Dental Health

Thank you Keyhole for your suggestions.
I had a look into the CoQ10 and it does sound promising. And I will try a to take mores holistic approach to get to the root of this.
 
Gaby said:
Apologies if it was mentioned before, but I learned today from someone who has never had a cavity in his whole life that he has never used toothpaste, just a "miswak". I thought it was pretty interesting, so here is more info:

300px-Miswak003.jpg

Traditional miswak sticks. Softened bristles on either end can be used to clean the teeth.

catalogv1_miswak_1.jpg


_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miswak
The miswak (miswaak, siwak, sewak, Arabic: سواك‎‎ or مسواك) is a teeth cleaning twig made from the Salvadora persica tree (known as arak in Arabic). A traditional and natural alternative to the modern toothbrush, it has a long, well-documented history and is reputed for its medicinal benefits.[1] It is reputed to have been used over 7000 years ago.[2] The miswak's properties have been described thus: "Apart from their antibacterial activity which may help control the formation and activity of dental plaque, they can be used effectively as a natural toothbrush for teeth cleaning. Such sticks are effective, inexpensive, common, available, and contain many medical properties".[3] It also features prominently in Islamic hygienical jurisprudence.

The miswak is predominant in Muslim-inhabited areas. It is commonly used in the Arabian peninsula, the Horn of Africa, North Africa, parts of the Sahel, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and Southeast Asia. In Malaysia, miswak is known as Kayu Sugi (Malay for 'chewing stick').

[...]


Miswak: A periodontist's perspective
_https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3545237/

Parveen Dahiya, Reet Kamal,1 R.P. Luthra,2 Rahul Mishra, and Gaurav Saini3

Abstract

Meticulous plaque control on a daily routine basis is the single most important step to achieve good oral health. Herbal chewing sticks, commonly known as Miswak, are among the ancient and traditional oral hygiene aids popular in India, Pakistan, most of the Arabian countries, and several African countries. But nowadays, because of low cost, free availability, unique chemical composition, and spiritual beliefs, miswak is being used worldwide. A large number of studies have proved that miswak is as effective as, or even superior to the present day′s most common oral hygiene aid, i.e., toothbrush. The aim of this review article is to discuss various pharmacological and therapeutic aspects of miswak and also to compare the effectiveness of miswak with modern toothbrushes in terms of oral hygiene practice.

More info at _https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3545237/

FWIW, I personnaly use this toothpaste since I found it in my local organic shop and tried it several years ago, and have not seen my dentist since then. I don't know if that can help those with specific tooth problem, but maybe it would worst it to give it a try. I can only testify that I tend to have sensitive tooth very fast whenever I use a "normal" toothpaste, but that disappears directly with just one brush with this one :
_https://www.amazon.fr/gp/offer-listing/B001IO3CNE/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1508618060&sr=8-1&keywords=dentifrice+meswak&condition=new
 
Thank you for sharing the tooth paste. That sounds good. I tried the Miswaks a couple of years ago after I read so many good things about them. But I don't know what it is - the feeling of wood against my teeth makes me nearly throwing up. I know it sounds crazy. I could never enjoy eating with a wooden spoon. But having some of the Miswak benefits from a toothpaste might work for me.
 
I went to the dentist recently and she said that my bruxism is getting worse and an area of my teeth is starting to wear. It's been a few sessions since she has recommended a night guard, but I only looked them up and never bought one. My only concern would be to get one with the least amount of toxic plastic: no BPA, BPS, phthalates, xenoestrogens, etc.

One night a few weeks ago I noticed my jaw really hurt after waking and it seemed like my back molar was a bit worn. And I have some TMJ pain that I think is related to bruxism. One night I tried 240mg of Valerian Root and fluffed my pillow for more support. That helped and I woke up without my jaw clenched. I think I need a stiffer pillow. I've also bought a TENS unit, but haven't used it yet. And I put 3 drops of lavender oil in 1 TBSP of Jojoba oil and rubbed it on my jaw and temples. That seemed to help but you get an oily face.

Interesting that Neuro Feedback is said to help bruxism. I've yet to do any sessions, but I've read Healing Developmental Trauma. I have some bookmarks for various nightguards, but I haven't chosen one. I suppose if I cannot decide, then a basic "boil and bite" type will do for the meanwhile. Not sure what the custom ones my dentist can make would be made of. But has anyone had experience with finding a least toxic nightguard? Thanks for reading.
 
I went to the dentist recently and she said that my bruxism is getting worse and an area of my teeth is starting to wear. It's been a few sessions since she has recommended a night guard, but I only looked them up and never bought one. My only concern would be to get one with the least amount of toxic plastic: no BPA, BPS, phthalates, xenoestrogens, etc.

