What Causes Tooth Decay?
Oh this is my most frustrating topic to date – I’ve done two teleseminars with leaders in holistic dentistry: one with Dr. Hal Huggins and one with Dr. Ara Elmajian, in an attempt to figure out WHAT those of us with poor teeth can do to heal ourselves. I have read Dr. Weston Price’s flagship book and also Dr. Gerard Judd’s book (and spoke with him before he died), along with derivatives stemming from these works (for example “Cure Tooth Decay” by Rami Nagel).
I had a very poor diet from in utero throughout my childhood and yes, I have really bad teeth. What’s really heartbreaking though, is my children’s teeth. I have 3 who were all breastfed for 13 – 20 months. During my pregnancies. breastfeeding and ongoing I ate unprocessed organic food, lots of omega 3s, animal fats, probiotics, sweetened with stevia whenever possible, no white anything, etc. My kids eat this same type of diet and my youngest actually begs for “green juice” (we have a premium juicer and we juice fennel, celery, spinach, parsley, apples, carrots, etc. daily). You would think their teeth would be great wouldn’t you??
NOT. They have multiple cavities and my eldest are only 6 and 9. My youngest will be going to the dentist the end of the month for his first check up, and he is the only one who received raw milk from weaning, so it will be interesting to see if his teeth are doing better (there is no visible decay on his). However, my other two received raw cheese from a young age and have both had raw milk for the last 2 years – since which they have developed new decay.
So, after extensive research and experiential evidence, I’m afraid I must conclude that there is some other really KEY FACTOR in dental health other than diet, environmental toxins, dental hygiene, and emotional health – all of which we have addressed. Any ideas??
Having exhausted all the possible contributing physical factors, Oscar, Zara (my two eldest children) and I are now trying EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and are tapping every night after our brushing and flossing.
Here are all the things we have implemented to stave off tooth decay that have had no effect:
- organic unprocessed food, probiotics, vit. D, raw vegetable juices, yoghurt, raw milk and cheese, animal fats, omega-3, raw salmon, salmon roe, olive oil, coconut oil, organic meat, cod liver oil, multi-vitamins, whole grains, etc. Use honey, maple syrup and stevia wherever possible. My kids eat about 1/80 of the sugar of all their peers – we have even sent home “No sugar or chemicals please” letters to all their playdates and teachers.
- brushing with toothpaste that does not contain SLS, flouride, glycerin or anything artificial. But does contain beneficial herbs, tea tree oil and other essential healing oils.
- no synthetic clothing, no T-fal pans, all natural mattresses, bedding, etc. natural cleaning products only, no microwave, no cell phones, no wifi, etc.
- lots of exercise and sports – all 3 of my kids look like they bodybuild in the gym their muscles are so defined. They have had craniosacral and osteopathic treatment from birth and their spines, legs, alignment are all excellent.
- the health of the rest of their bodies are superb – they hardly ever get sick, normal bowel movements, clear skin, they have excellent energy all day and only need about 10 hours sleep at night, they are all at the top of their class academically (brains healthy and functioning optimally).
It is only their teeth that are doing poorly – Zara has decay on 4 teeth (all baby teeth as she has no permanent teeth yet) and Oscar has decay on 6 baby teeth and 2 permanent teeth. I tell you, this is driving me NUTS!! I honestly cannot think of anything else to do/try.
All I can conclude is that there has to be some other really decisive factor involved here. And to say “it’s genetic” does not really tell me anything meaningful. Also, as we now know, you can change your genetics and alter your DNA, which gives the phrase “Oh, they’ve inherited my bad teeth” even less meaning.
Further proof that there’s another mechanism at work is evidenced by my children’s friends. We do not live in a health-conscious city. The kids around here eat the standard junk diet of North America and guess what? Most of them have LESS tooth decay than my kids! Some kids who eat almost all processed food and massive amounts of candy have only 1 or 2 cavities.
Like I said, there’s something else going on and I sure wish someone would figure it out……post your thoughts below…..
Oh, one more thing I just have to share, for those of you who can’t afford modern dentistry, here’s how to give yourself a filling at home!
Jini
Firstly, I think your own negative experience with problematic teeth may be making you hyper-sensitive about the potential problem with your (gorgeous) children. Many (if not most) children with downright rotten baby teeth have perfectly healthy and hardy adult teeth.
