Dental health has been referred to as the canary in the mine.[1]If chronic gum and cavities are present, it is a telltale sign other problems are present in the body, it will just take a longer time for them to present themselves. One such connection is heart disease.[2][3]If mouth problems present themselves, one positive approach would be to be grateful for the early warning and take corrective measures before more serious health problems arise.
A dental cavity is tooth decay, which is a breakdown often accompanied by pain. It is caused by poor dental hygiene, lack of proper brushing and flossing, in conjunction with the consumption of sugars and simple carbohydrates (flour). Flour contains phytic acid, which is a chelator of essential minerals needed for good dental health.[4]These substances combined with the bacteria present in the body lead to the conditions for cavity formation.
A cursory look at the Standard American Diet (SAD) suggests many causative reasons for this increase in gum disease and too health decline. The two relevant questions are: can these dental problems be proactively avoided and if the dental problems are already present, what can be done about them naturally? My opinion about medical treatments in general is to try natural means first when prudent, and then try more invasive solutions second. If emergencies or intense pain are experienced, I promptly seek trained medical guidance. A gunshot wound to the chest will not be solved by aloe vera gel. However, tooth problems have been around, albeit in different rates, as long as there have been people. Consequently, approaches to healing more minor dental problems have resulted. Let’s consider some of them in the rest of the essay. Then one can make an informed decision.
Pain is the main indicator of problems. No pain, no problems is my rule of thumb. With this backdrop, I question the efficacy of X-Rays as my teeth or gums do not hurt. I personally do not get dental X-Rays at my checkups. I travel frequently, going through full body scanners. So wherever possible, I avoid additional radiation exposure.
The second component of a healthy mouth is ones diet. A diet severely reduced in sugar, including alcohol, and processed carbohydrates, such as flour, not only mitigate other health problems that plague our society, but it goes a long way to making the mouth healthy. Researcher MR Milward in shows in his article causation between diet and gum disease.[5]
As a subset of diet, meal frequency also leads to dental problems. The snacking phenomena going on for two generations, a result of Big Food marketing, is also a main driver of tooth decay. This includes the frequent drinking of soda or fruit juice. The problems resulting from toddlers sucking on a bottle of sweetened beverages (including formula or milk) is clearly attested. Consider this summary article of children who consume sweetened beverages.[6]Not only does this contribute to childhood obesity, but even in normal weight children, they too are affected by the sugar ever present on their teeth.
If these behaviors in young children are not reversed, not only will there be cavities on their baby teeth, but these ingrained habits will spill over to when the permanent teeth come in. Cavities on adult teeth and gum disease, I will propose can be reversed, but how much better to avoid them in the first place? How important it is for the parents to instill good habits in the children. The best habit, from a diet perspective, is for children to not get accustomed to sugar, processed food, and continual grazing.
Karen, yes that is all well and good, but how about if I have a problem now? The canary is chirping a warning signal to make health changes. Alterative medical solutions are rarely one offs. They are much more encompassing, and diet is a critical part of that solution. In the toxic food culture we all swim in these food choices are difficult to give up because they are prone to addictive behaviors. Rats have shown a preference for electrocution rather than to give up their sugary rat chow.[7]
To attempt a re-mineralization of teeth and to reverse cavities, pot-licker made from root vegetables, a variety of leafy greens, and garlic simmered in a bone broth has been found to be helpful. [8]Gelatin (3 TBS/ 1quart of water) derived from grass fed ox along with boron supplements in dosages of 3-9 mg is another protocol to consider.[9]
Tooth care also needs to consider the hygiene aspect of cleaning them.. Typical grocery store meat is problematic for teeth. The need for flossing, particularly at night, is critical so that meat particles will not form inflammation which in turns leads to tooth and gum problems. Standard toothpaste, in my opinion, is actually harmful for teeth. Fluoride has dubious health benefits, foaming agents, sugar, and colorings are considered by some to be deleterious.[10]I tried the expensive all natural toothpaste, which is an improvement over store brands.
However, for re-mineralization purposes two tooth powders are better choices, IPSAB & The Dirt which contains bentonite clay. IPSAB contains prickly ash bark, used by Native Americans to treat cavities. The Dirt has clay not found in IPSAB. I alternate between both for broad-spectrum coverage.
Supplementation, which is the final component and cannot compensate for forgoing the preceding guidelines, would include D3, K2, biotin, fulvic acid, and prescribed amounts of sunshine. Blood tests help determine the dosage levels needed with D3 and nail health indicates the need to use K2. Fulvic acid provides trace minerals, along with other important properties of clearing toxins from the body.[11]Clove oil on a cotton ball pressed against the painful area can reduce the soreness while these other measures are tried.
With these suggestions considered, one can run an n=1 experiment. Note the problem wanting to be healed, carefully describe it, are the gums inflamed, a hole present, pain, etc… Then start implementing these measures starting with diet. Also note a deadline for the experiment. If the symptoms get worse or take longer than predicted to heal, then consult more expert care. A daily checklist is helpful in recording observations and aids in drawing well founded conclusions.
With this information, one can make a more informed decision. We can listen to our dental problems as pointing out a need for a change for better health. Truly, our mouths are a dental canary for optimal living. Don’t ignore the tweeting.
[1]Gary Taubes, Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on diet, Weight Control, and Diseases(Knopf: New York 2007) )113
[2]https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/treating-gum-disease-may-lessen-burden-heart-disease-diabetes-conditions-201407237293accessed April 30, 2018
[3]http://oralsystemiclink.net/patients/profile/study-shows-bacteria-causing-gum-disease-also-causes-heart-diseaseaccessed May 1, 2018
[4]http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/595/1/fulltext.pdfaccessed April 30, 2018
[5]http://www.midpenperio.com/files/2014/07/DH-May-p18-21-1.pdf
[6]http://www.health.ri.gov/healthrisks/sugarsweetenedbeverages/
[7]http://www.scripps.edu/news/press/2010/20100329.htmlaccessed April 30, 2018
[8]http://vitalitycapsules.com/radio-show-saving-your-teeth-naturally@48:30
[9]Ibid @50:00 gelatin described is from another link https://oneradionetwork.com/all-shows/dr-jennifer-daniels-m-d-october-24-2017/
[10]https://www.rebootedmom.com/why-we-ditched-our-toxic-commercial-toothpaste/accessed April 30, 2018
[11]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqZDytjvcG4Dr. Dan Nuzum interview
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