The Scary Truth Behind Dental Health
The latest research links poor oral health with strokes, heart disease, osteoporosis, bone infections, diabetes, bronchitis, and many other health problems. Teeth are meant to last your whole lifetime. We do not have teeth that are replaced continually like many animals. No other part of your body is as tough, or as well-constructed and capable of recovering from disease. Your mouth should be the healthiest part of you too. Teeth are BONE, and should not break down. And because bone is living tissue, it can heal and regenerate, contrary to popular belief.
Every part of the body is connected. There are nerves traveling down every tooth which connects to the entire body. Therefore, tooth decay can cause damage in glands and organs in the rest of the body as bacteria freely travel to and fro. In this blog we are going to discuss how to take care of your teeth so that they can repair themselves.
Traditional Dentistry is Poison
We are told by the dental profession that we will get cavities when we are young that will need to be replaced when we are older. We are told that dentures are an acceptable replacement for natural teeth. Not to mention crowns, root canals, bridges, sealants and thousands of other materials that dentists put into our mouths without knowing how they will affect our body in years to come as the materials slough off into our systems.
Mercury, the Silver Filling: Mercury is poisonous, but did you know that all five of the metals in the silver amalgam filling are poisonous? In addition to that, these metals react with each other and form sixteen more “corrosive products”. All of these corrosion products are toxic.
But doesn’t mercury stay within the filling? No. The chemical product formed by the “setting” of the five metals is chemically reactive. A mercury vapor meter placed over a filling can detect toxic amounts of mercury vapor within ten seconds. The bad thing about mercury release is that it is cumulative. In the fastest elimination mode, if one microgram is absorbed, it will take 70 days to several months to eliminate half of it. By simply eating and drinking, you will increase your total body burden of mercury daily. Not all of the mercury escaping from a filling stays in the vapor form, especially if it is on the surface of a filling registering a negative electrical charge. In the electrical environment on the surface of a filling, mercury vapor is rapidly converted into the highly toxic methylmercury. Mercury is released into the body every time it encounters hot liquids or there is friction (chewing).
Just how many forms of mercury are there in the body, and what do they do? Actually three forms are of primary significance. The first is mercury vapor. Mercury vapor escapes from the filling, is absorbed through the lungs and intestinal tract, and enters the bloodstream. The primary target for mercury vapor is the brain and central nervous system.
Second is mercury in the ionic form that has two positive charges. Ionic mercury is the most destructive form (termed acute and of high magnitude), but its destruction is limited to the area around which it is located. It does not have the ability to move around or through tissues like other forms of mercury. Its damage is usually found in organs like the kidney and gastrointestinal tract.
The third form is called methylmercury. This is the organic form. On contact with bacteria in the mouth, stomach and intestinal tract, or in the bloodstream, a process called methylation converts both mercury vapor and ionic mercury into deadly methylmercury. The severe toxicity of methylmercury is attributed to its ability to pierce any cell membrane in the body, and cross all barriers, even the placenta and the blood-brain barrier. After crossing these barriers, methylmercury is converted back into the highly destructive ionic form, and destroys all cell components in its path. The transportation mechanism into cells is its primary damaging component. Its conversion to ionic form then deposits the “killer” form of mercury in areas it could never penetrate in the ionic form. By this mechanism, methylmercury is credited with creating degeneration and atrophy of the sensory cerebral cortex, paresthesia (numbness and tingling), as well as hearing and visual impairment. In crossing the placenta, it can inhibit brain development of the fetus and create cerebral palsy or psychomotor retardation in the latter stages of development.
In the “Tolhurst” case in California, the American Dental Association (ADA) and several dental manufacturers were challenged on the mercury issue. The defense that got the ADA off was “We owe no duty of care to warn of the alleged danger of dental products which the ADA undertakes to research. If such a duty were imposed, it could result in limitless exposure to the ADA for every dental-related injury or illness.”
How do you feel about the ADA Seal of Approval on toothpaste now?
Root Canals
Root canals are often performed by drilling into a tooth and removing an infected area. This procedure often costs people thousands of dollars. Although it is good to remove infection from the body, root canals is NOT the way to go, and long-term they can be extremely dangerous, even life threatening.
Once a tooth gets infected, unfortunately we don't have many options left. Best option is to take care of our teeth in the first place, called prevention. Second best is to use natural methods to remove infection from the teeth such as oil pulling and mouth washes that contain powerful anti-bacterial properties. Removing the offending tooth might also be a better option than having a root canal. In order to allow the immune system to focus on healing, all other offending dental materials should be removed (mercury, copper, implants, tattoos and nickel crowns) so that the immune system can deal with the bacterial challenge instead of the bacteria plus toxic metals.
If you opt for the traditional root canal, there is the potential of creating an unwanted autoimmune or degenerative disease that could be life threatening. If the dentist did not remove the entire infection or infection returns within the root canal, toxins and bacteria can both leak from these contamination sites into the mouth and other areas of the body, wreaking havoc with a person’s cardiovascular, endocrine, nervous and immune systems. The public needs to be informed so they can make educated choices in the trade-off between toxic convenience and health.
