What’s in a Pearly Smile?

Teeth. They’re always in our faces… I know, I know, terrible pun. But seriously, teeth are important to us. Just look at all the ads for veneers and teeth whitening. I always thought it was kind of funny that we humans were the one animal that had so many tooth woes and had to see a specialist a few times a year to make sure our teeth made it through the long haul.As it turns out, much of what we’ve been taught about dental health probably isn’t accurate.

Inaccuracy number 1: There’s no way to heal a cavity. It has to be drilled and filled.

Reality: Teeth are living organs with a connection to blood flow and lymph. They take in minerals and nutrients and constantly rebuild their structure. That means in many cases it’s completely possible to heal a cavity. I personally cracked a tooth and never had it addressed. I can see where it remineralized.

Inaccuracy number 2: Cavities are caused by sugar sitting on the teeth.

Reality: Cavities are caused by elevated blood sugar levels. Higher blood sugar levels cause the body to pull minerals from the bones and teeth to help rebalance blood chemistry. As the teeth are demineralized they become weaker and easier for foreign bodies to penetrate. This leads to the cavity.

Inaccuracy number 3: Root canals are always a good option.

Reality: Root canals can lead to huge health risks later. The tooth can produce loads of toxins that are released into the body. These toxins are produced by bacteria that are still living in the now dead tooth.

Inaccuracy number 4: Fillings are not problematic.

Reality: Fillings can cause problems depending on the material used. Amalgam, or mercury/silver based, fillings are terrible for you. You have mercury in your mouth that constantly off-gases, which you then absorb. This is the stuff that everyone is so freaked out about being in anything, and they use it to fill teeth… Another way fillings can be a problem is if you personally react to the material used.

Dental problems can actually lead to major systemic issues. Because the teeth are connected to the whole body through the lymph, problems in the teeth are spread throughout the body very quickly. From the Mayo Clinic, here are a few health issues linked to problems in the mouth: endocarditis (inflammation of the heart lining), cardiovascular disease, premature birth, and low birth weight.

To make matters worse, many oral care products can actually cause problems. Fluoride is actually an industrial waste product. The bags used to fluoridate our water supply are labeled poison because it’s almost as toxic as arsenic.It’s also accumulates over time, which means once it’s there it doesn’t go away. It accumulates largely in the pineal gland in the brain which regulates many hormones.

Toothpaste contains many problematic toxins. Many of these are petroleum by-products and plastics. These days I use pretty much just baking soda, salt, and essential oils to brush my teeth.

In a nutshell for good dental health, keep down your sugar intake. This is the number one most important thing you can do for your oral health. Rinse your mouth out with salt water before and after you brush and floss. And don’t brush too hard or you could cause your gums to recede. Also, avoid fluoride! I’ll add some resources to the soon-to-be-added resources page if you want to go more in depth!

 

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