Health and Wellness Show: Minding your mouth and natural ways to keep your teeth

[Eboard10]

I decided to create a thread for the H&W show on dental health, 'Minding your mouth and natural ways to keep your teeth' since I found it very instructive and touched on a topic that seems to be not well understood in mainstream circles. Some of the main points I gathered from the show, though not exhaustive:

• A lot of the issues related to dental health in modern society can be linked to consumption of sugars and fruits that are very acidic and decalcify the teeth, as well as grains and legumes which contain phytic acids and other anti-nutrients that bind to minerals which lead to degradation of oral health and bones in general.
• Meat contains L-arginine, an amino acid that breaks up biofilms that form on the teeth, helping stop the formation of cavities and dental plaques. There are other foods that contain high levels of L-arginine such as chocolate (cacao) and coffee, but consumption should be limited as they can cause other adverse effects.
• Certain strains of bacteria that live in the mouth thrive on carbs and sugars. The stickiness of the plaque keeps the by-product of the bacteria on the teeth, an acidic compound that wears away the enamel. Supplementing with glycine can cut off ability of bacteria to feed on arginine.
• Benefits of flossing regularly have never been proven, unless you have food stuck in between your teeth. Studies that were made were weak and misleading. Flossing has the effect of pushing bacterial components down the gum line and is more easily absorbed by the gum.
• MRI scans show that radiation levels energise mercury within fillings. Cellphone EMF radiation could do the same, triggering mercury vapour from the fillings. Mercury vapour has also been shown to be responsible for brain and kidney disorders.
• Blue artificial lights react to mercury vapour, making it up to 1000x more absorbable by the gums. When removing the fillings, try to avoid using blue light and have the dentist do it under red light if at all possible. Would also be good to take vitamin C drips before the operation.

I was mostly shocked to hear that composite fillings can be as toxic if not more than mercury ones due to the presence of BPA, a man made chemical that has shown to cause more neurological diseases and behavioural problems than mercury.:O Teeth are also very close to the brain so it could be easy for any leak to get through the blood-brain barrier.

When I was a kid, my dentist put fillings in most of my teeth since I had a few cavities due to my sugar cravings. I always thought that composite fillings were ok and didn’t come with the side effects of mercury. I am now starting to wonder if the fillings might be one of the reasons for my short memory span. I used to be very active physically and was frequently memorising material for school but would still forget even basic things like what I had eaten the previous day. While I would spend several hours in front of the computer playing games (see post from a previous show topic), I don’t know if it can fully account for my forgetfulness so I am starting the lean with the idea that the fillings play a part in this. Has anyone experienced improved memory or cognitive function after having their fillings removed?

Would be interested in getting a better understanding of alternatives before thinking about removing the fillings. I'll get some xylitol as suggested on the show and start brushing my teeth with it to see if there is any improvement.

 

[Oxajil]

• Meat contains L-arginine, an amino acid that breaks up biofilms that form on the teeth, helping stop the formation of cavities and dental plaques. There are other foods that contain high levels of L-arginine such as chocolate (cacao) and coffee, but consumption should be limited as they can cause other adverse effects.

Just a note here that especially if you have some kind of herpes virus infection (or regularly get a cold sore), a high intake of arginine can 'feed' the virus. While meat has arginine, it also has lysine (usually more of it) which helps fight the virus.

When I was a kid, my dentist put fillings in most of my teeth since I had a few cavities due to my sugar cravings. I always thought that composite fillings were ok and didn’t come with the side effects of mercury. I am now starting to wonder if the fillings might be one of the reasons for my short memory span. I used to be very active physically and was frequently memorising material for school but would still forget even basic things like what I had eaten the previous day. While I would spend several hours in front of the computer playing games (see post from a previous show topic), I don’t know if it can fully account for my forgetfulness so I am starting the lean with the idea that the fillings play a part in this. Has anyone experienced improved memory or cognitive function after having their fillings removed?

Would be interested in getting a better understanding of alternatives before thinking about removing the fillings. I'll get some xylitol as suggested on the show and start brushing my teeth with it to see if there is any improvement.

It's difficult to say whether your forgetfulness is because of the fillings, though I wouldn't be surprised if cognitive function improved in people who removed their fillings and started to detox toxins. And based on what I've read, BPA can have a negative effect on memory (another problem with BPA is that it mimics estrogen!).

But perhaps it's also important to take other factors into account with regard to your short memory span, for example diet, sleep, gut health, lack of certain minerals/vitamins, low intake of healthy fats (saturated fats, omega3s), etc. Also, if you haven't yet done so, if you type in "fillings" in the forum's search bar, you'll find threads of others who've removed their fillings, and more info on them that could be helpful.