I think there is a lot of evidence that the wrong type of bacteria in the mouth are the causative agents behind cavities. Nutrition plays a role in that 1) it provides the resources to arm your mucosal immune system to keep pathogenic bacteria away; 2) provides the necessary building blocks for strong teeth; and 3) keeps “good” bacteria happy and provides a negative growth environment for cavity-causing bacteria.
Endogenous factors that could make one more susceptible to cavities include 1) having an immune system that doesn’t have all the components of innate immunity (such as defensins) – due to genetic alterations (which is often found in people with inflammatory gut disorders) – or having an underlying inflammatory disorder, 2) not enough saliva or saliva with a pH that favours cavity-causing bacteria to flourish, and 3) altered hormonal environment (for example, women with high levels of estrogen tend to develp more cavities – which also shows up during pregnancy as well as fluctuations with the menstrual cycle).
If it is a salivary problem – chewing “natural gum” can help (in fact, many native cultures have a habit of chewing on something – such as sticks – to keep teeth healthy). Studies have shown that there are compounds in green tea as well as licorice (the real stuff – not that artificial stuff made of corn syrup) that help prevent cavities. Vitamin D is also essential (for both immunity and bone strength and calcium absorption) – and I’m not sure how much raw milk typically has since convential dairy products have Vitamins A and D added. Cow milk is fairly high in lactose which may exacerberate the problem rather than remedy it (goat or sheep milk is closer to human milk composition) – though cheeses wouldn’t have this problem.
Good luck with the dentist – sitting in that chair is not my favourite past time!
Hi Jini,
I used to be a dentist and learned a few things that might be relevant. Honey and maple syrup can be as damaging as sugar. And like sugar, it is really only if you are having it more than 3 or 4 times a day, like every hour another cup of tea with sugar in it. It is the frequency not the amount that causes the most damage. There is a critical pH at which decay occurs and a recovery after eating any sugar or honey, which if it is frequently tipped back towards acid, even with a very small amount of sugar, is an aggravating factor. I used to get kids to save all their sweet foods for once a day if possible.
And when my own kids were little, I discovered that they really don’t have the dexterity to do a proper cleaning job until they are at least 9 or 10. So I developed a routine that allowed time for giving them the support they need in cleaning their teeth. This takes more time because it requires their “permission” each time, and a real commitment to respecting their autonomy while “insisting” firmly on doing it for them. I had a stool they stood on and they rested their heads against the wall, so it was comfortable for both of us. None of my four kids have any cavities, even the one with Crohn’s, or the other one with IBS, so it was worth the effort. And I really think their skill is better when they are older if they haven’t got into “bad” habits when really young. There are such a lot of angles and positions required to clean all surfaces.
I may have been a bit obsessive, but I very rarely let them go to bed without cleaning them, even on those special occassions when we have been extra busy or tired. Not because once would matter, but so they realised it was a valuable priority.
These may not be helpful ideas for you if there are other issues, but I just wanted to share my experience. I suspect the honey might be more relevant than the cleaning, since your kids cleaning wouldn’t be any worse than the rest of the population.
Best wishes, and look I orward to hearing what else you find out..
Penny
Penny and Ashley – thanks so much for your helpful comments! From what you’ve written I think I need to look at the saliva component. I think I’ve got them on about as low sugar (including natural sugars) as they’ll willingly go and will tell them what you’ve said about once a day being best. But if I make some natural Xylitol gum available whenever they want to have some – or maybe get them to chew some after every meal…
And yes Penny, I know exactly what you mean about brushing their teeth for them – and your description of it shows you’re a Mum who’s actually had to do it! Day after day, no matter how tired, stressed, etc you all are. That’s a good tip about resting their head against the wall – I’ve been using my hand at the back of their head to steady them, but I think I like your idea better. I brushed my son’s teeth until he was nearly nine and my daughter’s until she was 6 – but then she is far more dexterous and focused. My three year old I’m still brushing.
And interesting too Ashley about the estrogen – being that I’ve been pregnant or breastfeeding for about 8 years solid, that makes more sense why every time I’ve been to the dentist I have a new cavity. Plus I’ve noticed that my saliva production is low.
