Remineralizing Teeth Naturally

If you read yesterday's post, you now are familiar with my favorite dentist and the sorry state of my teeth and gums.  As I mentioned yesterday, I have visited numerous dentists over the past few years and generally they depress me, speak of a future of possible, or likely tooth loss, due to the progression of receded gums and tooth loss.  I ponder whether it is an over consumption of sweets in the past, a commentary on my present diet, some how related to the 6 plus years of  nursing and two pregnancies...... or a combination of these ad perhaps some other unexamined aspects of my life.... Truth is, we might not know for sure.  But many spoke of a procedure where they take gums from the roof of your mouth and attach it where it used to be around your teeth.... Just writing this makes me queasy and I say "No thank you."  But I realize something needs to change so that I can at least slow or perhaps reverse this situation.  Up until now, I consoled myself that my diet is pretty good, to say the least.... I eat lots of whole foods, an abundance of dark greens..... many nutrient dense foods.  But yet the situation has not improved.

Just a few days ago, I visited Dr. DeSantis, assuming something needed filling.... Ironically nothing was urgent and after some conversation about my teeth she sent me on my way, no money or procedure required.  Though thrilled about that, I was also concerned.  She observed many tiny areas of what appeared to be cavities just beginning.  Her suggestion, though she is not one to push such, was fluoride.... in toothpaste and perhaps a rinse, several times a day to help remineralize those spots.  She explained that fluoride can take the place of calcium in teeth and is more resistant to potential decay. .  I might have grimaced, as if you read this blog regularly, just 2 posts ago, I blogged about the fluoride they add to water and oral care products and how I believe proper oral care and diet are ideal and I prefer to "hold the fluoride".   But here I am now, needing to think it all through.  Knowing that I tend to avoid fluoride, Dr. DeSantis also mentioned a product now available which  utilizes calcium in a similar way.  This sounded interesting....

So I have decided to do a search and see what I come up with that is logical and sensible, that would fit in both with my holistic lifestyle, as well as with my goal or remineralizing teeth.  Interestingly, one of the first sites to pop up spoke of remineralizing teeth naturally with proper diet. http://wellnessmama.com/1756/how-toreverse-tooth-decay-and-avoid-braces-by-changing-one-dietary-factor/  This site focuses on making sure one's diet includes enough minerals (logical), enough fat soluble vitamins (interesting) and avoiding phytic acid (yikes that is high in a diet based on grains and beans).

This site made reference to Weston Price, a researcher who observed that native peoples tended to have healthy, white, well formed teeth, while those consuming a "western diet" had dental carries and very often the need for dental braces.  As my daughter was recently told she needed several teeth pulled and then that braces are needed due to "an overcrowded mouth," this site has now caused me to ponder, is it actually a malformed jaw due to a diet we follow that is so high in phytic acid?   However, in the tradition of Weston Price, this site does recommend trying to minimize phytic acid through soaking and or sprouting or fermenting high phytic acid foods (so consuming traditionally prepared sourdough bread or soaking and ideally sprouting beans, grains, seeds, and nuts before use).  This certainly seems doable, at least to some extent in our lives...

Alas, once again the post is getting long, so for those of you out there who prefer to avoid animal products, we can do our bodies and teeth apparently, a service by lowering our daily dose of phytic acid.   Soak, sprout, ferment foods high in phytic acid, and try to make a higher degree of your foods those that are naturally low in phytic acid.  Eat more vegetables, particularly the mineral rich dark greens, more so than anything  else.... Kale or collards anyone?  So tune in again soon to read the next post....to find out what other interesting sites I found detailing how to naturally remineralize our teeth...