Here's an interesting article about the possible effects of BPA-based dental fillings on children: Putting BPA-based dental fillings in perspective. They don't mention memory problems however, mostly behavioral, and while some of them say ''it's not so bad'', the studies they've done does indicate it has some negative impacts.

 

[hlat]

I was shocked to hear in the show that the government doesn't recommend flossing anymore.

"When the federal government issued its latest dietary guidelines this year, the flossing recommendation had been removed, without notice. In a letter to the AP, the government acknowledged the effectiveness of flossing had never been researched, as required."

_http://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-big-problem-with-flossing/
A big problem with flossing

Last Updated Aug 2, 2016 2:18 PM EDT

HOLMDEL, N.J. -- It's one of the most universal recommendations in all of public health: Floss daily to prevent gum disease and cavities.

Except there's little proof that flossing works.

Still, the federal government, dental organizations and manufacturers of floss have pushed the practice for decades. Dentists provide samples to their patients; the American Dental Association insists on its website that flossing "is an essential part of taking care of your teeth and gums."

The federal government has recommended flossing since 1979, first in a surgeon general's report and later in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans issued every five years. The guidelines must be based on scientific evidence, under the law.

Last year, The Associated Press asked the departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture for their evidence, and followed up with written requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

When the federal government issued its latest dietary guidelines this year, the flossing recommendation had been removed, without notice. In a letter to the AP, the government acknowledged the effectiveness of flossing had never been researched, as required.

The AP looked at the most rigorous research conducted over the past decade, focusing on 25 studies that generally compared the use of a toothbrush with the combination of toothbrushes and floss. The findings? The evidence for flossing is "weak, very unreliable," of "very low" quality, and carries "a moderate to large potential for bias."

"The majority of available studies fail to demonstrate that flossing is generally effective in plaque removal," said one review conducted last year. Another 2015 review cites "inconsistent/weak evidence" for flossing and a "lack of efficacy."

One study review in 2011 did credit floss with a slight reduction in gum inflammation - which can sometimes develop over time into full-fledged gum disease. However, the reviewers ranked the evidence as "very unreliable." A commentary in a dental magazine stated that any benefit would be so minute it might not be noticed by users.

The two leading professional groups - the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Periodontology, for specialists in gum disease and implants - cited other studies as proof of their claims that flossing prevents buildup of gunk known as plaque, early gum inflammation called gingivitis, and tooth decay. However, most of these studies used outdated methods or tested few people. Some lasted only two weeks, far too brief for a cavity or dental disease to develop. One tested 25 people after only a single use of floss. Such research, like the reviewed studies, focused on warning signs like bleeding and inflammation, barely dealing with gum disease or cavities.

Wayne Aldredge, president of the periodontists' group, acknowledged the weak scientific evidence and the brief duration of many studies. In an interview at his private practice in New Jersey, he said the impact of floss might be clearer if researchers focused on patients at the highest risk of gum disease, such as diabetics and smokers.

Still, he urges his patients to floss to help avoid gum disease. "It's like building a house and not painting two sides of it," he said. "Ultimately those two sides are going to rot away quicker."

Dr. Steven Glassman, a dentist in New York City, says he was "shocked" that the recommendation was dropped. "We used to say, 'only floss those teeth you want to keep,'" he told CBS News.

"I'm practicing dentistry for 26 years... We see it in our patients every day. The ones that don't floss build up more inflammation between their teeth. Brushing alone, and even some of the super-duper electronic toothbrushes, [do] really well at removing plaque above the gum line and on the outer surfaces and biting surfaces of the teeth, but it's in between that we can't really get to." That's where flossing comes in, he said.

Aldredge also said many people use floss incorrectly, moving it in a sawing motion instead of up and down the sides of the teeth. Pressed about the origins of his organization's endorsement of flossing, he said it may simply have "taken the ADA's lead."

When the ADA was asked for proof of its claim that flossing helps prevent early gum disease and cavities, the group cited the 2011 review and a 2008 two-week study that measured bacteria and did not even consider gum disease.

In a later statement to the AP, the ADA said flossing "removes plaque" and "is proven to help remove" debris from between teeth. A video on its website proclaims that flossing "helps prevent gum disease." When pressed, Matthew J. Messina, a practicing dentist and spokesman for the dental association, acknowledged weak evidence, but he blamed research participants who didn't floss correctly.

Even companies with a big market share of the flossing business - by next year, the global market is predicted to reach almost $2 billion, with half in the United States, according to publisher MarketSizeInfo.com - struggled to provide convincing evidence of their claims that floss reduces plaque or gingivitis. Yet the industry has paid for most studies and sometimes designed and conducted the research.

Procter & Gamble, which claims that its floss fights plaque and gingivitis, pointed to a two-week study, which was discounted as irrelevant in the 2011 research review.

