Forget the dentist, heal your own teeth

[Eliza Thomason]

Yup, no more drilling and filling. Just stop eating oatmeal and grains, especially whole grains, but those processed ones too, and get some sun. You need Vitamin D.

If your dentist detects a cavity in you or your child, don't drill it. Oil it. Once a day, and you are good to go. Takes a few weeks and you see results in a week or two.

[ @sapphire - you have a little one; you will want to see this.]

Here is a short article: http://wellnessmama.com/3650/remineralize-teeth/

My husbands 6 yr.old dear granddaughter gets cavities. The dentist told her Mom, its genetic, and she had the impression there is practically nothing she can do. But its diet. And this child gets oatmeal for breakfast most mornings! And the oatmeal is a BIG problem. The phytic acid.



I am getting this book! cure+tooth+decay.JPG

[Beautiful sky]

You love to read

[DirectorAbbie]

Stop eating grain? That's absurd.
(Try horsetail. The calcium strengthens teeth.)
@applejacks! I consider you to be an indirect authority on the subject of teeth.

[Eliza Thomason]

Stop eating grain? That's absurd.

Well, some are worse than others. Oatmeal - bad. If you can't stop grain, cut it. If you have teeth issues, maybe try harder to cut.

(Try horsetail. The calcium strengthens teeth.)

Yes but calcium needs help. D an magnesium, usually. And phytic acid prevents use of minerals. Read the article. Its easy-read.

@applejacks! I consider you to be an indirect authority on the subject of teeth.

Cool, how come? Oh! That SLI dentist she hangs with. My naturapath's wife just told me about this teeth oiling, telling me to look it up, and I am so excited. She said one of their clients is a dentist, and he said he "learned himself out of a profession" He is changing professions.

[Aylen]

You are talking about oil pulling I assume. I do it with coconut oil because most mouthwashes sting. I use it in place of a mouthwash once a week. I do not suggest it in place of regular checkups and cleanings though for children since they are not the most diligent brusher/flossers. Just find a really good dentist and make sure you ask lots of questions and always go in the room with the child.

One of my family members had lots of cavities as a child but I didn't get my first cavity until I was an adult. The dentist went ahead and filled teeth that she did not tell me needed it then charged my insurance. I felt completely duped and don't even know if I had a cavity as I had no pain. I was just there for a checkup and cleaning. This is why you will hear me jokingly call dentists psychos. I have met some psycho dentists.

I have not had any new ones since. I also suggest that if your wisdom teeth are fine and not impacted do not have them pulled. I have had phantom tooth pain since having them pulled. They didn't hurt or have any problems when I chose to have them pulled at my dentist's suggestion. He said it was to prevent future problems. Now I get flare ups of TMJ which started within days of having them pulled. It never went away and now years later once a month it flares up.

Worst part is there is nothing physically wrong (that they can see) that should cause the TMJ so no one knows how to treat it.

I brush in the morning and evening and use a waterpik plus mechanical floss. Sometimes I water brush in between. I am determined to keep all my teeth well into old age.

http://wellnessmama.com/17951/coconut-oil-pulling/

Edit: I have rarely eaten oatmeal and my intake of whole grains are pretty limited.

[Not A Communist Shill]

The introduction of farming greatly increased the number of caries in the archaeological record, due to the acidic nature of grains etc. Farming however was generally a Good Thing.

I believe the advice on maintaining good teeth without resorting to extreme measures is to limit snacking on food as much as possible (to eat only at mealtimes, essentially), to eat cheese after feasting in order to quicker restore pH levels (milk is not satisfactory, as it contains sugars), to drink water rather than most other drinks (or at least, to drink water after drinking something else), and to not clean teeth within about 20 minutes of eating/drinking unless you have taken measures to restore the natural pH levels.

[PistolShrimp]

I've read that book, and I think the full diet and supplements he recommends are really too intense for most people, myself included. The butter/cod liver oil brand he hypes up is super expensive, as well. Some of the info is good (fat soluble vitamins are so important!), but unless you're keen on eating animal organs and raw dairy regularly (also very expensive unless you own a cow) then the diet is not as helpful. I've had luck slowing tooth decay by eating some xylitol after I eat pretty much anything, avoiding phytic acid, and supplementing with Vitamin K2.

