Dental Health

[Ellipse]

Re: Things I've heard about dental health

Brushing hard and toothpicks are really great for your gums and your overall health. The stimulation and removal of tartar helps your gums reduce inflammation, heal, and stay healthy. Toothpaste is not necessary as it is the brushing action on the gums that is important.

But you have to be very careful about that. You have to do it the proper way to not harm your gums.

Yes, using a hard brush is simply disinformation. If you do it, you'll have your gum filed down where the gum is very thin, on the tooth. And this is Irreversible.

 

[Gertrudes]

Re: Things I've heard about dental health

@ Gertrudes

Thanks for the link and answer to some of my questions, as you have been through similar things - i just don't know about the whole implant thing

I'm glad it was of help :)
I haven't researched a lot on implants, however, as far as my restricted knowledge goes, the use of metal is usually the biggest problem with them, having a ceramic implant done would bypass that, so that it may be a more viable solution. But the again, I can't be sure without looking into it more deeply.

Here's an article with some thoughts on alternatives for a missing tooth, taken from _http://www.orawellness.com/blog/options-if-you-have-a-missing-tooth/:

This is the third article in our series addressing the questions we have received around the controversial subject of root canals. In our first article, we focused on the relative risks of root canals that several dentists and doctors have brought to light over the past 100 years. The second article focused on the options a person has if they currently have a root canal. In article two, we essentially address the question, “I have a root canal, what are my options?”

One of the options we discussed in article 2 of this series is to have the root canal tooth properly removed. This article is a natural follow up to article 2 so is going to discuss the options a person has if they have chosen to have a root canal removed. Of course, this article also applies to anyone who is missing a tooth for whatever reason. In this article, we intend to share with you the relative risks and benefits we see with several options a person in this circumstance has.

From our current understanding, we see that a person has 5 options if they are missing a tooth. We will go one by one through them and discuss the risks and benefits associated with each option. Our intent is to assist you in gathering the information necessary to make a wise choice within the larger context of helping you navigate to greater oral health and whole being wellness.

Before we jump into the options, an important consideration is what tooth/teeth in the mouth are missing. We will offer any information we have regarding which options may work better for molars vs front teeth as we walk through these options.

The Principle of Use it or Lose it…

In order to really do this subject the justice it deserves, we need to introduce a principle we find very applicable to the subject of missing teeth. First, we use the term principle to mean a Law that is inescapable. Think gravity. Whether or not we intellectually understand the law of gravity, it has its impact on us every moment. The principle we want to bring to light here we call “Use it or lose it.” Like all principles, ‘use it or lose it’ has many far reaching applications.

For example, we will lose our cognitive ability if not used, so many elderly find enjoyment in exercising their mental faculties through crossword puzzles. If we do not use our muscles, they will deteriorate. If we do not maintain the range of motion of our joints, the body will calcify around the joint to accommodate only the range of motion we regularly use. Our ability to focus our eyesight diminishes unless we exercise our ability to focus our vision at various ranges.

One other example of ‘use it or lose it’ is in maintaining bone density. We are told that bone density will diminish if it is not used. So, the simple movement of a body weight squat to stress the long bones of the legs is an excellent exercise to maintain bone density as we age.

We introduce this principle of ‘Use it or lose it’ in this article specifically because if we do not stress the jaw bone, the density of the jaw can diminish. Chewing on teeth anchored in and around the jaw provides the optimal way to stress/exercise the density of the jaw bones. You will see as we walk through the options below how our ability to stress the jaw bone changes with the various choices one has if they have teeth missing.

Option 1: Do nothing…

The first option we see is to do nothing. As Robert Gammal, one of the experts we interviewed in the HealThy Mouth World Summit, put it in his Aussie accent, “There’s nothing wrong with going ‘gappy’.” While we appreciate Dr Gammal’s willingness to make light of such a situation, having a missing tooth over time may cause some trouble. You see, teeth are ‘place holders’ for one another. So, if a tooth is missing for much time, other teeth that are adjacent to or opposite from (think top to bottom) may shift and change the bite. Yet more proof that we can’t address one part of the body without affecting the whole system, when we have a missing tooth, other teeth can move, impacting the bite of that whole side.

Another drawback of doing nothing is you will not be stressing the jaw bone at the location of the missing tooth thus are at an increased risk of losing bone density at that site. Also, depending on what tooth is missing, doing nothing can compromise one’s ability to effectively use that side of the mouth for chewing. Clearly, another application of ‘use it or lose it’ suggests that we must chew on both sides of the mouth if we want to keep our teeth and jaw bones strong, healthy and functional for us.