Studies of DNA analysis of bacteria found in root canals and cavitations confirm the fact that Dr. Weston Price, despite being one century ahead of his dental colleagues, was absolutely correct in determining that bacteria-laden root canals have no place in the body of people interested in their health. This toxic waste spill can be stopped, but not with the assistance of dental associations, which continue to insist that the procedure of root canals is perfectly safe. The recent increase in suggested quota up to sixty million root canals per year is not in the best interest of their patients, nor can that action do anything but increase health costs for the innocent patient. Dr. Price was right. Root canals are not worth the price.
Fluoride
The need for fluoride in our mouths is a myth. And a very dangerous one! Do the research. Fluoride is toxic to the human body, and is a waste product of the aluminum industry. If your dentist insists on using fluoride, refuse it, or get a new dentist that has done some research. The ADA promotes and educates based on what makes them profit, such as fluoride, silver fillings and root canals to name a few.
Natural Dentistry
The entire spectrum of dental disease starts with an unseen invasion of bacteria usually after birth. It’s easy for Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus to get into your system. When they set up housekeeping, raise families and build germ cities in your mouth the trouble begins. Lactobacillus is considered beneficial in the gastrointestinal tract-but it is public enemy number 2 in the mouth. Mutans indicated as enemy number 1.
These germs ingest their food from debris, food particles and sugars (especially white flour) in your mouth, and then secrete waste products. A waste called dextran leaves a film called plaque. We can feel that fuzzy feeling in our mouth, or even worse have bad breath—a sure sign of germ activity.
As germs keep building up in cracks, pits, and fissures of molars-even though you are brushing and flossing- they begin to secrete acids along with the waste product dextran. These acids begin to decalcify the enamel creating a cavity.
If we could learn how to destroy the bad guys in the first place—healthy saliva would have gone to work and helped restore the surface enamel of the tooth. The phenomenon of Brown Spot Lesions are familiar to dentists. There is a portion of enamel which is discolored and shows evidence of earlier cavious (cavity) activity. Somehow, without medical assistance, the cavity was halted and the enamel resurfaced. Studies show that the newer enamel is actually more resistant to cavities. The tooth actually developed an immunity! Clearly, the body is capable, if given the right environment, to heal and regenerate, even our teeth!
The Link Between Nutrition & Teeth Health
Practicing in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1930s, Dr Weston A Price saw what all the dentists of his time saw, but his conclusions, in the form of questions, were far beyond the scope of dentistry. They were genius. Dr Price left his practice and traveled around the world looking for indigenous people who were untouched by processed foods, to examine their teeth. Those who know of him, call him the Father of Preventive Dentistry.
His first discovery was that the further away from civilization, the fewer cavities he found. He had to look in three or four mouths to find a single cavity. Yes, he found some very green teeth, almost moss covered (as it were), but beneath this coat was a fine, strong tooth, planted firmly in a strong, full jaw. He found straight teeth, little decay, healthy bodies, and resistance to disease. The further he got away from civilization, the healthier the peoples.
The diets he uncovered were widely varied, but all of them provided at least four times the amounts of water soluble vitamins and minerals (especially calcium) and at least ten times the amounts of fat soluble vitamins as the diets of so called civilized peoples.
Fifty years after his death, a few within the bastions of the orthodox dental establishment began to look at his work. Dental amalgams and root canals are now being questioned. Holistic Dentistry is on the rise, for as Price discovered, the health of the individual determines the health of one's teeth. If you have a cavity, it’s not because of your toothpaste; it’s your diet. Dr Price preached a nutrient- dense, whole foods, organic diet till the day he died.
God's Design
God designed teeth as part of your skeletal system. If it is breaking down, take it seriously. If your children are getting cavities, get real with nutrition and understand that bacterial infections can greatly compromise human health. We must take care of our mouth. And better yet, we must take care of our bodies. The standard junk food diets are causing an epidemic of health problems, and teeth problems. Bone is STRONG, and if teeth are weak, the body is weak, so pay attention! We can't continue to ignore what God is saying to us through the body, and the teeth are a great indicator of health, or lack thereof.
God designed natural materials from the earth that are great for our mouth. God gave us foods that grow from the earth. Use them! If your toothpaste says "Harmful or fatal if swallowed. Contact poison control center immediately," please throw it in the garbage. God has much better solutions that are beneficial to our health and often more affordable. Colgate, Aim and Crest don't really care about you or your health, regardless of how cute their commercials are.
Dental Protection Ideas
Salt Water Rinse: Use 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon unrefined saltto swish in mouth. Spit out.
Hydrogen Peroxide & Water (food grade ideally): Swish and spit out.
Herbal Mouth Washes: Regular mouth rinses are full of toxins that cause health problems. Use natural herbal mouth rinses. Use Oregacare by NAH&S, Vita-Myr or Mineral Mouth Rinse by Trace Minerals Research to name a few.
Oil Pulling: Traditional dental care from India: Swish 1 teaspoon of unrefined virgin oil (sesame, olive, coconut) in mouth 5-20 minutes in the morning. Spit out. It will draw out bacteria, heavy metals and other toxins. Add Oregadent for a more potent germ killer.
Natural Toothpaste: Commercial toothpastes are toxic. 1⁄2 tube can kill a child. Why does the label say if swallowed call poison control? Use natural herbal toothpaste. Check out some of our favorites here.
Orega Dent: A combination of oregano, cloves, and cinnamon that can help heal deeper teeth and gum issues.
Green Pastures Cod Liver Oil: This contains the vitamins, minerals, vitamin A & D needed to restore bone and tooth health.