Holistic Beauty: Holistic Dental Health

Many people who embrace raw, living foods are surprised when their dentist tells them they have cavities. How can this be, they wonder, since I no longer eat sugary foods like soda pop and candy?

Dental disease is caused by a variety of factors, but one factor remains no matter how healthy your diet and lifestyle: bacteria.  Many microbes live in the mouth, and they feed on particles of food. They don't particularly care if the food is an apple or a piece of apple pie. Once your body begins to digest the food in the mouth, tiny particles remain, and bacteria feed on them. Over time, the by products of their digestion can wear away tooth enamel and cause decay.

The keys to a healthy mouth begin with diet, of course, and for that aspect of holistic dental health, people who embrace raw foods are more than halfway there. Since folks who enjoy the raw food lifestyle rarely, if ever smoke cigarettes, they avoid the damage to the mouth that smoking causes. Because they usually avoid soda pop, candy, and sugary foods, they also avoid the number one culprits that contribute to tooth decay.  And they certainly get plenty of vitamins and teeth-healthy minerals in green smoothies and yummy raw green vegetables.

    
Prevention Tips

But there's more that you can do to prevent dental problems. All of these prevention tips revolve around improved dental hygiene.

1.    Nutrition:  Raw food folks have this one down pat, but it bears repeating.  Eat plenty of greens, which are rich in the minerals your body needs to build healthy bones and teeth. If dental health issues are problematic, avoid raw sweeteners such as honey and agave and cut back on sweet and citrus fruits, which can damage tooth enamel.

2.    Take charge: You have the power to take charge of your health. You know this from following many of the practices of natural hygiene and raw foods – so many people have healed themselves of illnesses just by living a healthy, natural lifestyle. So too can you prevent and even heal dental disease. Change your frame of reference and believe it's possible.

3.    Explore options: There are many dental options for people concerned about the chemicals and heavy metals of traditional dentistry.  Learn all you can about the many treatment options available. If you're not happy with your current dentist, seek out someone with whom you feel you can communicate and who shares your beliefs.


Natural Dental Hygiene

Take the following steps to naturally improve dental hygiene:

1.    Rinse after eating, either with plain water or a natural, organic mouthwash. One great one to try is Auromere's Ayurvedic mouthwash. It contains 32 herbal extracts that help balance the microbes in the mouth as well as neem, an antimicrobial plant extract, and peelu for whiter teeth.  Best of all, it's organic and cruelty-free (not tested on animals). It has a pleasant licorice-mint taste and freshens the breath, too.

2.    Brush after eating. Invest in a soft bristle tooth brush and a good natural toothpaste or powder. Many people think that brushing with a hard bristle brush cleans the teeth better, but it can damage enamel. Gentle is better.

3.    Brush for at least two minutes. Most people brush their teeth for 30 seconds or less, but it actually takes two minutes or more to thoroughly clean the teeth! Yes, rinse and spit in between, but don't stop brushing.

4.    Invest in a dentist's mirror. You know that angled mirror on a stick the dentist uses to see all around your mouth? They're available from some natural dental products catalogs and worth the investment. They help you see all the back teeth you can miss while you brush.

5.    Invest in a sonic water cleanser. Water Pik and other sonic devices use plain water to flush out debris from between teeth and gums. Used in combination with flossing, this can reduce periodontal problems by flushing the gum line using plain water.

For a brighter smile, use these natural prevention tips, see a dentist you trust, and keep smiling!

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These statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration.  The preceding information and/or products are for educational purposes only and are not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or treat illness. Please consult your doctor before making any changes or before starting ANY exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using this information or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.


Written by:  Jeanne Grunert
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