[applejacks]

I'm far from being an expert. My husband could tell you everything. He's quite skilled and proficient as he's a third generation dentist and has two sibling dentists, as well.

Sugars, acids, tobacco products, drugs, and alcohol compound the problem of decay. Some of the worst cases of decay are from drugs (meth especially), but mountain dew and sugary sodas consumed slowly over the course of the day is a terrible thing, as well, as they will constantly be "set" against your teeth. In fact, we have teens that are close to dentures because of their diet and poor hygiene. Drink sodas and coffees quickly - not slowly - and then wash or rinse your mouth afterwards.

I'm more of a holistic person myself when it comes to natural remedies, but I'm skeptical of an oil therapy. I haven't read the book, but it seems straight forward to prevent cavities as much as you can by limiting the aforementioned substances, while also seeking regular dental cleanings and care.

Also, many of the grains we consume are quite sugary and/or processed, which doesn't help. Anything unnatural, processed, or sugary will of course attribute to dental decay if not limited, and then paired with proper brushing and flossing.

[DirectorAbbie]

I'm far from being an expert. My husband could tell you everything.

That's why you're the indirect authority.

When my younger brothers were kids, my SEI brother drank milk constantly and my SLE brother drank applejuice constantly.
My SEI brother has never had a cavity and there's only one spot in his mouth where two teeth aren't straight.
My SLE brother had at least five cavities. And now he has braces.

[Skepsis]

Wouldn't it be cool if we could regrow our teeth like sharks?

[applejacks]

That's why you're the indirect authority.

When my younger brothers were kids, my SEI brother drank milk constantly and my SLE brother drank applejuice constantly.
My SEI brother has never had a cavity and there's only one spot in his mouth where two teeth aren't straight.
My SLE brother had at least five cavities. And now he has braces.

So many parents leave juice with their kids in bed, not knowing that it's one of the worst things you can do for their teeth.

[applejacks]

Wouldn't it be cool if we could regrow our teeth like sharks?

Thaaaaat is frightening. I just googled it to confirm that it's true.

"Sharks eat so violently they often break a few teeth, so new teeth grow continuously in a groove just inside the mouth and move forward from inside the mouth on "conveyor belts" formed by the skin in which they are attached to. In its lifetime, a shark can lose and regrow as many as 30,000 teeth."


​I will now have nightmares.

[Skepsis]

Thaaaaat is frightening. I just googled it to confirm that it's true.

"Sharks eat so violently they often break a few teeth, so new teeth grow continuously in a groove just inside the mouth and move forward from inside the mouth on "conveyor belts" formed by the skin in which they are attached to. In its lifetime, a shark can lose and regrow as many as 30,000 teeth."


​I will now have nightmares.

[marooned]

When my younger brothers were kids, my SEI brother drank milk constantly and my SLE brother drank applejuice constantly.
My SEI brother has never had a cavity and there's only one spot in his mouth where two teeth aren't straight.
My SLE brother had at least five cavities. And now he has braces.

it sounds like sle brother had teeth pressed against each other. this traps food and provides havens for bacteria (or whatever) to flourish. i don't know what causes teeth to naturally grow in straight or crooked, but my guess is that it's genetics.

--

i thought cavities were in places where the enamel has broken down and so slowly microorganisms and substances destroy the tooth further. unless "oil" can restore enamel or work in its stead, i don't understand what help it would be.

[SongOfSapphire]

I am skeptical of this, but I appreciate you thinking of me, @Eliza Thomason

Anecdotally, I used to eat oatmeal several times a day when I was in college, and never had a cavity during those years. N=1, I realize, but it makes me doubtful.

Oiling sounds interesting, though....

[Eliza Thomason]

Yes, oil pulling looks fascinating, if only to whiten your teeth! As to curing cavities, my Naturapath's wife said coconut oil works, but as its a problem for some, and they think ultimately not best for anyone; they instead recommend using cold-pressed organic olive oil, which is not hard to come by at a natural food store.