Well now that I’m finished with all the childbearing, I’m having everything tested – stool, hair, saliva, hormones, etc. to get a good profile of where I’m at now and what needs balancing. I’m working with Jim Ehmke (who I’ve done a teleseminar and podcast with for JPT Wellness Circle) so am excited to see what shifts!
thanks again for the great feedback!
Jini
I have the same issue. Great diet since my son was in my belly, breastfed till he was 3, no sugar, and no white bread, pasta, rice, only brown. He’s been taking vitamins an fish oils forever. He is now 4 and we just had his 5th cavaty fixed with one more left. His dentist says that he has very deep groves and that’s where he is getting his cavaties, also it seems frequent snacking has not helped, apparently the seliva ph changes after you eat and affects the teeth and takes a while to go back to normal, so if the child is constantly snacking or nursing like mine did it affects the teeth.
I’m sorry to hear about your kids. I hope you can eventually get those cavities under control- also for the sake of not re-affirming common society’s view that fluoride is a necessity.
The only thing I can suggest is trying low carb. You may be surprised, with all those fruits you are juicing and grains you are eating (presumably- and any beans too?), and the milk (unless you ferment it), that the carbs really add up. I know at least fruits may seem natural, but if you think of what they call the “paleo-diet”, the diet we evolved to eat, fruits were really not that plentiful. They only came in season about once a year, and there were only a few kinds available in any given region. On top of that, they originally were small and often not that sweet (sometimes downright bitter). It is only through modern domestication that we have made many of them so sweet, much like how we made all the different breeds of dogs through selective breeding. And paleo people certainly didn’t juice.
I point to ancient Egypt as evidence, as described in Michael Eades’ “Protein Power” book. The ancient Egyptians had NO sugar, though they did have honey and lots of sweet fruits. They did NOT refine their flour, but did eat a ton of whole grain bread (and I assume it was naturally leavened, though maybe not sprouted). And yet they notoriously had some of the worst dental problems in the world- so bad, that their teeth were often rotted nubs by the time they were adults. They also had rampant obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and often died fairly young of heart attacks. They did have raw sheep’s cheese, and vegetables too, but didn’t eat much red meat. About the only factor (besides small lack of animal fats) you can point to that caused such dramatic degeneration is the amount of carbs in their diet.
I’m not sure how it works, that carbs would cause this effect. There is lots of things that go wrong with chronically elevated insulin, but I can’t think of why that would affect the teeth. It might be that we require more vitamins and minerals to process carbs- I know Vitamin C is one of them. Or maybe the carbs just displace other, animal based foods that we would otherwise be eating. It could be because our plant foods have less vitamins and minerals in them due to depleted topsoil (of course, wouldn’t that apply to the animal foods as well?). I honestly would have thought your kid’s teeth would’ve been fine, based on the fat soluble vitamins (you do eat meat, right?) and lack of sugar alone. We can point to the Swiss or Gaelics that Weston Price visited for which grains were a big part of their diet. (Notice fruits weren’t, however.) Probably some of the problem is genetic, because I know that I ate a terrible diet growing up (though relatively better than some), and I’ve never had a cavity.
Perhaps it’s the phytates in all the raw vegetables and whole grains. I know of one person, Barry Groves, who thinks it’s actually healthier to eat white bread than whole grain (see his well regarded book “Trick and Treat”). Of course, he doesn’t recommend either. Bran should really not eaten under any circumstances- I’m not sure if even soaking will neutralize the phytates in that case. But the raw vegetables might be a problem too- again with the juicing. Vegetables, even fruits, have historically been cooked- even salads with lettuce. Nearly every culture did it. All these phytates might be leaching minerals from the blood into the intestines. Then the blood would have to replenish by leeching minerals from the bones, which would explain the tooth decay. According to Barry Groves, vegetables aren’t that important anyway- this is a fairly modern notion. There’s not that many antioxidants in vegetables that you can actually absorb, and also your body is perfectly capable of making it’s own enzymes and antioxidants. Of course, more antioxidants are required to neutralize AGEs that are produced when your body burns blood sugar for fuel, instead of fats and ketones as it should be.