One night a few weeks ago I noticed my jaw really hurt after waking and it seemed like my back molar was a bit worn. And I have some TMJ pain that I think is related to bruxism. One night I tried 240mg of Valerian Root and fluffed my pillow for more support. That helped and I woke up without my jaw clenched. I think I need a stiffer pillow. I've also bought a TENS unit, but haven't used it yet. And I put 3 drops of lavender oil in 1 TBSP of Jojoba oil and rubbed it on my jaw and temples. That seemed to help but you get an oily face.

Interesting that Neuro Feedback is said to help bruxism. I've yet to do any sessions, but I've read Healing Developmental Trauma. I have some bookmarks for various nightguards, but I haven't chosen one. I suppose if I cannot decide, then a basic "boil and bite" type will do for the meanwhile. Not sure what the custom ones my dentist can make would be made of. But has anyone had experience with finding a least toxic nightguard? Thanks for reading.


3DStudent, regarding your bruxism, you might find this information useful. My husband had the same problem a few months ago , and my father-in law told him that the remedy to bruxism was to tie "horse tail hair" around his wrist !! In the past , this technique was common in our culture , especially when kids had this problem.

Anyway, my husband was desperate enough to try it , and surprisingly it did work !! The teeth grinding stopped. However, he later found out that he had a major tooth decay under an old filling.

I don't know much about bruxism, but perhaps it's the body's response to an underlying problem or deficiency that needs to be resolved.
Nevertheless, the horse tail band did seem to help. So perhaps you might want to give it a try , at least its natural and not expensive as a nightguard !!
 
I came across a video on Youtube which talks about how the position of the tongue and how we breathe can affect the development of the structure of the face, resulting in a recessed jaw/overbite, and how this effects the health of one's teeth , and how the muscles involved never stop developing, even into adulthood (up to 72 years old). One of the reasons i found it interesting is because it does take into account Dr Weston A. Price's data on how diet has a dramatic influence and is reflected in the health of people's teeth, but brings in the way we eat and breathe as an additional factor.

I've been meaning to post this for a while and I was prompted by a tweet i came across this morning that relates:


The video is called Attractive Face or Not? It depends on Tongue Posture and it kept appearing my suggested videos so i finally decided to check it out. It's 15 minutes long but a short summary would be:

- Allergies in a boy with a good facial structure resulted in him breathing through his mouth and this led to a recessed jaw.
- Twin brothers who had different dental treatments resulted in different face shape.
One was treated with traditional orthodontics, the other with a orthotropics. Orthotropics aims to train the muscles in the face and around the jaw to come forward.
- He shows examples of faces where Orthotropics has been applied successfully by one of the founders Dr Mew
- Certain sutures don't fuse till 72 years old. Maxilla-facial development is key
- lack of muscle tone/muscle disease morphs facial bones
- One simple way to increase and train muscle tone is to rest the tongue at the roof of the mouth, lips sealed for 4-8 hours a day.

- The examples he shows are of those who used dental structures added to their mouth and those who've achieved results soley from the tongue executrices are hard to find. He shows 3 examples but concedes adulthood could have been the cause for the change in these examples faces.
- Resting the tongue at the roof of the mouth should help with achieving a strong dental arch, helping create space and resulting in straight teeth
- If crooked teeth/cavities (caries) isn't genetic, what is the cause? Malocclusion and cavities aren't frequent in pre-industrial peoples teeth
- 2/3 of the US population suffers malocclusion (misalignment) of the teeth, only 5% have a known cause
- Dr Price shows girl from isolated valleys of Switzerland, then modern; Inuit Alaskans before Western diets then following; and again with Native Americans, Samoans, Congo, Aborigine's, Andean Indians - all show a deterioration following introduction of modern diets
- Paleoanthropologist Daniel E. Lieberman reports in his book Evolution of the Human Head reports "Jaws and faces do not grow to the same size that they once used to"
- Faces aren't as broad as they once were, with broad dental arches
- Price highlights fat soluble vitamins were essential - this is true but he's going to focus on how we eat
- Agriculture and cooking vessels made soft mushy food which required little chewing, this affected cranio-facial development
- Tough fibrous plant foods, tough meat and sinew helped develop jaw muscles
- Skulls found with good teeth, no crowding, are also often found with extensive wear; this is true of hunter-gatherers when compared to farmers
- soft foods early in life and how they affect swallowing patterns
- When you swallow something that isn't mushy you use your tongue to help push it down which exerts pressure whereas mushy food doesn't do this
- The frequent force exerted by swallowing and resting tongue posture effects the shape of the dental arch, preventing the pressure of the cheeks pushing them in
- Dr Eagle Harvald did an experiment on Rhesus monkeys where he blocked them breathing naturally through their nose so they had to breath through their mouths and the deterioration in their jaw structure and dental health was profound


So to summarize/TL;DR, according to this video, mastication/chewing, not eating mushy foods, resting your tongue at the roof of your mouth for 4-8 hours a day (until it becomes natural, i guess), and breathing through your nose with your mouth closed can help with facial muscles resulting in better dental health.


