Why you might be better off without toothpaste
I've found that being obsessive about oral
hygiene is worth it. The expense aside (and a trip to the
dentist is always pricey), who wants the pain and suffering of a
filling (or worse)? That's why I always ask my dentist if
there's any more preventative care I can add to my routine, and
have come up with the following complex daily regimen:
- Mornings I brush with an electric
toothbrush (better for the gums), then use both a
Listerine-type mouthwash (to kill germs, although I want to
research this more since I read recently that this might be a
bad idea, akin to killing off your good gut bacteria) and an
ACT-type mouthwash (for fluoride, since our well-water is
fluoride-free, and I'm willing to swish with fluoride despite
the potential dangers of drinking it)
- Evenings I floss, and brush
But when I went to the
dentist Wednesday, I reported I'd felt a little twinge in one
tooth recently. Did I have a cavity?
"Did you just start
using a whitening toothpaste?" the hygienist asked. Well,
yes, I guess I did. She explained that baking soda and any
other additives in toothpaste can cause your gums to recede since
the chemicals irritate the skin in your mouth. My hygienist
always recommends the plainest toothpaste you can find, but one
that contains fluoride.
My dentist came in then
and added in her two cents. Since I'm already using a
fluoride mouthwash, she doesn't see why I need to use toothpaste
at all. The mechanical movement of the brush is what cleans
your teeth --- toothpaste just gives you that minty-fresh breath
(and a dose of fluoride).
This is the best dentist
I've ever had, so I'm inclined to trust her judgment. And
who doesn't want to save $12 a year on toothpaste?
Here's hoping that at my next annual checkup, I'll once again be
cavity-free.
Keeping your
chickens healthy starts with clean water.
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About us: Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spent over a decade living self-sufficiently in the mountains of Virginia before moving north to start over from scratch in the foothills of Ohio. They've experimented with permaculture, no-till gardening, trailersteading, home-based microbusinesses and much more, writing about their adventures in both blogs and books.
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The idea of using it came from a woman who said she had been brushing with it for 20 years. And the obligatory thank you to the Weston A Price organization for the meeting.
Mouth feels cleaner. Teeth seem healthier. Gums seem much healthier. Dentist is poorer!
Just my two cents :).
John
GreatgrandMa lived to be 85, GrsndMa to 90 & Ma's still going good @84 (doesn't look a day older than 81). All used baking soda to brush. Never lost a tooth or had a cavity among them. Dad's teeth were gone by age 35. The genetic component is grossly underestimated by the experts.
I should think brushing with Flouride would be like rubbing insulin on your stomach. Taken internally, it would be incorporated into the matrix of the tooth, but externally it has to deal with enamel, one of the hardest substances known. Just wonderin'.