On the up side, doing nothing means that you aren’t introducing any other crazy, potentially toxic materials into your system. Another positive to doing nothing is that the area will be easy to clean around, something that is definitely an issue with other options…

Option 2: Traditional bridge work…

Conventional dentistry for years has encouraged traditional bridge work as the ‘go to’ answer to span the gap of a missing tooth. Despite having been used for years, we’re not really keen on this as a viable option for several reasons.

Let’s start by explaining the general idea of traditional bridge work. We apologize up front to any dental professionals if we mis-state any details of the technical aspects. In traditional bridge work, the teeth on either side of the gap are ground down to ‘posts’ in order to attach the fixed bridge.

One main issue we have with traditional fixed bridges is that if either of the two anchor teeth become compromised, you don’t lose one tooth, you lose the whole bridge. Given that the anchor teeth must be compromised by radically stripping away much of the outer tooth structure to prep for the bridge, it will be no surprise to you the number of stories we have heard from our community of this exact situation occurring. Once one of the two anchor teeth become compromised, the person is faced with the situation of losing 3 teeth, essentially an entire chewing capability, on that side.

Another challenge of traditional fixed bridges is the ability to clean under the bridge. You see, you can’t easily floss that area now. So how is someone expected to be able to disrupt and disorganize the bad bugs in the gum pockets all the way around the two anchor teeth? If I had a traditional bridge in my mouth, I know an oral irrigator (think waterpik or hydrofloss) would be my ‘go to’ tool to maintain healthy tissues around those anchor teeth! You simply can’t clean around or under that bridge easily. I can see how oil pulling could be very helpful here.

Another challenge is again looking through the ‘use it or lose it’ principle. The jaw bone under the bridge isn’t going to be exercised.

Yet one more challenge is you are essentially asking 2 anchor teeth to do the work of 3 teeth with a traditional bridge. Asking an already challenged tooth (from the stress of being prepped to carry the bridge) to do half the work of another tooth is asking a lot.

What are the upsides to traditional bridgework? You have a full chewing surface! That’s plenty to celebrate about frankly!

If you have a traditional bridge now, do everything you can to maintain healthy gum tissue around those anchor teeth. You may want to check out our HealThy Mouth System to gain the knowledge and tools to care for potentially deepening gum pockets around those anchor teeth.

Option 3: Implants

I don’t think it will come as a surprise to any of you that we are not fans of implants. I remember hearing about implants many years ago and have felt intuitively all along that something just doesn’t make sense about the idea. With an implant, the dental specialist places a post (most commonly titanium) into the jaw bone at the site of the missing tooth. After they determine that the post ‘was accepted’ by the body, then a crown is placed onto the post.

Several issues surround this subject of implants. Dr Hal Huggins told us in his interview at the HealThy Mouth World Summit that there’s trouble anytime metals in the mouth interact with microbes in the mouth. Dental metals in the wonderfully microbially diverse ‘perfect petri dish’ environment of the mouth tend to compel the bad bugs to adapt and produce atypical toxins. This is big trouble as the body is forced to combat new toxins which can add increased stress to our immune system. While titanium does oxidize more slowly than other dental metals, it is still a metal and as such could be problematic.

There is a much less used material for the implant screw which does offer more promise. Zirconia, the crystal created from super heating the metal zirconium, no longer is a metal so is not going to activate with the bad bugs to produce atypical toxins. I would like to see more research showing how successful zirconia implants are over decades before I would personally consider this a viable option. (these being the metal free ceramic implants)

Another obvious downside to implants is the cost. Average cost per tooth is 4K to 6K.

The good news about implants is you do activate the jaw bone by chewing on that surface. Thus, you are on the right side of the ‘use it or lose it’ principle. You also will have full functionality of that chewing surface as well as a place holder to encourage other teeth from shifting in the mouth.

Option 4: Composite bridgework…

Here is an interesting alternative to traditional fixed bridgework. Many dentists can build a ‘bridge’ out of composite resin materials (the materials the tooth colored fillings are often made from). The main up side to composite bridge work is that the two anchor teeth aren’t ground to posts. The dentist simply builds off of the adjacent teeth with composite materials to fill the gap.

While not the perfect solution, a composite bridge does offer substantial benefits to other options so far. It’s not metal so no ‘metals and microbes’ issues. The anchor teeth are kept in good condition and not compromised by grinding them to posts. And unlike traditional fixed bridges, if one of the anchor teeth becomes compromised, you can still remove the bridge and keep at least one of the teeth.