Johnson & Johnson spokesman Marc Boston said floss helps remove plaque. When the AP sent him a list of contradicting studies, he declined comment.

The floss-making companies partner with the ADA through its Seal of Acceptance program. The ADA promotes the seal to companies as something that "directly affects the purchase decisions of consumers;" each manufacturer is charged $14,500 for the evaluation. If it approves the product, the ADA then charges an additional annual fee of $3,500.

The ADA says it rigorously evaluates products and makes no profit from the program. However, floss companies themselves are allowed to design the studies.

"The funding can come from companies - no problem at all," said dentist Marcelo W.B. Araujo, vice president of the ADA's Science Institute, who joined the organization after serving as an executive for Johnson & Johnson. "The design can start from the company."

When flossing first gained acceptance, no proof was required of remedies. Dentist Levi Spear Parmly is credited with inventing floss in the early 19th century. By the time the first floss patent was issued, in 1874, the applicant noted that dentists were widely recommending its use.

The ADA has been promoting floss universally since 1908. "They just looked into what they did every day in their clinical practice and what they would recommend for patients," said Araujo.

Count dentist Damien Walmsley, scientific adviser to the British Dental Association, among the skeptics. "It's important to tell people to do the basics. Flossing is not part of the basics."

Floss can occasionally cause harm. Careless flossing can damage gums, teeth and dental work. Though frequency is unclear, floss can dislodge bad bacteria that invade the bloodstream and cause dangerous infections, especially in people with weak immunity, according to the medical literature.

National Institutes of Health dentist Tim Iafolla acknowledged that if the highest standards of science were applied in keeping with the flossing reviews of the past decade, "then it would be appropriate to drop the floss guidelines."

Regardless, he added, Americans should still floss.

"It's low risk, low cost," he said. "We know there's a possibility that it works, so we feel comfortable telling people to go ahead and do it."

CBS/AP

 

[3DStudent]

It makes sense if a toothpick doesn't do the job, the next thing would be to grab some floss. I do wonder that if you did an up and down motion, that it would just push some of the food particles and bacteria further into your gums. That being said, where I usually floss once a day, this week I did it maybe twice. I've cut my gums on it before, so while I had been doing it regularly for some months, I'm careful when I do it.

 

[Eboard10]

It's difficult to say whether your forgetfulness is because of the fillings, though I wouldn't be surprised if cognitive function improved in people who removed their fillings and started to detox toxins. And based on what I've read, BPA can have a negative effect on memory (another problem with BPA is that it mimics estrogen!).

But perhaps it's also important to take other factors into account with regard to your short memory span, for example diet, sleep, gut health, lack of certain minerals/vitamins, low intake of healthy fats (saturated fats, omega3s), etc. Also, if you haven't yet done so, if you type in "fillings" in the forum's search bar, you'll find threads of others who've removed their fillings, and more info on them that could be helpful.

Thanks for the advice Oxajil. I already saw a noticeable improvement in memory and cognitive function when I switched to a paleo and later a ketogenic diet and the iodine also gave me a big boost in attention span. I guess that since I have had these moments of forgetfulness and dissociation since childhood, it just takes more time to fully resolve than in others.

Here's an interesting article about the possible effects of BPA-based dental fillings on children: Putting BPA-based dental fillings in perspective. They don't mention memory problems however, mostly behavioral, and while some of them say ''it's not so bad'', the studies they've done does indicate it has some negative impacts.

Now that I think about it, when I was about 11 years old I was having these OCD type movements where I was doing some weird hand gestures and, if memory serves me right, I had my first fillings done around that time (give or take a year). Probably that, coupled with my unhealthy diet must have made me very susceptible to neurodevelopmental disorders.

I was shocked to hear in the show that the government doesn't recommend flossing anymore.

"When the federal government issued its latest dietary guidelines this year, the flossing recommendation had been removed, without notice. In a letter to the AP, the government acknowledged the effectiveness of flossing had never been researched, as required."

It makes sense if a toothpick doesn't do the job, the next thing would be to grab some floss. I do wonder that if you did an up and down motion, that it would just push some of the food particles and bacteria further into your gums. That being said, where I usually floss once a day, this week I did it maybe twice. I've cut my gums on it before, so while I had been doing it regularly for some months, I'm careful when I do it.

That's quite a U-turn coming from the government, who would have thought! I also floss a few times every week but I have to be careful as I seem to always get some blood to spill out which can potentially cause an infection of the gums.

 

[PerfectCircle]

I recommend gargling sage tea! It is very good for oral health and even breath freshening.

