I used to think biofilm was the enemy. That’s what we were taught in dental school:
Scrub harder. Rinse longer. Kill the “sugar bugs.” But that was wrong.
If your biofilm is depleted, it’s not just your gums at risk. You’re operating without one of your body’s core immune barriers. This isn’t about dental health. It’s about whole-body resilience.
What I wish more people knew—and what I wish I’d understood earlier—is that biofilm isn’t grime. It’s infrastructure. A living, breathing matrix that houses the oral microbiome—an ecosystem that evolved over billions of years to protect us. Together, the biofilm and oral microbiome do the work of strengthening and protecting us—and their stability depends on minerals. Especially magnesium.
What Biofilm Is Really Made Of…
You know that fuzzy film on your teeth in the morning? That’s biofilm. It’s a living shield—your body’s first line of defense which most of us destroy every day with the way we brush, rinse, and eat.
The biofilm isn’t random dirt that needs scrubbing off—it’s actually a structured community—scaffolding built on your enamel and gums. And it needs materials: nutrients and minerals that reinforce it.
You’ve probably heard of calcium, phosphate, and boron—critical minerals for remineralization of teeth. And if you’re using hydroxyapatite toothpaste, you’re already providing your saliva, biofilm and oral bacteria with those minerals.
But magnesium is the star of this show.
Magnesium helps beneficial bacteria stay strong and functional. It stabilizes their membranes, supports nutrient flow, and strengthens the matrix they live in. Without enough magnesium, the whole structure becomes unstable.
How to Get Magnesium…
- Dark leafy greens (spinach, chard)
- Pumpkin seeds, almonds
- Mineral-rich water (check the label)
- If you’re consistently low—even after increasing food sources—this is the magnesium I trust. I’ve recommended it for years when patients hit a wall, and I’ve taken it myself for nearly a decade. Even with a healthy diet, soil depletion means food often isn’t enough. It’s well-absorbed, easy on the gut, and actually moves the needle.
Once absorbed into your bloodstream, your salivary glands secrete it into your mouth. That’s how the oral microbiome gets the magnesium it needs.
A healthy biofilm is not an infection, it’s protection.
- It buffers pH
- It helps block bad actors
- It mediates immune response
The problem, then, isn’t the biofilm. It’s how we treat the biofilm. We blast it with antiseptic mouthwash. Strip it with detergents. Starve it by starving it of minerals. Then we wonder why the problems persist—cavities, bleeding gums, even brain fog.
Where Biofilm Belongs…
Your mouth is one of the most exposed areas of your body—constantly warding off desiccation (dryness), constantly exposed to toxins and unfriendly substances.
Biofilms form on moist, non-sterile surfaces: the mouth, nasal passages, gut lining, skin, and teeth. You won’t find biofilm forming around organs because they’re fully protected from the outside world—whereas the mouth is not!
Biofilm begins forming again on teeth within minutes after brushing. That’s how urgently your body tries to restore its shield—rebuilding within minutes of disruption, like a wound clotting or eyes narrowing in bright light. But unlike those reflexes, biofilm forms through cooperation between host and microbes.
Watch for these signs:
- Dry mouth on waking
- Bleeding gums, even with gentle brushing
- Bad breath
- Canker sores that appear often and heal slowly
These are red flags that may point to a depleted biofilm—and low magnesium might be the root cause.
Support stability by:
- Avoiding essential oil-based and alcohol-based mouthwash
- Ditching harsh detergents in toothpaste
- Eating mineral-rich foods
- Staying hydrated
- Brushing gently, not obsessively
What This Means Beyond the Mouth…
Low magnesium doesn’t stop with the gums. It touches everything:
- Poor sleep
- Sugar cravings
- Shallow breathing
- Brain fog
- Fatigue
These are signs of mineral depletion. Everything that happens in the mouth happens in the rest of the body. (You might’ve seen this line earlier—it bears repeating.)
So What Should You Do?
Most adults don’t hit 500-600 mg of magnesium a day. You can go for the RDA recommendation which is 300mg of magnesium per day, however, that guideline was designed to prevent deficiency, not to optimize health.
Try this:
- Track your intake for 3 days
- Aim for food first:
- 1 cup cooked spinach = ~150 mg
- 1 oz pumpkin seeds = ~150 mg
- 1 oz almonds = ~80 mg
- Dark chocolate (85%) = ~65 mg per square
- Drink mineral-rich water
- Supplement with a high quality supplement (link to the one I take)
This isn’t optional. If your magnesium is low, your biofilm can’t stabilize. If your biofilm can’t stabilize, the immune system at the mouth is at a great disadvantage, always on its heels, not working optimally…
And that means more inflammation. More bleeding gums. More fatigue. None of this gets better until you fix the root cause.
Before you buy another product: Track your magnesium. Hit 500-600 mg. Every day for 30 days.
Then check your mouth. Is your breath better? Are your gums calmer? Is your energy more stable?
That’s your biofilm, coming back online.
–Dr. B
P.S. What should I write about in the next newsletter? Hit reply and let me know what topics you’re interested in…