Here are a few points why this isn’t a perfect solution… You still have the issue of cleaning around and under the bridge to address. You are also still asking 2 teeth to do the work of 3 teeth. I also wonder how strong these composite bridges are over time. And last, you aren’t exercising the bone under the bridge.

If you would like to look more into this as a solution, search youtube for ‘Carlson bridge’. Dr Ronald Carlson, a biological dentist in Hawaii, has a kit that he sells to dentists to help them have the tools to build a composite bridge. Called the Carlson Bridge ‘winged pontic’, this kit is something your local dentist could purchase at your request to place in your mouth.

If I were missing a front tooth, I would carefully consider having a composite bridge placed to span the gap. It makes sense that these composite bridges could be effective for front teeth, an area that our cultural vanity would make having a tooth missing much more important. I question the long term strength of composite bridge work for molars. On a personal side note, we have a friend who is missing several front teeth from an accident who has a bridge across the whole span. He loves to bless the world with his beautiful smile still! That said, a dentist friend of mine (who I trust his work) just told me that these composite bridges don’t hold up very well. It’s definitely a mixed bag…

(As an added side note, we received a comment from a dentist friend of ours, Dr Paul Rubin, who shared that the Carlson Bridge technology isn’t the only way to go for non-traditional bridgework. You can have a piece milled either by a lab or in office via CEREC technology and have that piece cemented into place. Thank you Dr Rubin for adding this piece to the puzzle!)

Option 5: Removable bridge

The last option we see to span the gap of a missing tooth is some form of removable bridge. There are several styles of removable bridges and they are called by many names. A few of these ‘out of style’ options are removable partials, a flipper, and nesbit.

As their names suggest, each of these options can be removed from the gap. So, it’s easy to clean around. They each would also help to maintain the space to avoid any changes in bite and teeth shifting. As they do sit directly on the gum tissue of the missing tooth, they may also put some demand on the jaw bone thus be working with our ‘use it or lose it’ principle.

There are some possible downsides to removable options. First, they may not fit well and could be uncomfortable. They would require that you be conscious when eating (which isn’t such a bad habit anyway) as they are not cemented into place so could come loose while chewing. You would also have to be diligent with removing it after eating to clean around it as well as mindful where you put it when you do clean the space.

Perhaps the biggest challenge with removable options will be to find a dentist who is comfortable helping you fit one well. Removable solutions are very much ‘out of fashion’ in the high tech, implant frenzy dentistry today. Another potential downside is the material they are made from. We haven’t researched this much, but it seems that dental acrylic is commonly used which isn’t the most benign material.

All this said, if faced with a missing molar, we would definitely look closely into what removable solution would best suit the specifics of the needs to fill that gap.

(As a side note, one reader, made us aware that removable partials should be made from clear acrylic and not look like the image we have in this article. Partials that are colored contain potentially harmful components. Thank you Kathy!)

A possible option 6?

Although we’re generally not fans of hoping that technology will rescue us from any given current mess we humans have created (it shrugs our responsibility to live more responsibility), there is some hope that in the future we will be able to grow new teeth from stem cell research. As we hear more about this possible option, you’ll be the first to hear about our findings!

We hope this analysis of the various options we have found available to fill the space of a missing tooth helps you along your path to greater oral health and whole being wellness. In our next article, we will address the question, “My dentist says I need a root canal, what are my options?”

Please share this article with anyone you know who may benefit from hearing our perspective on the pros and cons of these options.

If you go to their page you can have access to the links of the articles mentioned above.

 

[SMM]

Re: Things I've heard about dental health

Fluoride is dangerous, and will cause thyroid damage in children.

... and is neurotoxic and has been shown to reduce IQ in children.

Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of disinformation. You can basically take any, and I mean ANY topic that you like, as soon as you start digging just a bit, you will make a similar experience to the one you described above - everything is just a pack of lies, designed to keep you in your place and to exploit you, one way or another ...

Thanks for this thread! Looking into brushing & dentistry so this is useful.
Health is one of the topics that has been so greatly warped, in all areas, that so much toxicity enters our bodies on a daily basis. Probably all topics have been tainted similarly.

