Dental Health

[Il Matto]

I want to share some things with which I have had good experience with regard to plaque, tartar and teeth stains.
Particularly heavy teeth stains from smoking and tartar can be easily removed with an ultrasonic instrument, which can be purchased for 40 euros.

Actually, one goes to the dentist in order to carry out a professional teeth cleaning twice a year for about 100 - 200 euros (costs always depend on the effort and dental practice). At least we pay this in southern Germany, since we are insured over statutory health insurance and have not taken out any additional insurance that covers these costs.

We ordered an ultrasonic tooth cleaning set for just under 40 euros from Amazon. The teeth stains and tartar can be removed really well with it. Due to the two different attachments (a pointed attachment for the gaps and a slightly wider attachment for the surfaces), you can easily get to all areas.

At first I thought the device was defective when I turned it on. But really, the vibration is only triggered when you step on hard substance like the tooth. As soon as you come to the gums, for example, nothing happens. It is important not to press too hard and rather like holding a brush or pen and wanting to paint something small loosely and lightly, work on the appropriate areas with a steady hand.

Since we do not know what effects ultrasonic tooth cleaning has on the teeth when used regularly, we also see it as doing this form of treatment twice a year. So please do not use the ultrasonic tooth cleaning set as a toothbrush replacement. In any case, we can remove dental plaque and tartar ourselves for a one-off fee of EUR 40 instead of EUR 200 – 400 per person per year.

We clean the attachments before and after use with high-proof alcohol. The device itself can be charged via USB. That's about all of the maintenance.

Otherwise, next to the daily brushing, the use of interdental brushes and dental silk as well as miswak, I personally find one thing very good: to rinse your mouth with coconut oil in the morning and evening. For many years I have been able to get an inflammation in the lower jaw under control, which had developed due to incorrect treatment of a dead molar, to such an extent that the inflammation is now acceptable and occurs more situationally (e.g. when I am emotionally not in a good mood, my immune system is somewhat weak). When I get up in the morning, I first put a heaping teaspoon of coconut oil in my mouth and draw the oil through my mouth. Sort of like wanting to make chirping noises or imitating an exaggerated air kiss. Of course without me making any audible noises. I do that for 10 minutes. Since I can do a lot in 10 minutes, I don't just sit there, I do e.g. simple relaxation and stretching exercises that are not strenuous, since I can only breathe through my nose during this time, get dressed or read etc.

Best regards.

Thank you for this, some good advice here. Being British (known for our bad teeth), a smoker and a drinker of coffee (though my diet is predominantly 'carnivore'), I'm clearly predisposed to dental issues. Actually, saying that, I don't have any fillings or cavities, but I do have lingering plaque/tartar issues.
I'm going to look into an ultrasonic tooth cleaning set and also start a regime of regular oil pulling with coconut oil.

 

[Oxajil]

We ordered an ultrasonic tooth cleaning set for just under 40 euros from Amazon.

Thank you for sharing your experience! Is this the one you got?

 

[Theodor]

Hey @Oxajil, it looks like the "Heartyfly Dental Calculus Remover" model we purchased is no longer available. But the model you picked out seems almost identical. I have another model here. I assume you can buy one of those. We use it every 2 to 3 months, and it works really well.

 

[meadow_wind]

I don't want to go off-topic, but I'd be happy to give some suggestions if you ever decide to open your own thread and want to network about it. There's also the Dental Health thread here. I've learned that dental health is probably one of the most important things to maintain and keep an eye on.

Thanks for your offer and for linking this thread. I did read some of it a long time ago, but it was related to mercury amalgams. I've re-started from page one and reached p.5 (will continue later).
I think it might be better to write my things here instead of starting a new thread.
Let me know what you think about my son's situation.

I mostly brushed and flossed his teeth with nothing but water until about 3, by fear of him swallowing fluoride toothpaste, and because kids' toothpastes are full of sugar. I started using bubblegum flavored kids' toothpaste first to make sure he was able to rinse and spit properly. Then I moved to the nasty tasting (mint) fluoride toothpaste, which he hated but tolerated. By the time he turned four, I'd say about last fall, I bought those dental tools and started removing plaque about between once a week and once every 3rd week. That's also the time he started eating more cookies/candies (max 2 after a meal).

Food intake on daycare schedule is: breakfast at home, snack around 9h30, lunch, snack around 15h30, dinner at home, snack once or twice more after dinner.
Some days at home, he's all over the place with eating only small portions and being hungry all the time. And he's a slooooow eater.

Anyhow, it was about the same ritual with my daughter back then, and she did end up with some cavities, but maybe 2 or 3 by the time she was his age. I myself got a ton of cavities when I was young. Got my mouth full of mercury by the time I was a teen (all molars). This could explain my strong hair loss that my mom noticed at the time, which she thought was caused by hormonal changes.

If it's health related, I did notice my son has grown darker/deeper circles under his eyes since about a year ago.

 

[Arwenn]

Hi @meadow_wind, I came across German New Medicine (GNM) some years ago and I find it interesting for clues as to why disease or issues occur with the body. I don’t think they have the whole banana by any means, but it does give some reasons to explore.

