Dental Health

[RedLagoon]

Here we can share our experiences regarding dental health, something many people struggle with day to day. We can encourage others to brush their teeth at least TWICE a day and visit a dentist once a year, ok.

I just saw this vid:



How is dental care where you're at? Share the business here.

 

[Johnnyvee]

Nutrition in the sense of essential nutrients is always underestimated when it comes to dental health. Vit D, K2, calcium and phosphorous might be the most vital ones. If you can't get vit D from sunlight use a good cod liver oil supplement. (from wild caught cod, not omega-3 pills)

I feel that I fare better by not brushing in the morning, but just chewing a dental gum, then a black coffee a bit later. No food before lunch. You should really have an hour of water "fasting" both prior to and after brushing, since you damage the enamel somewhat. And use a soft bristle brush also.

 

[God's lonely asperger]

Britain's Worst Teeth

Ah 'lease we 'ave free 'elth cah, mate.

 

[DeWoken]

I feel that I fare better by not brushing in the morning, but just chewing a dental gum, then a black coffee a bit later. No food before lunch. You should really have an hour of water "fasting" both prior to and after brushing, since you damage the enamel somewhat. And use a soft bristle brush also.

I had been doing the no-brush in the morning for a number of years because I figured there was nothing to brush off, and like you mention enamel can get damaged. Going to the dentist for a deep clean for the first time in a while I was convinced to start doing the AM brush, though. There was some staining building up on the front teeth and brushing twice a day seems to help control it a bit better. Also, the hygienist mentioned how stuff grows on your teeth when you sleep even if you always brush and floss before bed. The bacteria on your teeth makes it easier for stains (from coffee, tobacco, etc) to take hold.

The cleaning process at the dentist must be pretty harsh on the enamel, so I figure I might as well do the extra brushing and maybe they'll take it easier on me. Already, I ask for minimal x-rays and no fluoride if possible.

 

[Johnnyvee]

I had been doing the no-brush in the morning for a number of years because I figured there was nothing to brush off, and like you mention enamel can get damaged. Going to the dentist for a deep clean for the first time in a while I was convinced to start doing the AM brush, though. There was some staining building up on the front teeth and brushing twice a day seems to help control it a bit better. Also, the hygienist mentioned how stuff grows on your teeth when you sleep even if you always brush and floss before bed. The bacteria on your teeth makes it easier for stains (from coffee, tobacco, etc) to take hold.

The cleaning process at the dentist must be pretty harsh on the enamel, so I figure I might as well do the extra brushing and maybe they'll take it easier on me. Already, I ask for minimal x-rays and no fluoride if possible.

What bacteria grows in the mouth is a similar dynamic to the gut microbiome. It's not that bacteria are bad, they're totally necessary of course, but it's a question of what bacteria and in what amounts relative to each other. Mut. streptococcus are strains that are predominant in the generation of caries, and it's well known that they like an acidic environment with sucrose in particular. You get the acidic environment from lactic acid generated by those strains when they do fermentation metabolism with sugar then. (+acidic drinks and foods) Fructose and glucose in plants and honey is not as bad as sucrose it seems. But I don't think they should be consumed daily for a few other reasons also.

Anyway, if you want no stains you have to give up coffee and tea, and maybe some other drinks and foods. I've not been able to do that as of yet. I feel that I've got better dental health with only brushing at night, but as I said I chew a dental gum in the morning and I don't eat or drink anything that will trigger what is basically a chronic bacterial infection in the mouth.

 

[DeWoken]

Anyway, if you want no stains you have to give up coffee and tea,

Yeah, it's another one of those topics where it seems simple at first glance, but it ain't

To add to my challenges with keeping the teeth looking nice I smoke pipe and drink a fair bit. I do manage to dodge most desserts and candies, though. I was eating apples that grow on my property but when I took a break I found my stomach was stronger (I guess they were stressing out my liver with too much fructose?).

 

[Callixtus]

I hadn't gone to the dentist in three years and finally went in when I had gum pain and bleeding. Turned out to be early signs of periodontal disease. I had to go in for a somewhat invasive deep clean, but the prognosis is good. Caught it in time before the damage became irreversible. I've always brushed and flossed twice a day, but it's just not enough to get everything. Modern diet plays a role I imagine, as does tobacco use.

 

[Cornelius V.E.]

Unless you love the dentist and love feeling like you need to take naps during the day, do not fall for the modern sugar (sucrose) infested diet. Avoid added sugars (which are all sucrose) like the plague that they are (they're in almost everything that the vast majority modern people eat and a huge historical anomaly). Natural sources of sugar (fructose in fruit, honey, etc) seem to be OK in limited amounts, but cavities are also found in monkeys that have a high fruit diet (while animals that don't eat fruits usually are cavity free). It also seems that lactose (the sugar found in milk) isn't too bad according to various studies.

If you do eat fruit, drink milk, etc, definitely rinse your mouth with water afterward and brush your teeth about 1 hour afterward.

 

[Get2choppaaa]

Unless you love the dentist and love feeling like you need to take naps during the day, do not fall for the modern sugar (sucrose) infested diet. Avoid added sugars (which are all sucrose) like the plague that they are (they're in almost everything that the vast majority modern people eat and a huge historical anomaly). Natural sources of sugar (fructose in fruit, honey, etc) seem to be OK in limited amounts, but cavities are also found in monkeys that have a high fruit diet (while animals that don't eat fruits usually are cavity free). It also seems that lactose (the sugar found in milk) isn't too bad according to various studies.

If you do eat fruit, drink milk, etc, definitely rinse your mouth with water afterward and brush your teeth about 1 hour afterward.

Erythritol is a good substitute for sugar and is good for gut health.

 

[Pointy Elbows]

Flossing is under-rated. Those little toothpick devices with the floss-end are great. Keeps the crud out, stimulates gums, and minimizes plaque buildup and passage from one tooth to the next.

Also, if you have acid-reflux, please tend to it (diet, less drinking/tobacco, antacid tablets). It will damage your lower rear molars.