The Sugar Effect

I remember my mother warning me that sugar would rot my teeth out. She said brushing my teeth was a sure-fire way to keep away cavities. Every year my dentist would back up this belief and put great emphasis on teeth brushing, but no matter how much I brushed my teeth I was still plagued with consistent tooth decay. It just didn’t seem to add up. My teeth should be protected if I brush them morning and night and every time I eat some sugar, right?

It wasn’t until just a few years ago I discovered that it isn’t actually the sugar touching our teeth that causes the decay, but the sugar in our system that blocks the absorption of important building blocks, like phosphorus, our teeth need in order to keep the enamel in good condition. This was eye-opening for me and has forever changed how I look at dental health. All this time, we’ve been only training our children to brush and floss regularly to keep them out of the dentist chair, when all along the root cause of our problem is what foods like sugar do to our system when ingested.

The Importance of an animal-fat rich diet

Dr. Weston Price lived in a time when some people attributed the cause of tooth decay to the mixing of races! In his book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Dr. Price disproves this myth. He gives an account of his extensive research of some isolated and non-modernized tribes and how their animal-fat rich diet had a direct correlation with their exceptional dental health as well as with the prevention of other degenerative diseases. He shows the decline in the health of these tribes when a more “western diet” is introduced. This book is very informative and fascinating! It’s one of the best examples I think in revealing the incredible benefits of healthy fats being a prominent source of nutrition in our diet as well as the benefits of excluding the foods that accelerate degeneration.

Oil Pulling

Oil pulling is a dental practice that has been used for thousands of years in the Ayurvedic tradition. It is thought to relieve many health ailments such as migraines, acne, asthma and certain systemic issues. To implement oil pulling, you literally swish and “pull” about a tablespoon of oil around and through your teeth for 15-20 minutes. When I first heard about this I didn’t think it was something I could stomach, but when I finally tried it, it soon became a part of my daily routine. You might be thinking, “Why in the world would anyone want to swish with oil?” The oil, preferably coconut oil, works like a magnet drawing unto itself all of the unhealthy bacteria and pathogens that may be lurking around on and between your teeth. Usually, the bacteria gradually become dislodged and are released into your system. Oil pulling takes care of them before they get further down into your body where they can cause a problem. I have seen a great change in the health of my gums since I started oil pulling. I can’t make claims of what it may do for you internally, but I do know through experience that oil pulling can greatly enhance your smile by whitening your teeth and possibly prevent you from getting sick.