I am squeamish to try it but I think I should. I admire whitened teeth, but I have never wanted to use any teeth bleaching methods. Well, this will do it, it seems. You are doing something VERY good for your overall health AND whitening (vs,, IMO, risking possible problems with commercial whiteners). This woman describes her brief attempt - but saw teeth-whitening results after only 4 days of mostly poor, insufficient effort: http://fashionista.com/2014/03/oil-pulling (Hangover cure testimony there).


@Aylen, that's the same site I linked. Must be a good one. I had not seen it before. Nice you have good teeth! Does your monthly oil pull help with whitening? Aylen, have you tried Twinline Plackers? They are the very best flossers! Nothing like them! Fine and strong floss for tight teeth that does not break - so you can do your whole mouth with one - and the double line traps stuff, so it does a through job. I used to buy them at Wegman's, but we don't have Wegman's here, so I buy them bulk on Amazon. And because the pic-point "tucks in", they are very portable.

...I believe the advice on maintaining good teeth without resorting to extreme measures is to limit snacking on food as much as possible (to eat only at mealtimes, essentially), to eat cheese after feasting in order to quicker restore pH levels (milk is not satisfactory, as it contains sugars), to drink water rather than most other drinks (or at least, to drink water after drinking something else), and to not clean teeth within about 20 minutes of eating/drinking unless you have taken measures to restore the natural pH levels.

I have not heard a lot of these and I am going to try them (and research them, though I am sure you probably already did and that its right). I do rarely drink anything but water. I splurge on a Zevia soda from time to time. I used to use a many-stage filter, then (when I was being good) add minerals back in, which did not help the taste. But now we have well water, a nice deep well, and its delicious and refreshing and simple (until the power goes out).

I've read that book, and I think the full diet and supplements he recommends are really too intense for most people, myself included. The butter/cod liver oil brand he hypes up is super expensive, as well. Some of the info is good (fat soluble vitamins are so important!), but unless you're keen on eating animal organs and raw dairy regularly (also very expensive unless you own a cow) then the diet is not as helpful. I've had luck slowing tooth decay by eating some xylitol after I eat pretty much anything, avoiding phytic acid, and supplementing with Vitamin K2.

That is so cool! Its not a cheap book - $26 - and I have a penchant for penny books (+ shipping) on Amazon....But I want to get it. I take plenty of suplments - lots of minerals, probiotics,i.e., so it will be interested to see his recommends. That butter/cod liver oil, yes, I was curious about that. Ick, I do not like animal organs, but my husband does. I really ought to make him liver and onions... raw dairy - I buy my milk raw, but I don't drink a lot of it, usually use it in recipes and coffee. (I suspect the hot coffee pasteurizes it anyway! ) Its a hike to get that milk, a sacrifice since I like to save gas and car wear and tear, but I do. I get my good eggs, too, there. Many-colored eggs, with orange yolks, from happy hens... and we eat a lot of eggs. Also Xylitol, I keep Spry Lemon Mints around and in my purse and also Ice Chips (Xylitol candy). Avoiding phytic acid I only learned about today! But anyway my naturapath says avoid all grains, nuts, and seeds. Which is hard, but I try. I have not supplemented K2, ever. I wonder if its in my 70+minerals I take...

PistolShrimp: Did the book say it increased fertility too? Curious because in one of the testimony articles I read today a woman said an unexpected side effect for her was pregnancy - she had been trying unsuccessfully. She noted oil pulling helps there. Was that in the book?

P.S. Did you know that xrays wipe out healthy bacteria you need? If you have to have xrays take a good probiotic afterward to avoid all manner of annoying systematic problems later.

Oh, and this is especially for @Director Abbie, and anyone who prefers to watch/listen more than reading. There are other testimony videos on youtube (as well as other kinds of pulling I don't even what to think about), and they all have enviably white teeth. Really nice!:

[Eliza Thomason]

I am skeptical of this, but I appreciate you thinking of me, @Eliza Thomason

Anecdotally, I used to eat oatmeal several times a day when I was in college, and never had a cavity during those years. N=1, I realize, but it makes me doubtful.

