You might be surprised to know that there is mainstream and not-so-mainstream thinking when it comes to dentistry, just as there is with doctoring. There are certain ideas that are simply taken for granted and treated as truths that “everyone knows,” which may not be accurate after all.
What You Eat Doesn’t Affect Your Teeth
In the mainstream world, we’re told that “sugar will rot your teeth,” but beyond sugar we’re told that our diets have little or nothing to do with the health of our teeth. You don’t get cavities (or not) based on the nutrition of your body, but merely based on what comes into contact with your teeth.
But was that idea ever based on evidence, or just widespread observation of people eating a lousy Western diet? If you really want to shift your paradigm — on a lot of things, but especially about the development of the teeth and jaw — get your hands on a copy of Weston Price’s Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. It’s fascinating.
Weston Price was a dentist who toured the world in search of data regarding dental health. What he was interested in was the dental health of people still eating the traditional diets of their people — that is, people who were not exposed to “modern foods.” Although dental care as we know it did not exist in these groups (toothbrushes and minty paste are not exactly traditional), dental caries (cavities) were almost nonexistent!
They did not get cavities from “not brushing often enough” or “not flossing every day.” Their teeth were in far better shape than the average American’s!
Fluoride is a Necessity
In a stunning display of cognitive dissonance, we’re told that, while nothing we eat impacts our teeth nutritionally, it’s critical that we take in plenty of fluoride in order to have strong teeth.
Think about that for a moment.
They want fluoride in our bodies as well as on the surfaces of our teeth. And the claim is that there’s no health risk.
Not everyone agrees. There are two major concerns here: 1) dose, and 2) form.
First, dose. It has been said that “the dose makes the poison,” and there is a lot of truth to this. The body does need some fluoride, but the mineral is known to be toxic in large quantities. There’s plenty in the medical literature. But nobody knows who’s getting how much when it’s being added randomly to water (which isn’t consumed in predictable, uniform quantities), found in toothpastes and mouthwashes, etc.
The second concern is the form. There are some who will claim that a given nutrient is equally usable and beneficial to the body regardless of the form it’s found in, but this is often not the case. Minerals, in particular, are typically found bound with other substances, and it is simply not true that “fluoride is fluoride is fluoride.”
Let me give you an extreme example of what I mean. Sodium is sodium, right? Well, sodium chloride is basic table salt. Sodium hydroxide is lye — the caustic drain cleaner. It’s obvious these are not going to behave the same way in the body, right?
We’re not looking at such a radical difference with fluoride, but there is a difference. Naturally-occurring fluoride (more properly, “fluorine”) is typically calcium fluoride. The fluorine added to drinking water, dental treatments, etc. is usually sodium fluoride.
Why does that matter? Well, remember how we said that fluoride is toxic in large quantities? In order to eliminate excess fluoride, the body uses calcium. So chances are, when you take in calcium fluoride and there’s more fluoride than you need, your body just uses the calcium that’s right there with it to flush the excess out. If you take in too much sodium fluoride, your body is going to have to draw on its existing calcium stores to eliminate it, and deal with the excess sodium.
Cavities are Irreversible
Possibly the most egregious misinformation “out there” right now with regard to dental care is that cavities are always irreversible. This is not true. Most Westerners simply don’t eat well enough to be able to make a difference. I have acquaintances who have photographic proof of having reversed their children’s cavities.
Teeth are not dissimilar to bone, and can be regenerated — at least to a point. The best source I’m aware of on this subject is the book, Cure Tooth Decay. This is based heavily on Dr. Price’s work and is very specific/practical.
Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition, 2nd Edition
Even holistic dentists cover a spectrum of perspectives, but if you have a holistic dentist in your area, you might be surprised by what you find.
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