One more thing- have you tried a good Cod Liver Oil? As pointed out in the latest issue of “Wise Traditions” (the WAPF’s journal), milk, even raw, is not a really great source of the fat soluble vitamins, especially K, the “activator” for the other vitamins. The cows only produce it when they are eating quickly growing green grass, so it’s kind of an unreliable source. Meat, I believe, is a sure source of vitamin “everything”. Shrimp is especially high in A and D.
Anyways, sorry for the long post, but I’m just throwing out some ideas. And it’s tough to convince people that low carb is natural. First of all, they believe in the glycemic index, but honestly, every bit of starch you eat (or fructose) is going to end up as glucose in your blood rather quickly. And secondly, they believe that glucose is our cells’ one and only source of fuel- it isn’t, and never was in our hunter-gather days. And thirdly, we just like carbs so much- I’m still struggling with this myself. But maybe you should try it with your kids, if you are desperate enough. Fructose in particular is a sugar to avoid- Gary Taubes, author of the comprehensive “Good Calories, Bad Calories”, is aiming to write a book sometime solely on the harmful effects of fructose. Honey and maple syrup (and table sugar) all are at least 50% fructose. I don’t know how much you use, but think of the mainland Chinese- surprisingly, they live their whole lives without a desire for sweets. The children don’t feel deprived there. Even things like raisins and prunes add up surprisingly fast on the carb count. And also, if restrictions are piling up too much, I wouldn’t worry so much about buying organic, EMF radiation, or your kids’ emotions as a cause for the tooth decay. Lack of pesticides and EMF radiation did not help the Egyptians. I pay more attention to the BULK of what we put into us these days. Weston Price believed the teeth were a window into the health of the entire body, so I hope you are able to solve this problem.
Good luck, and I bookmarked your page. I actually want to start my own webpage soon, partly so I can back up all these claims I make. Michael Eades has an outstanding blog at: http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/.
Hi Jared – thanks so much for this fabulous post! And I agree with you. I have read Weston Price’s flagship book and am a WAPF member. Yes, we take cod liver oil daily and we eat lots of meat and animal fats. And we could go on about the dietary factors for pages – but it still doesn’t speak to the fact that (as you pointed out was the case with yourself) some kids eat CRAP and don’t have a single cavity.
So aside from diet and bacterial balance, there must be some other key factor. What is it??
I’m certainly not saying we ignore diet as it is very important for a variety of reasons – including our dental health. And no, I have never advocated flouride usage. Even if you can argue that it hardens enamel, the whole-body ramifications (poisoning) are not worth it. What I am saying is there is some other factor at work here – and I really need to figure it out!
Whilst researching nanoparticle minerals on PubMed, I came across an interesting trial that mixed dental filling material with the minerals (in nanoparticle size) needed to build healthy teeth/bone. And then they used this mixture as the filling in the person’s tooth. And guess what? HUGE preventive effect against further decay.
So, my latest experiment is the kids and I are taking a Bone Support formula of nanoparticle minerals (www.worldhealthmall.com) just before bed. After brushing and flossing, we are holding them in our mouth and swishing around our teeth for as long as we can and then swallowing. These minerals also have a pH of 12, so nice from that angle as well – inducing alkalinity.
Due to their minute size, nanoparticle minerals do not require digestion and they penetrate directly and pretty much instantly into the cells.
We’ve only been doing this for 10 days, so too early to tell anything other than we all sleep more deeply and have not been waking to use the toilet in the night. I’ll post here again after our next dental checkup!
I just wanted to say that I’ve tooled around with juicing on and off for a while – and here is what I have learned FOR SURE — CARROTS are a hybrid plant at this point in time and VERY HIGH IN SUGAR. I cannot consume carrot juice without heart palpitations
(even as a small component of a green juice…) and neither can other folks I know. People rarely connect the dots only because carrots come from the plant world, so it all seems good Apples are a safer bet. Beets are another overly sweet (and hybridized) veggie that must be avoided in a juice.
There has been some talk about the concentration of sugars in juices themselves – where there is no fiber really. So just keep this in mind for the little guys. I don’t have children, so I can only give you this little bit of wisdom. Another thing I read in a raw food book – it’s not hard to de-mineralize quickly. I know you guys are not vegetarians – but maybe the little ones are ‘de-toxing’ from the veggie juices too quickly, and as a result – pulling minerals from their teeth – often the first place this shows up! Their bodies may just be too young for it? Just a thought — GOOD LUCK .
