Ben Greenfield with Dr. Aniko “Ano” Loud, DMD, Explains: Why Modern Dentistry Misses the Mouth–Body Connection

👉 Watch the full conversation here to see how modern dentistry is being re-engineered from the jaw outward — and why your mouth may be influencing far more than your smile.

Who Is Dr. Aniko “Ano” Loud?

Dr. Aniko “Ano” Loud, DMD, is a bioesthetic dentist and founder of Whole Health Dentistry in Phoenix. She specializes in restoring proper jaw function, airway health, and bite mechanics by integrating bioesthetic dentistry, oral–systemic medicine, myofunctional therapy, and holistic diagnostics. Her work focuses on treating the root causes of dental dysfunction rather than just cosmetic symptoms.

What's WRONG With Modern Dentistry…

Most people think dentistry is about cavities, cleanings, and cosmetics. But in this conversation, Ben Greenfield sits down with Dr. Aniko “Ano” Loud, along with her clinical team, to unpack a far more radical idea:

Your mouth is a structural, neurological, and metabolic control center — and modern dentistry often ignores it.

What follows is a reframing of oral health that links jaw position to posture, tongue function to nervous system balance, and chewing to digestion, sleep, and inflammation.

The Big Idea Most People Miss

Modern dentistry focuses on teeth.
Bioesthetic dentistry focuses on function.

Instead of just fixing what’s broken, bioesthetic dentistry asks:

• Are your jaw joints balanced?

• Are your muscles stable?

• Is your bite aligned with your nervous system?

• Can your tongue and airway do their jobs?

Only after those are restored does aesthetics come last.

Hidden Insights You Probably Haven’t Heard Before

1. Your Tongue Is a Postural Organ

Your tongue is meant to rest lightly suctioned against the roof of your mouth — tip, middle, and back — all day and night (except when eating or speaking).

Why this matters:

• Proper tongue posture supports the airway

• It stimulates the vagus nerve (calming your nervous system)

• It stabilizes the jaw and neck

• It influences breathing, sleep quality, and even HRV

Most adults never learned this.

2. Poor Chewing Can Look Like “Gut Problems.”

Worn-down teeth = poorly chewed food.

Ben explains that undigested food in stool wasn’t a gut issue at all — it was a mouth mechanics problem. Once proper tooth anatomy was restored, digestion normalized.

If you’re not chewing until food is basically soup, digestion downstream suffers.

3. Jaw Imbalances Can Disrupt Sleep & Nervous System Balance

An unstable bite forces jaw muscles to constantly “search” for alignment — even during sleep.

This can:

• Fragment deep sleep

• Increase sympathetic nervous system activity

• Lower HRV

• Increase jaw clenching and grinding

• Affect breathing patterns

Dental work can temporarily worsen sleep until the system stabilizes — something most dentists never warn patients about.

4. Oral Bacteria Don’t Stay in the Mouth

Specific oral bacteria are now linked to:

• Cardiovascular disease

• Alzheimer’s disease

• Diabetes

• Chronic inflammation

That’s why this practice:

• Tests oral bacteria directly

• Treats the oral microbiome intentionally

• Uses oral-specific probiotics (not gut probiotics)

The mouth is the front door to systemic health.

5. Ayurveda + Dentistry = Individualized Oral Care

Dr. Loud integrates Ayurvedic principles to address:

• Chronic dry mouth

• Recurring cavities despite good hygiene

• Food combinations that worsen inflammation

• Tongue appearance as a digestive and detox signal

Example most people never hear:

• Fruit + dairy = fermentation

• Fish + dairy = inflammatory

• Meat + potatoes = digestive stress (for compromised systems)

This isn’t dogma — it’s about individual tolerance and reducing burden.

ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS (Start This Week)

1. Fix Your Tongue Posture

• Tongue lightly suctioned to the roof of your mouth

• Teeth slightly apart

• Lips closed

• Breathe through your nose

➡️ This alone can improve sleep, jaw tension, and nervous system calm.

2. Chew Like Your Health Depends on It (Because It Does)

• Tear food with front teeth

• Chew with back teeth

• Aim for “soupy” consistency before swallowing

➡️ Better digestion starts in the mouth.

3. Brush Smarter, Not Harder

• Brush at least 2 minutes, ideally closer to 4

• Angle brush 45° toward the gumline

• Don’t forget the inside surfaces of lower front teeth

• Brush gums, not just teeth

4. Floss for Oxygen, Not Food

Flossing isn’t just for debris.

• Use a C-shape around each tooth

• Get floss under the gumline

• This introduces oxygen that kills anaerobic bacteria linked to gum disease

5. Scrape Your Tongue (Morning + Night)

• Removes bacterial load

• Reduces cavity risk

• Improves breath

• Reflects digestive health (color and coating matter)

Copper scrapers are ideal due to their antimicrobial properties.

6. Rethink Mouthwash

• Avoid daily antiseptic mouthwash

• It wipes out beneficial bacteria

• Consider oral probiotics designed for the mouth instead

Who This Matters Most For

• People with jaw pain, clenching, or TMJ

• Poor sleep or low HRV after dental work

• Digestive issues with “normal” gut tests

• Chronic gum inflammation

• Parents (jaw development starts early)

• Anyone who’s “done everything right” but still feels off

Where to Learn More

• Bioesthetic dentist directory: biosthetics.com

• Myofunctional therapy (virtual): HonestMyo.com

• Full show notes: bengreenfieldlife.com/mouthhealth

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