 

[aragorn]

Re: Things I've heard about dental health

@Gertrudes: I had my root canals done some 15 years ago. I guess that was a result of having a reckless lifestyle. I haven't had any problems with them as far as I know of, and the x-rays the dentist took last year didn't show any infection or 'build up'. But it's not impossible that some of my e.g. neck- and shoulder pain could be enhanced by whatever is going on with these 'dead' teeth. I think I'll ask my dentist about available options to replace them, but it sounds like an expensive procedure.

 

[hlat]

Re: Things I've heard about dental health

Brushing hard and toothpicks are really great for your gums and your overall health. The stimulation and removal of tartar helps your gums reduce inflammation, heal, and stay healthy. Toothpaste is not necessary as it is the brushing action on the gums that is important.

But you have to be very careful about that. You have to do it the proper way to not harm your gums.

Yes, using a hard brush is simply disinformation. If you do it, you'll have your gum filed down where the gum is very thin, on the tooth. And this is Irreversible.

I will need to do more research regarding brushing the gums hard. This information comes from my new biological dental office. The hygienist explained that gum recession is due to teeth grinding (usually when sleeping) and not brushing the gums hard.

She also mentioned that gums that are not healthy and therefore prone to bleeding, will allow bacteria into the blood and circulate that bacteria throughout the body.

 

[Gertrudes]

Re: Things I've heard about dental health

@Gertrudes: I had my root canals done some 15 years ago. I guess that was a result of having a reckless lifestyle. I haven't had any problems with them as far as I know of, and the x-rays the dentist took last year didn't show any infection or 'build up'. But it's not impossible that some of my e.g. neck- and shoulder pain could be enhanced by whatever is going on with these 'dead' teeth. I think I'll ask my dentist about available options to replace them, but it sounds like an expensive procedure.

That was about the time I did my first one, the second one, done by a different dentist, was done 10 years ago. Maybe my root canals weren't as properly done as yours, so that they disintegrated so fast, or perhaps my teeth weren't as strong.
But yes, that's the problem with the alternatives, dental procedures can be so expensive...

I'd like to have something to replace the holes I have instead of 3 molars, I never had wisdom teeth (don't know why), so that leaves me with even less chewing 'material', but I got used to it and that doesn't bother me much. At this stage though, my concern is my mercury fillings. I would really like to get rid of them, so that will probably be a procedure for which I plan to save.

 

[Ellipse]

Re: Things I've heard about dental health

Brushing hard and toothpicks are really great for your gums and your overall health. The stimulation and removal of tartar helps your gums reduce inflammation, heal, and stay healthy. Toothpaste is not necessary as it is the brushing action on the gums that is important.

But you have to be very careful about that. You have to do it the proper way to not harm your gums.

Yes, using a hard brush is simply disinformation. If you do it, you'll have your gum filed down where the gum is very thin, on the tooth. And this is Irreversible.

I will need to do more research regarding brushing the gums hard. This information comes from my new biological dental office. The hygienist explained that gum recession is due to teeth grinding (usually when sleeping) and not brushing the gums hard.

She also mentioned that gums that are not healthy and therefore prone to bleeding, will allow bacteria into the blood and circulate that bacteria throughout the body.

Well, what can be the logic of gum recession due to teeth grinding?

 

[hlat]

Re: Things I've heard about dental health

I ran a web search and here is the logic from a random website. Again I have not done the scientific research yet. Just food for thought at this point.

http://www.gdougalldental.com.au/kedron-dentist-rough-tooth-brushing-gum-recession.php

We are often told that brushing your teeth too hard can cause gum recession. In some cases this is true, however the more common reason for gum recession and tooth sensitivity is a condition called Temporal Mandibular Joint Dysfunction.

New studies have shown that gum recession is actually caused by clenching and grinding (bruxism) rather than tooth brushing. If you can imagine shaking a fence post continuously, the foundation around the fence post will gradually start to fall away. Our teeth are much the same in that when we spend hours a night grinding or clenching, our bone and gums begin to recede.

Studies have shown that ninety-eight percent of adults clench or grind their teeth as a reaction to emotional triggers. During daily eating and chewing, the average person exerts between 12 to 25 kilograms of force, while grinding or clenching teeth can exert as much as 250 kilograms of force. Keeping this in mind, it's easy to imagine the impact grinding and clenching has on your teeth when it is occurring on a regular basis.

Brushing hard and toothpicks are really great for your gums and your overall health. The stimulation and removal of tartar helps your gums reduce inflammation, heal, and stay healthy. Toothpaste is not necessary as it is the brushing action on the gums that is important.

But you have to be very careful about that. You have to do it the proper way to not harm your gums.