Jini, I read this post and the comments with great interest but I have to say that what is prompting me to comment is the fact that you have been pregnant or breastfeeding for about 8 years. Me too! Either pregnant, breastfeeding or breastfeeding while pregnant.
Nice to know I’m not the only one…
There is a holistic dentist who now advocates a particular regime for dental care, her name is Dr. Ellie (if you do a search with the words “ask dr. ellie” you’ll find her web site). She emailed back and forth with me numerous times and was so helpful. She has a book coming out about how to avoid the dentist (which is saying something, since she is a dentist)…Her stance is also that teeth CAN repair themselves. I think I have seen this in Weston Price info too; that you may still see discoloration but the tooth can rebuild in many cases. The reason I got in touch with her is because my daughter (now 6.5, was diagnosed at 2.5) has UC and many cavities.
For what it’s worth, on the EFT, I have read at least one case (I subscribe to the EFT newsletters) of a mother who did surrogate EFT for her son’s cavity(ies) and had measurable and surprising results! Also, when I was pregnant I read a book by Laura Shanley (a free/unassisted birth advocate) in which she talks about the power of our minds directing our experiences and as an example talked about how her mouth was riddled with cavities and much to her dentist’s surprise, was able to eliminate or reduce a number of her cavities…I know that will sound ridiculous to some, but stranger things have happened…
~Claire
Hi Claire,
I’m surprised Dr. Ellie positions herself as a “Holistic Dentist” since she advocates flouride treatment and dental care products that contain lots of chemicals and artificial ingredients. At any rate, thanks for the referral as it was interesting to see her approach. The fact that she focuses on inducing alkalinity in the mouth means that we may really be on the right track with the oral nanoparticle mineral soaking.
My other main question with Dr. Ellie’s protocols is what effect does that much Xylitol have on the gut flora? I have posted that question on her blog and asked if she also has any references for further info on this issue. That’s the main reason I don’t think people should consume too much Xylitol. Well, we’ll see what she says…
You know, I think someone should have figured out how to grow new teeth by this time – I mean sharks can do it. Why isn’t someone researching that relentlessly, because that would really solve all our problems. I wonder if it’s a money issue…i.e. what would happen to the revenue from all these dental products and dental procedures if they were all rendered unnecessary? Who knows.
Jini,
Have you tried Dr. Ellie’s 3 rinse method? Also, she says that it would take 60 grams of xylitol a day before it would be considered excessive – 10 x her recommendation. I use Tooth Soap and Tooth Swish from toothsoap.com instead of Crest toothpaste, and Zellies mints/granular packets thoughout the day. Also, you may want to try OraMD instead of Act at night. If you don’ t use Act, then you don’t need Listerine. Her system is based on the chemistry of Closys, regular Crest toothpaste, regular Listerine followed by Act and NOT rinsing with water between steps.
I’m not sure is that is in fact how she positions herself, so my apologies if the term I chose was misleading; I just know that her beliefs about teeth being capable of remineralization are very different from the typical dentist I’ve ever spoken with. Two dentists wanted my daughter in the hospital under general anesthesia to do dental work; we kept shopping until we found someone who said he could do the work with nothing more than a little nitrous oxide. As for flouride, that is definitely a hotly debated topic. My 6.5 year old (with UC) has pica so we don’t let her use flouride paste but we now do a flouride rinse after brushing which she spits out. It has made little difference unfortunately but I think that has more to do with the consistent level of acidity in her entire GI tract, mouth included.
I remember reading (maybe it was Mr Judd’s work) that it takes about 26 rinses to get all the toothpaste (flouride type) off your teeth; that your teeth have to really be clean in order to best absorb the calcium and phosphorus for remineralization.
I have also read of some mothers who’ve been advised by dentists that do homeopathic stuff to take calcarea flourica and calcarea phosphorica cell salts for rebuilding dentin (pulp?) and enamel.
But you make a salient point, if we solved any of these health issues an entire profession would be virtually out of business.
~Claire
Jeni,
We use Weston A. Price’s protocol which includes nearly triple the amount of cod liver oil daily along with a homemade tooth powder of 1/2 baking soda & 1/2 celtic sea salts crushed and some flavoring. We use salt water rinses, collodial silver paks on a severely decayed tooth andwe have seen one tooth regenerate. We still have 1/2 of the tooth to work on but slowly but surely we are avoiding a root canal and have had no infection. His book is amazing. It is an old book but well worth checking into. You will be impressed with the protocol. I have not read Nigel Rami’s book. We do drink and use fresh whole milk as a rinse on teeth at night as well. Hope this anwers some questions for you.
