I went to the dentist this week and didn't have any decay that was serious enough to need the drill- finally. I still have a watch on one tooth, and I'm going to give it some extra attention. A cavity-free report coming from a laser dentist is "for real." The laser makes no mistakes. Then again, my dentist wouldn't do any procedure on a pregnant woman that requires any anesthetic, unless there was an emergency.
My gum readings were all 3 and below, also. They hygenist was impressed at the difference and actually asked about my dental regimen. I shared it with her, and since I've had some success, I'll share it with the blog!
Glycerin-based toothpastes (yes, everything at Walmart) prevent tooth remineralization. My dentist confirmed this; can you believe it? I've learned that if I'm counting on good nutrition to help my teeth, I need to match my nutrition with tooth care products that actually allow remineralization to occur. Using a glycerin-based toothpaste on a regular basis coats your teeth with glycerin and keeps a decayed surface from hardening the way it should.
With that in mind, I alternate between three tooth-care products.
#1- Peelu dental fibers. Weird word, amazing, inexpensive herb. After I brush with it, my teeth feel like I've just had a cleaning at the dentist. Indians used to chew on peelu bark to clean their teeth. Someone had the brilliant idea to grind it up and sell it as a tooth powder. It doesn't taste all that great ("peppermint"?-- no), but it rinses away when you're finished. Best of all, it gets your teeth sparkling-clean. I use Peelu 3-4 days a week.
#2- Christopher's tooth and gum powder. I used to use this exclusively. It's a little pricy, but a container lasts a long time. While it contains plenty of tooth-supporting herbs like cloves and white oak bark, and gets the teeth clean, it eventually stained my teeth brown. I quickly reversed the browning by reducing my tooth powder to only two days a week and including the other two products in the rotation.
#3- A fluoride-free, glycerin-based toothpaste. It's fine to use glycerin on occasion, as long as you alternate with something else to keep glycerin from building up. Trader Joe's has a fennel toothpaste that I like, and there are plenty of options available at herb stores, or even a local Ingles.
And, of course I use these products only to get my teeth clean. I realize that the overriding factor in my [dental=overall] health is my mother's nutrition when she was pregnant with me, my childhood nutrition, and my attention to nutrition in my childbearing years, when my body is under extra stress to provide for a fetus and a nursing child. Yes-- nutrition, it is.
Liver, raw milk, egg yolks, bone broths, and cod liver oil are the most important foods a pregnant and nursing mother should consume. The placenta will take whatever it needs. It's up to the mother to give back to her body what she needs. A lack of tooth decay is the best sign that the mother's body is ready to support another child.
I'm very thankful for the spacing between Cutie and the upcoming baby- three and a half years. This was the minimum for traditional cultures, and it was often five or more years, to ensure the health of the mother and subsequent baby.
At the bottom of this sadly humorous article, you can find the daily servings of foods that pregnant mamas need.
Our [WAPF] Recommended Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers
1 tablespoon cod liver oil daily, (mixed with water or a little fresh juice)
2 8-ounce glasses whole milk daily, preferably raw and from pasture-fed cows
4 tablespoons butter daily, preferably from pasture-fed cows
2 or more eggs daily, preferably from pastured chickens
Additional egg yolks daily, added to smoothies, salad dressings, scrambled eggs, etc.
3-4 ounces fresh liver, once or twice per week
Fresh seafood, 2-4 times per week, particularly wild salmon, shellfish and fish eggs
Fresh beef or lamb daily, always consumed with the fat
Oily fish or lard daily, for vitamin D
2 tablespoons coconut oil or 1/2 cup coconut milk daily, used in cooking or smoothies, etc.
Lacto-fermented condiments and beverages
Bone broths used in soups, stews and sauces
Soaked whole grains
Fresh vegetables and fruits, preferably organic
AVOID
Trans fatty acids (e.g., hydrogenated oils)
Soft drinks
Junk foods
Caffeine
Commercial fried foods
Alcohol
Sugar and high fructose corn syrup
Cigarettes
White flour
Drugs (even prescription drugs)
Soy foods
Synthetic vitamins (in multi-vitamins for pregnant women)
My gum readings were all 3 and below, also. They hygenist was impressed at the difference and actually asked about my dental regimen. I shared it with her, and since I've had some success, I'll share it with the blog!
