Fix Your Gums in a Week: The Good, Better & Best Dental Habits for Longevity with Dr. James Goolnik
Dr James Goolnik · October 22, 2026
Interview with Dr James Goolnik
Podcast: High Performance Longevity
October 22, 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
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About Dr James Goolnik
Holistic dentist and #1 Amazon-bestselling author redefining oral health as whole-body health
20+ years Clinical & business experience2 books Author of Brush and Kick Sugar2 years Voted UK dentistry’s most influential personPast president British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
James Goolnik is a London-based dentist, holistic health advocate and #1 Amazon-bestselling author who helps people understand the powerful connection between the mouth, diet and whole-body health.
He is the founder of Optimal Dental Health in Marylebone, London, where dentistry is integrated with nutrition, sleep, airway health, oral microbiome testing and prevention-led care. His core message is simple: oral health is not separate from the rest of the body. The mouth often reveals what is happening systemically, and lasting dental health requires more than fillings, whitening or cosmetic fixes.
James moved into holistic and nutrition-focused dentistry after years of seeing how sugar, diet, stress and everyday habits affected his patients’ mouths and overall wellbeing. This led him to write Kick Sugar, a practical cookbook designed to help families and patients reduce sugar without feeling deprived. He is also the author of Brush, a book on marketing in dentistry, with profits donated to dental charity work.
With more than two decades of clinical and business experience, James brings a rare mix of authority, warmth and practical insight. He previously founded Bow Lane Dental Group, is a past president of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, head judge for the UK Private Dentistry Awards, and was voted the most influential person in UK dentistry by Dentistry Magazine in both 2011 and 2012.
About this episode
What if the blood in your sink is one of the first signs of insulin resistance?
In this episode, Dr. James Goolnik, founder of Optimal Dental Health in London and former head of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, explains what your mouth is telling you about your whole body. He shares why he has zero tolerance for bleeding gums, how gum disease and blood sugar feed each other, and the simple, mostly free habits that rebalance your oral microbiome fast.
Meet our guest
Dr. James Goolnik is a London-based dentist, nutritionist, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of Kick Sugar. With more than 30 years in practice, he founded Optimal Dental Health in Marylebone, where every new patient sees their own mouth bacteria live under a microscope. He takes a prevention-first approach that connects dentistry with nutrition, sleep, airway health, and the oral microbiome.
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Key takeaways
Treating gum disease can lower HbA1c in people with diabetes, because bleeding gums let mouth bacteria into the bloodstream.
Gum disease has 57 known links to other conditions, all running through chronic inflammation.
Enamel starts dissolving below a pH of 5.5, so constant snacking keeps your teeth under attack.
Brushing removes about 70% of plaque; floss or a water flosser handles the last 30%.
Three scrapes a day with a spoon or copper tongue scraper support nitric oxide and blood pressure.
Waking up tired, groggy, or with a dry mouth usually means you breathe through your mouth at night.
The oral microbiome can be rebalanced within about a week.
Episode highlights
0:00 What your mouth is telling you
2:03 Good, better & best dental care
11:36 Tongue scraping & nitric oxide
14:43 Mouth taping for better sleep & breath
18:18 Why mouthwash is a no-no
31:42 Bleeding gums, blood sugar & 57 disease links
45:25 The one-tooth flossing habit
Links
Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NsXI3P_YObY
Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/283
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Guest: Dr James Goolnik
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