 

[3DStudent]

• A lot of the issues related to dental health in modern society can be linked to consumption of sugars and fruits that are very acidic and decalcify the teeth, as well as grains and legumes which contain phytic acids and other anti-nutrients that bind to minerals which lead to degradation of oral health and bones in general.
• Meat contains L-arginine, an amino acid that breaks up biofilms that form on the teeth, helping stop the formation of cavities and dental plaques. There are other foods that contain high levels of L-arginine such as chocolate (cacao) and coffee, but consumption should be limited as they can cause other adverse effects.
• Certain strains of bacteria that live in the mouth thrive on carbs and sugars. The stickiness of the plaque keeps the by-product of the bacteria on the teeth, an acidic compound that wears away the enamel. Supplementing with glycine can cut off ability of bacteria to feed on arginine.
• Benefits of flossing regularly have never been proven, unless you have food stuck in between your teeth. Studies that were made were weak and misleading. Flossing has the effect of pushing bacterial components down the gum line and is more easily absorbed by the gum.

This was a great information packed show and I took some notes too. I think I might try the xylitol as a toothpaste, or just eating it in general more and letting it sit in my mouth. So coconut oil pulling can break biofilms it seems. I've never done oil pulling, as it seems like it takes a long time.

Coffee and chocolate contain arginine. I was thinking about making xylitol chocolate to make it doubly effective, but I didn't catch the part about eating too much chocolate is not advised. I think I'd actually try the cocoa powder toothpaste, as it seems to be much less abrasive than baking soda.

On that note, I have sensitive teeth, with a thin layer of enamel. So I stay away from acidic things, take vitamin c in pill form or buffer it with ascorbic acid if powder, and use Vicco herbal toothpaste. It works out for me. But fermented Cod Liver oil sounds like it would help, and I've heard Vitamin K (pastured butter has a good amount) helps too. And there was mention of using comfrey powder to regrow teeth too. So lots of things to try.

But xylitol sounds promising. I've noticed in the past that it does in fact seem to coat the teeth with a certain stickiness, in a good way. So thanks again for the show!

 

[hlat]

I think I might try the xylitol as a toothpaste, or just eating it in general more and letting it sit in my mouth.

Just a heads up that eating too much xylitol may cause sinus congestion or drainage. I used to make my lard custard with xylitol or erythritol. At some point afterwards, I started having sinus congestion or drainage, and then other people in the forum mentioned a possible connection between xylitol and sinus congestion or drainage. So I stopped using xylitol or erythritol and switched to turbinado raw sugar, and the sinus problem went away.

So I've had this erythritol sitting around not being used, until I heard this show. Since then, I've been experimenting with brushing my teeth with erythritol, letting it first dissolve in my mouth before brushing.

 

[Oxajil]

Thanks for the advice Oxajil. I already saw a noticeable improvement in memory and cognitive function when I switched to a paleo and later a ketogenic diet and the iodine also gave me a big boost in attention span. I guess that since I have had these moments of forgetfulness and dissociation since childhood, it just takes more time to fully resolve than in others.

That's good to hear! In case you haven't yet, I recommend reading the book "The Myth of Sanity" by Martha Stout. As is noted here: "The Myth of Sanity (forum thread) is about trauma and dissociation. Trauma forms triggers in us - and when triggered, we dissociate. The severity and kind of dissociation can vary greatly. Knowing of this almost universal issue, how it affects us, and how to heal is essential to being able to know and work on oneself and to understand others." It's a great book, and it might give you further insight into your problems of dissociation.

 

[Eboard10]

That's good to hear! In case you haven't yet, I recommend reading the book "The Myth of Sanity" by Martha Stout. As is noted here: "The Myth of Sanity (forum thread) is about trauma and dissociation. Trauma forms triggers in us - and when triggered, we dissociate. The severity and kind of dissociation can vary greatly. Knowing of this almost universal issue, how it affects us, and how to heal is essential to being able to know and work on oneself and to understand others." It's a great book, and it might give you further insight into your problems of dissociation.

Yes, I read the book a while back and found I could relate to the childhood trauma and dissociation described in the book, though to a lesser degree than some of the characters she treated. Still it would probably be good for me to re-read it with a fresh mind and focus on the problems that affect me. Your quote about the cinema scene in The Myth of Sanity thread is really spot on and an excellent example of how easy it is to fall into a disassociative state and be dominated by the imaginative part of ourself.

Coffee and chocolate contain arginine. I was thinking about making xylitol chocolate to make it doubly effective, but I didn't catch the part about eating too much chocolate is not advised. I think I'd actually try the cocoa powder toothpaste, as it seems to be much less abrasive than baking soda.

Yes, sorry, I added that part as I thought it was being inferred by the tone of some of the hosts in reaction to that statement. The issue with chocolate being that it is usually packed with sugar (even most dark chocolate bars) and many can be sensitive to cacao beans, but maybe just using it for brushing teeth can avoid potential reactions.

Hope this clarifies things.