Glycerin-based toothpastes (yes, everything at Walmart) prevent tooth remineralization. My dentist confirmed this; can you believe it? I've learned that if I'm counting on good nutrition to help my teeth, I need to match my nutrition with tooth care products that actually allow remineralization to occur. Using a glycerin-based toothpaste on a regular basis coats your teeth with glycerin and keeps a decayed surface from hardening the way it should.
With that in mind, I alternate between three tooth-care products.
#1- Peelu dental fibers. Weird word, amazing, inexpensive herb. After I brush with it, my teeth feel like I've just had a cleaning at the dentist. Indians used to chew on peelu bark to clean their teeth. Someone had the brilliant idea to grind it up and sell it as a tooth powder. It doesn't taste all that great ("peppermint"?-- no), but it rinses away when you're finished. Best of all, it gets your teeth sparkling-clean. I use Peelu 3-4 days a week.
#2- Christopher's tooth and gum powder. I used to use this exclusively. It's a little pricy, but a container lasts a long time. While it contains plenty of tooth-supporting herbs like cloves and white oak bark, and gets the teeth clean, it eventually stained my teeth brown. I quickly reversed the browning by reducing my tooth powder to only two days a week and including the other two products in the rotation.
#3- A fluoride-free, glycerin-based toothpaste. It's fine to use glycerin on occasion, as long as you alternate with something else to keep glycerin from building up. Trader Joe's has a fennel toothpaste that I like, and there are plenty of options available at herb stores, or even a local Ingles.
And, of course I use these products only to get my teeth clean. I realize that the overriding factor in my [dental=overall] health is my mother's nutrition when she was pregnant with me, my childhood nutrition, and my attention to nutrition in my childbearing years, when my body is under extra stress to provide for a fetus and a nursing child. Yes-- nutrition, it is.
Liver, raw milk, egg yolks, bone broths, and cod liver oil are the most important foods a pregnant and nursing mother should consume. The placenta will take whatever it needs. It's up to the mother to give back to her body what she needs. A lack of tooth decay is the best sign that the mother's body is ready to support another child.
I'm very thankful for the spacing between Cutie and the upcoming baby- three and a half years. This was the minimum for traditional cultures, and it was often five or more years, to ensure the health of the mother and subsequent baby.
At the bottom of this sadly humorous article, you can find the daily servings of foods that pregnant mamas need.
Our [WAPF] Recommended Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers
1 tablespoon cod liver oil daily, (mixed with water or a little fresh juice)
2 8-ounce glasses whole milk daily, preferably raw and from pasture-fed cows
4 tablespoons butter daily, preferably from pasture-fed cows
2 or more eggs daily, preferably from pastured chickens
Additional egg yolks daily, added to smoothies, salad dressings, scrambled eggs, etc.
3-4 ounces fresh liver, once or twice per week
Fresh seafood, 2-4 times per week, particularly wild salmon, shellfish and fish eggs
Fresh beef or lamb daily, always consumed with the fat
Oily fish or lard daily, for vitamin D
2 tablespoons coconut oil or 1/2 cup coconut milk daily, used in cooking or smoothies, etc.
Lacto-fermented condiments and beverages
Bone broths used in soups, stews and sauces
Soaked whole grains
Fresh vegetables and fruits, preferably organic
AVOID
Trans fatty acids (e.g., hydrogenated oils)
Soft drinks
Junk foods
Caffeine
Commercial fried foods
Alcohol
Sugar and high fructose corn syrup
Cigarettes
White flour
Drugs (even prescription drugs)
Soy foods
Synthetic vitamins (in multi-vitamins for pregnant women)
Comments
I enjoyed hearing about your day! We spent a good portion of it in the backyard; what a gorgeous fall we're having! Do you think the bird could have been a small raptor? I love ID-ing them, mostly because we have chickens :P.
Nice post :) Hooray for 1-3mm and no cavities!!!!!!!! I have several patients who prefer not to use Fluoride. It's nice to hear of alternatives that work to prevent cavities, as dental professionals don't get enough information on those products. I'll be sure to pass along your good advice! Thanks!! :D ~Brooke