According to GNM, regarding teeth (dentin, jaw bones, crown) the underlying conflict is an issue with not being able to ‘bite back’:

The biological conflict linked to the dentin is not being able to bite, either literally (being unable or having difficulties manipulating food) or figuratively, in the sense of not being able to “bite” or “snap at” an opponent, because the individual is in a weaker position (compare with bite conflict related to the enamel and the jaw muscles). For example, physically weaker (a child vis-à-vis a bigger child or an adult, a woman vis-à-vis a man, a small dog vis-à-vis a big dog), in a weaker position at the workplace (an employee vis-à-vis the boss or a colleague in a higher position), at school (a student vis-à-vis a teacher, a teacher vis-à-vis the principle), within the family (a child vis-à-vis a parent or an older sibling; a new spouse or partner vis-à-vis a stepchild), or in a weaker position vis-à-vis an authority (government official, policeman, doctor, judge, bank manager). Discrimination, political oppression, abuse (physical, sexual, verbal), punishments, restrictions, provocations, or being scolded create situations that could trigger a bite conflict. The conflict is experienced as not being able to fight back or fight someone off in defense (“showing one’s teeth”). Verbal fights and constant arguing with a family member are classic bite conflicts. The bite conflict related to the dental bone is a type of self-devaluation conflict (see bones and joints). Unattractive teeth, because of poor dental hygiene, can therefore also cause a dentin-related conflict. The bite conflict associated with the jaw bones is perceived as more intense.

You can read more about it here.

And I also like to check in with Louise Hay’s Heal Your Body and here’s what she writes for problems with teeth:

Teeth: Represent decisions. – Teeth Problems: Longstanding indecisiveness. Inability to break down ideas for analysis and decisions. – Root Canal: Can’t bite into anything anymore. Root beliefs being destroyed. – Impacted Wisdom Teeth: Not giving yourself mental space to create a firm foundation.

Just some food for thought!

 

[Mari]

I want to share some things with which I have had good experience with regard to plaque, tartar and teeth stains.

Thank you for haring Theodor!

I also pay for professional cleaning, and yes it is 120€ pro cleaning in the West Germany. I see it as an investment because I had problems with my teeth all my life. My kids as well.

So now we do 3-6 monthly check-ups and I invested in electric toothbrushes - my teeth are not even and I found electric toothbrush to do much better job than I ever had. My dentist now always compliments me on now I have no plaque and how clean my teeth are despite of the uneven corners that are hard to reach; I usually have only tartar form smoking, which I have now even less since I switched to vaping with only a few normal cigarettes a day.
Since my kids use electric toothbrushes, it also lowered problems their teeth problems - I have 2 boys and you can imagine how thorough they are when brushing with normal toothbrush...

As I had so many problems with my teeth, I´m very worried not to damage enamel with these kinds of self cleaning kits.
So, how long are you using it and did the dentist ever say / did you ever ask if there is a damage on the enamel?

 

[Oxajil]

I mostly brushed and flossed his teeth with nothing but water until about 3, by fear of him swallowing fluoride toothpaste, and because kids' toothpastes are full of sugar. I started using bubblegum flavored kids' toothpaste first to make sure he was able to rinse and spit properly. Then I moved to the nasty tasting (mint) fluoride toothpaste, which he hated but tolerated. By the time he turned four, I'd say about last fall, I bought those dental tools and started removing plaque about between once a week and once every 3rd week. That's also the time he started eating more cookies/candies (max 2 after a meal).

Food intake on daycare schedule is: breakfast at home, snack around 9h30, lunch, snack around 15h30, dinner at home, snack once or twice more after dinner.
Some days at home, he's all over the place with eating only small portions and being hungry all the time. And he's a slooooow eater.

Anyhow, it was about the same ritual with my daughter back then, and she did end up with some cavities, but maybe 2 or 3 by the time she was his age. I myself got a ton of cavities when I was young. Got my mouth full of mercury by the time I was a teen (all molars). This could explain my strong hair loss that my mom noticed at the time, which she thought was caused by hormonal changes.

If it's health related, I did notice my son has grown darker/deeper circles under his eyes since about a year ago.

Hi meadow_wind, thank you for sharing! I think there’s definitely a genetic component involved. I know people who have very few, if any, dental issues despite following a similar diet, while others seem to have more problems. I used to get infections very frequently, so I’ve been doing some reading and experimenting. So far *knock on wood* I've only had one since.

Also, consider that there are some dentists who might exaggerate problems to make money. If you ever have doubts about their assessments or recommendations, I recommend getting a second opinion.

I suggest reading Holistic Dental Care: The Complete Guide to Healthy Teeth and Gums. It was the first book that came up, and it has some interesting information that helped me better understand how teeth and gums work. I don’t agree with everything, for example, I personally think braces are good for straightening teeth because they are easier to clean when straight, and they look better, but much of the basic information was helpful.

What helped me:

• Check my saliva pH using one of those pH strips in the morning before eating. This helped me understand if my saliva pH might be contributing to issues.
• Use toothpaste (I use this one, but any natural toothpaste without alcohol should work) and mouthwash without alcohol.
• Use a toothpick after every meal (or floss if you prefer).
• Use baking soda + salt in distilled water as a mouthwash. After a month or two, I switched to this product.
• Be careful with sugar intake.
• Use a few drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide diluted in distilled water as a mouthwash if you sense an infection coming (don’t swallow!). I do this for one or two nights if there's an infection.
• When gums hurt, I’ve chewed plantain leaves (until they form a ball, then hold it on the painful tooth for about 10 minutes) and I’ve also used plantain drops. These were great recommendations by Alana as it helped relieve pain.

Of course, check if these suggestions are suitable for children. The book has a chapter dedicated to children, and perhaps you can consult a naturopath or herbalist about natural ways to prevent cavities at their age. I also recommend giving children bone broth occasionally, perhaps once a week, to strengthen teeth and gums from within, along with occasional vitamin C, which is good for gums. Vitamin D is also beneficial.

Finally, helping children develop the habit of cleaning their teeth after every meal and brushing every night will greatly benefit their oral health now and in the future. Hope this helps!

Added:

Got my mouth full of mercury by the time I was a teen (all molars).

You might also want to look at mercury detox information on the forum in case you haven't done that yet. See this thread, for example.