As an aside, it reminded me of something i'd read about children with autism/adhd tend to breathe through their mouths:

https://drmaryanne.com/what-does-mouth-breathing-have-to-do-with-adhd-and-why-does-my-child-snore/ said:
What Does Mouth Breathing Have to Do With ADHD and Why Does My Child Snore?

Aug 14, 2013 | From Dr Mary Anne



sleep-faqs
Does your child breath through his mouth more than his nose? It may seem like a harmless habit, but mouth breathing, snoring and sleep apnea (abnormal long pauses in breathing during sleep) can have a huge impact on health and attention.
Simply getting enough sleep can dramatically improve a child’s behavior and focus. But breathing through the mouth while sleeping allows the tongue to drop down from the roof of the mouth where it normally rests, to slide back into the throat and block the airway. This can cause snoring and sleep apnea which has been linked to behavioral issues, ADHD, cognitive development issues. Large tonsils are another cause of sleep apnea. Allergies can cause enlarged adenoids and tonsils, making it difficult to breath through the nose. The body prefers filtered, warmed, humidified air from the nose. Mouth breathing can increase congestion.
Prolonged mouth breathing actually tends to narrow the face, with narrows the sinuses, further increasing congestion and sinus issues.
And mouth breathing leads to restless sleep. Kids who have been diagnosed with ADHD may be acting out to stay awake! Mouth breathing is most common between 2 and 6 years of age, but can start as early as the first year of life. 1 in 10 children snore regularly.

[...]

This video of Dr Mew, apparently one of the pioneers of treatments that use the above information, is on Ancestry foundation's youtube channel, i haven't watched it yet, but for anybody who may want to look into this further:
 
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Apologies if it was mentioned before, but I learned today from someone who has never had a cavity in his whole life that he has never used toothpaste, just a "miswak". I thought it was pretty interesting, so here is more info:

300px-Miswak003.jpg

Traditional miswak sticks. Softened bristles on either end can be used to clean the teeth.

(...)


I have used a toothpaste called Sarakan for a couple of years now, probably around 4. It has a Salvadora Persica extract in it, the same as those miswak sticks. It is the best toothpaste I've ever used. It cleans my teeth beautifully, leaving them feeling clean and smooth. I'm always unhappy when it's out of stock becuase no other toothpaste leaves my teeth so fresh and clean. At this point my entire family use Sarakan.

I stopped using fluoride toothpaste around 6 years ago and prior to that every dental check up resulted in cavities being discovered. I was always told my teeth were simply weak and I didn't brush them often enough. Rubbish, I brushed my teeth almost obsessively around 5 times a day. Yet once I switched to non-fluoride toothpaste I haven't had even one cavity - and I do eat carbs. My last dental check up was in December 2018. Still nothing. 😀🙌
 
I have used a toothpaste called Sarakan for a couple of years now, probably around 4. It has a Salvadora Persica extract in it, the same as those miswak sticks. It is the best toothpaste I've ever used. It cleans my teeth beautifully, leaving them feeling clean and smooth. I'm always unhappy when it's out of stock becuase no other toothpaste leaves my teeth so fresh and clean. At this point my entire family use Sarakan.

I stopped using fluoride toothpaste around 6 years ago and prior to that every dental check up resulted in cavities being discovered. I was always told my teeth were simply weak and I didn't brush them often enough. Rubbish, I brushed my teeth almost obsessively around 5 times a day. Yet once I switched to non-fluoride toothpaste I haven't had even one cavity - and I do eat carbs. My last dental check up was in December 2018. Still nothing. 😀🙌
It seems very interesting!
I tried to see its ingredients but on the net, only active ingredients are mentionned: Salvadora Persica extract, essential oils (geranium, clove, mint): perfect!
I didn't find the other ingredient, ie the non-actives: what is used for the base (for the paste itself)? Is it indicated on your product?
 
It seems very interesting!
I tried to see its ingredients but on the net, only active ingredients are mentionned: Salvadora Persica extract, essential oils (geranium, clove, mint): perfect!
I didn't find the other ingredient, ie the non-actives: what is used for the base (for the paste itself)? Is it indicated on your product?

It does nature, here's the full list:

Glycerin (non animal), Calcium Carbonate, Aqua, Magnesium Carbonate, Salvadora persica natural extract, Mentha piperita oil, Mentha arvensis oil, Eugenia caryophyllata oil, Pelargonium roseum oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Phosphate, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol.

