I knew we were in trouble when I saw Jack’s eyes in the rearview mirror.
My wife and I had just picked up the grandkids because our daughter and son-in-law had to go out of town.
Jack’s eyes were glassy. We got to our house, and he walked straight to the guest bedroom and climbed into bed. No bath. No bedtime story. And no negotiating.
Just put himself to bed in the middle of the afternoon—something I’ve never seen him do in his entire life.
Quinn followed an hour later.
By that night, both had high fevers and were coughing so hard they couldn’t catch their breath. We did what grandparents do: soup, cuddles, very little sleep for three straight days.
Shortly after they went home, my wife woke up with a sore throat. By afternoon, I had it too.
It took us two full weeks to recover. And somewhere around day ten, it got me thinking about all the unique tips and tricks I’ve picked up over forty years as a dentist, a dad, and now a grandpa.
The way you handle being sick directly impacts how fast you recover—and whether you end up with new dental problems months later.
I used to see patients come in for their six-month cleaning with a mouthful of new cavities.When I’d ask what changed, the answer was almost always the same: “Well, I was really sick back in January…”
Mouth breathing. Cough drops. Constant snacking. These things destroy your oral microbiome and create the perfect environment for cavities—sometimes months after you’ve recovered.
So here’s how my wife and I do sickness differently now:
1. We don’t take cough drops—we use bee propolis throat spray instead
Cough drops are basically lollipops. You’re bathing your teeth in sugar (or worse, corn syrup) for 15-20 minutes at a time, multiple times a day. And because they dissolve slowly, your mouth pH stays acidic for extended periods—the perfect environment for cavity-causing bacteria. It’s not the amount of sugar that causes cavities—it’s how often your teeth are exposed to it. Propolis is wonderful for the oral microbiome, it actually soothes your throat, and it doesn’t bathe your teeth in sugar. A few sprays and you’re done. No prolonged acid attack on your enamel.
2. We mitigate the acid attack of all that snacking
Every time you eat, your mouth pH drops and stays acidic for 20-30 minutes. Graze every hour, and your teeth are under constant acid attack.
What we do to minimize damage:
- Rinse with water immediately after eating. Swish for 30 seconds. This dilutes acid and washes away food particles. Not too difficult to do, considering we want to stay very well hydrated while sick anyhow.
- Chew xylitol gum. Stimulates saliva (which remineralizes enamel) and inhibits cavity-causing bacteria.
- End snacks with cheese or nuts to help get mouth pH back to neutral faster.
- Choose better snacks when possible. Bone broth, hard-boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, avocado—easier on your teeth than crackers and toast.
3. We drizzle olive oil on everything
Polyphenols in high-quality extra virgin olive oil reduce both oral and systemic inflammation. One study found that rinsing with olive oil reduced gum inflammation as effectively as chlorhexidine mouthwash—without destroying your microbiome.
4. We drink 2-5 cups of green tea daily (this one—triple screened for toxins)
Green tea’s EGCG helps modulate cortisol (which spikes during illness) and supports beneficial oral bacteria while inhibiting pathogenic ones. It’s less acidic than coffee and doesn’t dry out your mouth. Plus, it’s a wonderful treat with a sore throat!
5. We dry brush in bed when we’re too exhausted to stand
Here’s something I tell patients all the time: if you’re too sick to brush standing up, dry brush in bed. Use your toothbrush without water or toothpaste and gently brush lying down. It breaks up the plaque biofilm—the most important part. I keep this soft-bristled brush with a built-in travel case next to the bed for the worst nights. When I made it to the sink, I use Fygg toothpaste of course (nano-hydroxyapatite, no essential oils).
6. We tongue scrape every morning, no matter what
Your tongue harbors massive amounts of bacteria, viruses, and debris when you’re sick—especially if you’re mouth breathing at night. Scraping removes that bacterial load and gives your immune system one less thing to fight. Any stainless steel scraper works (like this one). Just be consistent.
7. We absolutely do NOT use mouthwash
When you’re sick, your instinct is to “kill germs.” But antiseptic mouthwashes nuke your entire oral microbiome—good bacteria and bad. Every time you swallow, you’re inoculating your gut with oral bacteria. You swallow about 1.5 liters of saliva daily. If your mouth is full of pathogenic bacteria—because you nuked everything with Listerine—you’re literally swallowing inflammation straight into your gut.
8. We wait 30 minutes to brush after vomiting
When you vomit, stomach acid softens enamel. If you brush right away, you’re scrubbing that acid into your teeth and causing more damage. Instead: rinse thoroughly with water or baking soda solution (1 teaspoon in 8oz water) to neutralize acid. Wait at least 30 minutes before brushing. Your saliva will start remineralizing the enamel during that time.
9. We replace toothbrush heads immediately after recovery
The day we both felt better, I threw out our toothbrush heads. Bacteria and viruses linger on bristles for days. Don’t give them a chance to reinfect you—or pass it to your spouse.
If you use a manual brush, throw the whole thing out. If you have an oral appliance or retainer, soak it in denture cleaning solution or 1:1 white vinegar and water for 30 minutes.
10. We doubled down on our Vitamin D3 + K2 (this one)
Vitamin D regulates the immune cells that fight infection and modulates inflammation throughout your body—including your gums. Most people are deficient, especially in winter when we’re indoors and sick. I went from my usual 5,000 IU to 10,000 IU daily while sick. Make sure you take it in the AM – Vitamin D is the sunlight hormone!
11. We took zinc every day (this one)
Zinc is one of the most important minerals for immune defense. It supports white blood cell function and helps your body fight off viral infections faster. Don’t go higher or longer-term without guidance—too much zinc can deplete copper.
12. We took Vitamin C three to four times daily (yes, that often!)
Vitamin C supports white blood cell function and can help reduce the duration of respiratory infections. But here’s what most people get wrong about dosing! Vitamin C is water-soluble—your body uses what it needs and flushes out the rest. So taking 2,000mg all at once doesn’t work as well as spreading it throughout the day. In other words – keep your levels steady by taking it throughout the day.
13. We started every morning with electrolytes (these ones)
Sodium, potassium, and magnesium regulate fluid balance, nerve function, and how your body actually produces energy. Without adequate electrolytes, drinking plain water isn’t enough—your body can’t absorb and use it properly. That’s why you can chug water all day and still feel exhausted and foggy.
So…the next time you’re sick, you now have the tools to support the one place most people ignore when they’re sick: your mouth.
Every time you swallow, you’re either supporting recovery or sabotaging it.
To your speedy recovery this cold and flu season!
Mark