Milk rinse, like raw milk? What sort of flavoring to you put in the tooth powder? Seems like it would be very salty tasting but my daughter loves salt. We get raw milk from a co-op for whom we supply raw honey (dh is a beekeeper)…my daughter doesn’t care for the taste of the raw milk from this particular co-op (we’ve had from other sources) but I wonder if she would just take a little cupful as a rinse nightly. Sort of like bathing the teeth in calcium and phosphorus, the elements that healthy saliva is supposed to supply (if your flora is good). When we first tried a raw milk diet to improve our daughter’s colitis, her hair grew long, she grew out of clothes and shoes, and her teeth got very white after looking very grey. Perhaps it was not even so much the ingestion of minerals (which were malabsorbed from colitis anyway) so much as the milk “bathing” the teeth with healthy bacteria and minerals that support tooth integrity. Thanks for the tip! We’ll definitely try that….
Jini,
I know exactly what you are going through. We have done ALL you said and MORE! I have read all the books you have mentioned and more. I too could never understand all we do when friends and families on terrible diets have next to no cavities. It has been very frustrating!!
Have you read Natasha Campbell’s “Gut and Psychology syndrome”? Have you seen Bee Wilder’s website? Both of these were VERY helpful to me.
My kids were on Campbell’s diet for about a year (basically the SCD diet) that along with taking HCL was key. My husband and I are on Bee’s diet that is very restrictive, but some day yet hope to get my kids on it. Before this, it sounds like we ate a diet very similar to yours.
We totally cut out the grains. NO GRAINS, way down on fruit and no dried fruit. They had little sweetner and stevia for that needed sweet treat. Lots of bone broths!
I know about cavities. I have eight children. My oldest were riddled with cavities no matter what I tried…baby teeth and adult.
If any of my kids had 2-3 cavities that was a GOOD check up. Well, it wasn’t immediate. I almost gave up. It took time and patience but my younger children’s teeth are improving! NO cavities in the last two appointments. We thought the first check up could have been a fluke but when the second rolled around with no cavities (X-rays taken), we knew we were finally onto something. I know how frustrating it can be. It has been over 20 years of this heartache for us. And yes, my children are very healthy besides the decay too.
We aren’t as strict right now but the grains are rare, one piece of fruit a day, stevia for most sweetners. Still lots of bone broth, really push the butter and coconut oil, lots of good eggs. Toothbrushing did not make a difference, no matter what potion we used.
Having them take HCL DID help. I read and believe (Campbell’s book) that my children were born with weak stomach acid. How I understand it (Read Bee’s site) if you are low in HCL your other enzymes don’t kick in hence you do not absorb all that expensive, wonderful nutrition you put in the body.
It also seems to matter what blood type you are I don’t buy all the blood type diet hype but O’s do seem to have more HCL naturally so better digestion so absorb nutrients better. I have my own children A’s and O’s to attest to that.
I also agree with another post. You must get a premier cod liver oil. We take Green Pastures fermented clo now and it does seem to make a difference for a lot of people.
I am interested how your last checkup went?.
Would love to share more if you have any questions. I know how awful if feels when you try to do your best for your children and nothing seems to help.
Shari
What about calcium supplements? I haven’t heard anyone mention a diet high in Calcium or taking supplements?
Calcium is only one of the nutrients needed to build healthy bone and teeth. Also, most calcium supplements are only 10-15% absorbed – the rest is not excreted in urine and causes collateral damage in the body (arteries, kidneys). The solution is to get your calcium (and other necessary substances) from food sources – hence the talk of raw milk – or nanoparticle or angstrom-sized mineral supplements.