The stick would be a better choice but a friend of mine (whom I converted to Sarakan as well) used it and he said it was very flimsy to use and tasted weird. He went back to the toothpaste version due to convenience.
 
It seems very interesting!
I tried to see its ingredients but on the net, only active ingredients are mentionned: Salvadora Persica extract, essential oils (geranium, clove, mint): perfect!
I didn't find the other ingredient, ie the non-actives: what is used for the base (for the paste itself)? Is it indicated on your product?

Check this (organic) alternative for French customers: Dentifrice Naturel Bio en poudre au Siwak | Marseille | Comme Avant
Only 3 ingredients: white clay, siwak powder (salvadora persica), calcium carbonate. They also have a flavoured version with mint crystals.
 
Recently I went to see the dentist, because I had lost one old filling. The dentist noticed already when I began coming a few months back for check up fixing of old fillings that there was a fair bit of erosion. This time it had gotten worse, and I was advised to see a specialist. The specialists took an x-ray and the team suggested 28 crowns, that is on all teeth. The price will be 30,000 Euro or 33,000 USD. I spoke to my own dentist and she suggested putting metal in some of the fillings, rather than plastic, 30,000 was too much money and I don't have them. Then I found there is also a university clinic and their prices and probably also quality is lower. For the time being, I postphone the expensive repairs and get some mouthguards done to reduce the wear. Since the visit with the specialist, I read about possible delaying strategies for preventing further decay, crowns, bridges, durability, different kinds of dentures and implant strategies and what happens to the bone structure if teeth are missing. To see the perspectives of different dentists was certainly useful, because although they write something similar, they do not all write the same. To this I added a few Youtubes with patients explaining their experiences. It is not encouraging really, but that is how it is.

Along the way I found a couple of pages that explain some of the challenges and issues I was interested to know more about:
Do you need a night guard for grinding? - Ask the Dentist Statistics say 8 % grind their teeth, some say it is more.
To my surprise there are some kits available that allows one to make night guards for the teeth oneself: Best Mouthguards for Nighttime Teeth Grinding – 2019 Reviews and Buyer's Guide but the ones I get will be from a clinic.

About the deterioration of my teeth, I have wondered about reasons apart from old erosions, grinding of teeth and food acids. Louise Hay says relates problems with taking decision and that may be. One thing I have noticed in the last half year or so is that on occasions I have woken up with dryness on the front teeth. Perhaps this is from sleeping with the mouth open and perhaps snoring. I learned from reading that this is not healthy, as the saliva protects the teeth. I had a recorder, and put it on during night. Sometimes the breathing suggests what I suspected, that the mouth is not closed completely and occasionally there is light snoring. Here is a page about studying sleep which writes:
...the field of dental sleep medicine is rapidly becoming mainstream; you may even hear your dentist ask about your sleep quality at your next checkup.
...
Knowing the quality of your sleep is, in my opinion, one of the most powerful pieces of data about yourself that you could have. It’s right up there with your blood type and genetic predispositions to certain diseases.
 
I just went to the dentist this week too. They said my teeth were quite clean and it had been a year since my last visit. I refused the X-Rays because I didn't think they would do them and I didn't take any astaxanthin a few nights prior. So I will prepare for that next time I go.

I have sensitive teeth. I think it was putting vinegar on my food daily, plus drinking vitamin C water some years back. I have to be careful with acidic and cold things. I also have bruxism and TMJ issues, I guess due to stress and built up anger. I use a nightguard when I sleep. It is one of those dental grade silicone boil-able ones. It hurts my teeth putting it on to mold it because you take it out of boiling water and you can cool it off a bit, but not so much that it no longer is malleable.

I recently copied and saved all of my body symptoms from Louise Hay's list. Here is the one on teeth:
Teeth: Represent decisions. – Teeth Problems: Longstanding indecisiveness. Inability to break down ideas for analysis and decisions.

There is supposed to be some mineral gel they are working on to regrow enamel. It's not yet tested in humans and I wonder how long it will be before it's a treatment option. How many times do we hear a promising technology come about and then months or years later, you wonder what happened to that idea? Anyways, here's the article:

Gel that makes teeth repair themselves could spell the end of fillings -- Health & Wellness -- Sott.net
 
The specialists took an x-ray and the team suggested 28 crowns, that is on all teeth. The price will be 30,000 Euro or 33,000 USD.
Wow that is crazy. For that amount of money, it makes sense to get a second and third opinion.

drinking vitamin C water some years back. I have to be careful with acidic and cold things.
Not all vitamin C is acidic. The sodium ascorbate version is neutral and not acidic. That's what I use because I'm afraid drinking ascorbic acid frequently could be damaging to teeth.
 
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