by age 70. Luckily, there is a backup system–by eating food high in nitrates, the bacteria in the mouth transforms the nitrates into nitrites that are converted into NO in the gut. Simple, right? Not exactly.

Nitrate production depends on two things–that a person is eating enough dietary nitrates (dark, leafy greens) AND they have a healthy, balanced microbiome. Without the right bacteria in the mouth, nitrate production stops.

That’s where dentists come in. By incorporating NO salivary testing into their hygiene routine, they can quickly and accurately detect if a patient has a NO deficiency and can recommend supplements to improve their NO levels. By doing so, they not only help improve blood flow for all the systems we addressed earlier, but also treat inflammation in the mouth, including gingivitis, periodontitis, and postoperative swelling. With improved blood flow, teeth and gums will be healthier, and recovery will be faster and less painful.

It’s a win-win. Dentists help their patients’ oral health improve, and by doing so, help them combat systemic disease. Suddenly your patients can sleep better, be more active, reduce their risk for heart attack and stroke, and even combat diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It’s no wonder we call dentists healthcare heroes!

Your Practice Can Join the Nitric Oxide Revolution

We’ve partnered with Berkeley Life to test and support nitric oxide production in your patients. Berkeley Life’s NO testing strips can fit seamlessly into your regular check-up procedures, providing clear and accurate information on your patient’s NO levels and helping you determine together if supplementation is a wise choice for them. 

We love that not only does BerkeleyLife provide supplements and testing strips, but also an important third piece–a gum that helps to balance the oral microbiome. Your patients could take supplements all day long, but still have reduced NO levels because their mouths are missing the important bacteria needed to convert nitrates to nitrites. Berkeley Life’s prebiotic nitrate chewing gum helps restore a healthy microbiome that promotes nitrite production and a healthier mouth.

If you’d like to learn more about Complete Health Dentistry, we’d love to talk to you about how NextLevel Practice and our clients are working to get 1 billion people healthier by 2030, and how working with our partners at Berkeley Life can help you get there. Schedule a free consultation today!

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