Yes, using a hard brush is simply disinformation. If you do it, you'll have your gum filed down where the gum is very thin, on the tooth. And this is Irreversible.

I will need to do more research regarding brushing the gums hard. This information comes from my new biological dental office. The hygienist explained that gum recession is due to teeth grinding (usually when sleeping) and not brushing the gums hard.

She also mentioned that gums that are not healthy and therefore prone to bleeding, will allow bacteria into the blood and circulate that bacteria throughout the body.

Well, what can be the logic of gum recession due to teeth grinding?

 

[Ellipse]

Re: Things I've heard about dental health

I ran a web search and here is the logic from a random website. Again I have not done the scientific research yet. Just food for thought at this point.

http://www.gdougalldental.com.au/kedron-dentist-rough-tooth-brushing-gum-recession.php

We are often told that brushing your teeth too hard can cause gum recession. In some cases this is true, however the more common reason for gum recession and tooth sensitivity is a condition called Temporal Mandibular Joint Dysfunction.

New studies have shown that gum recession is actually caused by clenching and grinding (bruxism) rather than tooth brushing. If you can imagine shaking a fence post continuously, the foundation around the fence post will gradually start to fall away. Our teeth are much the same in that when we spend hours a night grinding or clenching, our bone and gums begin to recede.

Studies have shown that ninety-eight percent of adults clench or grind their teeth as a reaction to emotional triggers. During daily eating and chewing, the average person exerts between 12 to 25 kilograms of force, while grinding or clenching teeth can exert as much as 250 kilograms of force. Keeping this in mind, it's easy to imagine the impact grinding and clenching has on your teeth when it is occurring on a regular basis.

Well, what can be the logic of gum recession due to teeth grinding?

Thanks for your research halt, so both have to be considered.

 

[hlat]

Re: Things I've heard about dental health

I had mercury fillings removed from one fourth of my mouth just a couple hours ago. I'll have removal from another fourth in a couple weeks, so I expect they'll all be gone before the year is over.

I see Dr. Rota tomorrow so I will try to ask about brushing hard and gum recession.

 

[hlat]

Re: Things I've heard about dental health

Dr. Rota only had time to quickly examine my teeth, make recommendations on further treatment, and fix a problem with yesterday's procedure performed by his associate dentist, before he had to run out. So I ended up writing a note for him asking about brushing hard, teeth grinding, and gum recession. When I get his reply, I will post it here.

 

[sbeaudry]

Re: Things I've heard about dental health

A little bit of 'devil's advocate' here... Why brush at all if the diet is good?

 

[SMM]

Re: Amalgam removal - a few questions

I found a decent dentist at a private practice to get an amalgam filling removed (under anaesthetic). He said they can replace it with a composite filling, tooth-coloured porcelain/ceramic fillings.

Going to quiz them a bit more on procedures & effects over an appointment tomorrow morning then report back.

 

[LQB]

Re: Amalgam removal - a few questions

I found a decent dentist at a private practice to get an amalgam filling removed (under anaesthetic). He said they can replace it with a composite filling, tooth-coloured porcelain/ceramic fillings.

Going to quiz them a bit more on procedures & effects over an appointment tomorrow morning then report back.

One thing you might want to look into is a Vit C IV treatment right after the dental removal. The idea is to chelate as much of the excess mercury (post-removal) in the blood as quickly as possible. I did this after each of two sessions it took to remove all the mercury fillings. The IV takes a few hours so take a good book along if you decide to do it.

 

[SMM]

Re: Amalgam removal - a few questions

I found a decent dentist at a private practice to get an amalgam filling removed (under anaesthetic). He said they can replace it with a composite filling, tooth-coloured porcelain/ceramic fillings.

Going to quiz them a bit more on procedures & effects over an appointment tomorrow morning then report back.

One thing you might want to look into is a Vit C IV treatment right after the dental removal. The idea is to chelate as much of the excess mercury (post-removal) in the blood as quickly as possible. I did this after each of two sessions it took to remove all the mercury fillings. The IV takes a few hours so take a good book along if you decide to do it.

I have liposomal Vit C though IV would understandably be more effective. This has crossed my mind - searching for UK facilities, the cost falls into £1000+ range. Would liposomal taken orally suffice? What about activated charcoal?

Another question was whether taking zinc, NAC, selenium, CoQ 10 &/or Acetyl-L-Carnitine after removal was okay? I read about ALA & other chelation agents which may be a bit severe on the organs if taken immediately after removal.