Hi Jini,
I just wanted to pass on some relatively new concerns with nanoparticles that would make me hestitate on implementing their use at this point and time. I had attended a presentation of the endocrine disrupting effects of nanosilver particles on thyroid function – which occurs with doses far below that used in new washing machines that use this material as an antibacterial agent. Nanoparticle toxicity and profile are quite different from its macroparticle equivalent (i.e. nanosilver cellular effects is different from elemental silver). We don’t know much about them at this point and time to put out recommendations for toxicity. You may want to look at the limited research that has been done http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17435390701675914
Best,
Ashes
Hey Ashley – thanks for that. I also found some info on how the nano silver in socks, sport clothes and washing machines is altering the algae, bacteria etc. of the water bodies the waste water from the washing machine drains into. Yes, I am aware they are highly experimental, so I’m really staying tuned and going with my gut on this one. Also, I have a list of autism clinics who’ve been using the nano minerals for up to six years and the founder of World Health Mall (Jim Haszinger) says his whole family has been using them for about 20 years – so I’m not the first! Well, we’ll just have to keep an eye on the research. Please post anything else you come across…
Hi Jini – if anyone has a gut instinct to trust – it’s you! I’ve found that where nano-silver behaves differently from elemental silver – not all nano-particles are as disruptive. Nano-zinc, for example, doesn’t seem to have toxic effects on the endocrine system.
Your dental caries mystery had stuck at the back of my mind – and when I heard another woman with Crohn’s lamenting her extensive dental work – and how she thought it must be genetic as this appeared to be a familial trait, it motivated me to do a quick search to see whether there was any anecdotal evidence suggesting a relationship between those who have gut problems like Crohn’s and a problem with tooth decay. And what do you know – there is indeed a real correlation. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6588344
Incidentally, the relative I have with Crohn’s had the most awful teeth as a youngster, and the extensive diet of apple juice and rubber sucker was blamed. It seems that the same changes in immune function that predisposes one to inflammatory gut problems are at play for problems with tooth decay – which apparently has a lot to do also with inflammation. Not sure whether knowing this helps at all with the remedy.
Ooooh Ashley I do so love your mind. But before I get into all that, I have to report the result of my dental checkup (2 days ago) – the ONLY thing I have changed in my life, diet, etc. is to use the nanoparticle minerals (Bone Support) each night before bed (swishing and holding in my mouth for ~ 5 mins. before swallowing) and the results of my checkup are…..
NO DECAY
For the first time in 11 years!!!
Needless to say, my kids are ecstatic and can’t wait for their checkup next month.
Allrighty, now that we’ve got that out of the way. Yes, the IBD link makes perfect sense and fits in nicely with the the other correlations the med literature has found between IBD and sugar consumption, refined carb consumption etc. And don’t dietary habits tend to run in families?
But here’s something else to sink your teeth into: I just read an article in my Weston Price Journal – oh hang on, I’ve found it online for you:
http://www.westonaprice.org/From-Attention-Deficit-to-Sleep-Apnea.html
Have a read through that, because what I’m wondering now is: what’s the correlation between IBD and maloclusions, mouth breathing and orthodontic work (braces)? What do you think?
And yes, I was malnourished from a low-nutrient diet in utero onwards, had 10 mercury amalgam fillings by age 14, had 4 bicuspids removed at 18 and wore braces for 3 years – I was just like the twin in the top set of photos (see Twin Study in the article).
How wonderfully delightful that you have finally beaten the orthodontic curse, Jini! I can’t imagine ever looking forward to sitting in the reclining torture seat – and I speak as one who has had relatively well-behaved teeth that sprouted without much ado in a straight orderly manner. Given your amazing results with bone support for your teeth, I wonder how strong an effect it must have had on your overall skeletal strength – which is something that all people with inflammatory gut issues should be conscious of.
Oh how I weep for the victimized twin! I thank god everyday that I don’t have such a one to be constantly compared to… but your point is fascinating. It is sort of a chicken and an egg query – people with misaligned teeth and such have a harder time keeping them free of bugs and gum disease as they tend to provide niches that are hard to reach and provide a perfect breeding ground. Then again, this problem may be due to poor nutrition or other such deficiency. Now almost every disorder – from heart disease to diabetes is linked to poor teeth, periodontal disease or cavities. The mouth – being the opening of our large hole running through the body – is essentially the welcoming mat for both pathogenic and friendly bugs. Thus, it makes perfect sense that it would set the stage for problems further down the opening. This leads to the question of whether fixing problems with your oral cavity is the first step to controlling or healing your gut problems. I think that is a very novel hypothesis.