Oiling sounds interesting, though....

I went thought a phase of steel-cut oats, nicely toasted in an iron pan before a long boil... No more, though.
Plenty of vitamin D might counteract too much phytic acid...

[Capitalist Pig]

Just stop eating and drinking period. Literally everything is wear and tear on your enamel and gums or a potential disease threat. There is no escaping the tooth decay and gingivitis. You're all gonna die.

[Beautiful sky]

Thaaaaat is frightening. I just googled it to confirm that it's true.

"Sharks eat so violently they often break a few teeth, so new teeth grow continuously in a groove just inside the mouth and move forward from inside the mouth on "conveyor belts" formed by the skin in which they are attached to. In its lifetime, a shark can lose and regrow as many as 30,000 teeth."


​I will now have nightmares.

Why isn't this happening with us ?

If I regrew teeth I would eat all th sugar. All of it!

[SongOfSapphire]

FWIW, green tea is supposed to help w oral health in general, including cavity prevention.

Why isn't this happening with us ?

If I regrew teeth I would eat all th sugar. All of it!

lol

[marooned]

huh. watched videos. i might try it.

[applejacks]

My husband, the dentist, says this: he has heard of this, but it has not been recognized by the American Dental Association. In the video, this guy explains no logic, rationale, or parameter for how it whitens teeth. However he thinks it could be possible for whitening. With that said, he calls B.S on this fixing cavities via this method.

He says that even under a sealant, bacteria can destroy a tooth over a time if present. So don't bank on this fixing cavities, as that can be dangerous. But trying it for whitening, he doesn't think it'd be harmful as far as he can see.

And and he also said he'd happily give this to everyone if it fixed their cavities. His back and neck hurt him every day, and he wishes there was a better way to fix things than to break himself trying to help people.

(also - and this is my comment - be extra kind to your dentists! You have no idea the physical and mental strain they go through to help fix people's teeth. My husband nearly cried the other day when someone hugged him because it's so rare. They all just sit in his chair and say, "I hate the dentist.")

[applejacks]

Also, he said when you dehydrate a tooth, it WILL appear whiter for a short time frame. So if this oil method is simply dehydrating the tooth, the whitening effect won't last. But if it's penetrating the tooth, it will last.

(he also said a good dentist picks out a good color for your tooth / filling BEFORE he works on it, because they keep your tooth really dry when working on them, and they will whiten and thus not match if you pick a color after you start working)

ok, that's all for now.

[Skepsis]

Just stop eating and drinking period. Literally everything is wear and tear on your enamel and gums or a potential disease threat. There is no escaping the tooth decay and gingivitis. You're all gonna die.

Are you seeing new patients?

[marooned]

i was thinking this could be helpful in that the oil may bond with some of the nasty stuff between teeth or near/in the gum line, or draw it out. that could indirectly help towards preventing cavities & gum disease. it could be used in addition to brushing/flossing/etc. it's difficult to reach some areas with a toothbrush or floss probably and although mouthwash can kill bacteria, it can't do anything against plaque.

also, oil is more viscous. so it might push some stuff out from in between teeth in a way water and mouthwash (being less viscous) can't.

i'm not sure how significant any of this would be.

[Eliza Thomason]

huh. watched videos. i might try it.

I bought the cold-pressed organic virgin olive oil (which my naturapath recommended instead of coconut oil) yesterday. We have a guest this week but then I will start.

[Kim]

I had a cavity recently for the first time in 20 years. I am pretty obsessed with keeping my teeth/gums clean, so I was annoyed. But I would rather have it taken care of by a dentist than worry about more damage or not eating whole grains, tbh. Better have a cavity fixed early than a root canal down the road. Especially now that they are not putting toxic stuff in your teeth anymore. I also had my wisdom teeth and molars sealed.

[summerprincess]

Oatmeal and whole grains are good for you and basically the pros outweigh the cons. I'd rather keep going to the dentist and enjoy my toast and pita. I eat a good amount of other sugar as well, which is of course bad for teeth - but I've never had a cavity. Imo this is probably because I barely ever drink things with added sugar. Also "oil pulling" is straight pseudoscience??????