teeth

[nick]

Hey Oscar!

Hmmm. When I floss my gums seem less inflamed. But I forget to floss for about a week and my gums became more inflamed and now when I floss they hurt and bleed just a little. I think after a few more days, they will go back down in their inflammation.

Why did this occur now that I'm on the diet?
I always brush twice a day.

Also, I notice that I have more plaque on my teeth. I will clean them with fingernail or toothpick and see that their is a white yeasty substance. Could this be that yeast growing on my tongue? I think it is...

Also, near the end of the day I can feel my teeth getting more brittle and I tend to lightly grind them. This usually depends on how acidic my juice is and I though they quite ripe today. It feels like the acids are stripping away the outer layer of my grinding/chewing teeth ( the ones farther back).

I don't want this to get worse or else I might have to go off the diet.

Hmmmm...

[Oscar]

Hey Nick

Gum inflammation is caused by plaque (bacteria, food debris, saliva).
To avoid this, you need perfect cleaning once per 48 hours. So once per day should be enough, as long as all plaque is gone.

Tartar cannot be removed by a brush, so if you have that, you might want to go to a dental hygienist to get it removed.

Plaque on teeth surfaces usually isn't that much of a problem, because it's easily cleaned with tongue and/or brush. The areas which are more of a problem are the tooth-gum area where the sulcus gingivalis is, the pocket between gum and tooth. Between the teeth these areas are even harder to clean. This is where floss comes in handy.

So how do you brush, and how do you floss? And when do you brush?

The acids do strip away the outer layer of the teeth, which is called 'erosion', but normally they will remineralize during the night.

[nick]

Hey Nick

Gum inflammation is caused by plaque (bacteria, food debris, saliva).
To avoid this, you need perfect cleaning once per 48 hours. So once per day should be enough, as long as all plaque is gone.

Tartar cannot be removed by a brush, so if you have that, you might want to go to a dental hygienist to get it removed.

Plaque on teeth surfaces usually isn't that much of a problem, because it's easily cleaned with tongue and/or brush. The areas which are more of a problem are the tooth-gum area where the sulcus gingivalis is, the pocket between gum and tooth. Between the teeth these areas are even harder to clean. This is where floss comes in handy.

So how do you brush, and how do you floss? And when do you brush?

Well, I do the Bass Method at the 45 degree angle. Then I make sure to brush my chewing teeth from the inside to the outside. The inside of the teeth seem to trap alot of the plague/food debris.

I floss each night. But I haven't for the last week. I usually go between the tooth and gum and go back and forth a few times.

I brush in the morning and evening before and after sleep.

The acids do strip away the outer layer of the teeth, which is called 'erosion', but normally they will remineralize during the night.

True. I notice that when I get a good nights rest, that this process if much better than say 5-6 hours of sleep. Also, on my front two teeth on my upper jaw, there is a white 'erosion' likeness to those teeth. It's located where the teeth goes into the gums. This hasn't progressed. Also on two of my bottom teeth, there is a little of the same thing. A whiteness where the gum meets the tooth.

There is some slight grooves on some of my teeth as well. But when I make sure to get a solid nights sleep my teeth have improved.

[avalon]

It very interesting. I actually have noticed the opposite. I will say though I don't do the oj sipping thing. I actually don't do oj because of preferences...

I have found that I no longer have the build up that I can scrape with my nail or toothpick, and I know exactly what you mean.

I found this as an example:

Tooth-friendly foods and drinks:

* Choose a wide variety of healthy foods every day.
* Foods such as dairy foods (milk, cheese and yoghurt) have lots of calcium in them, which helps develop strong healthy teeth.
* If you can’t have dairy foods, look for foods which have calcium added (not all soy drinks have added calcium).
* Don't have lots of snacks between meals, especially ones that contain sugars and acids. These cause plaque to build up on teeth, which can cause tooth decay.
* Choose water as your main drink. Tap water is best because it contains fluoride which hardens and repairs the enamel surface of teeth. Rinsing out your mouth with water after you have had something to eat helps stop plaque building up too. Tank water and bottled water (spring water) don’t have fluoride in them, so they don’t protect teeth as well as tap water.
* Where possible, choose medicines and cough lollies that are sugar free.

[avalon]

I just meant to include the reference to acids and sugars...not the calcium-floride-water parts.

Sorry.

[Oscar]

It seems to me you're doing fine. A few details:
- in the morning, do you brush before or after eating or drinking something?
- the Bass method is good, but it takes time to do it thoroughly. You can actually feel the hairs of the brush go into the sulcus gingivalis
- flossing also takes time...as you describe it, that's the way to do it
- brush your tongue if you didn't do it already

The white spots are decalcifications. These can either turn into cavities, or stay the same.

If, due to prolonged presence of plaque and/or tartar in the sulcus gingivalis, the gingivitis (gum inflammation) turns into periodontitis (ligament and bone inflammation), the sulcus gingivalis turns into a 'pocket' (>4mm) and becomes very difficult, if not impossible, to clean.

I'm not sure if our regenerative powers are increased because of the diet.

[nick]

It seems to me you're doing fine. A few details:
- in the morning, do you brush before or after eating or drinking something?

I always brush before I eat. Sometimes I'll eat a banana for breakfast, then drink from my OJ for few hours.

- the Bass method is good, but it takes time to do it thoroughly. You can actually feel the hairs of the brush go into the sulcus gingivalis

Ok. So work the bristles deeper but necessarily harder/more pressure?

- flossing also takes time...as you describe it, that's the way to do it

Good to hear!

- brush your tongue if you didn't do it already

I do. Have you heard of P' d Arco? It is some natural remedy to to candida?

The white spots are decalcifications. These can either turn into cavities, or stay the same.

Are these reversible? Do you know what caused these decalcification?

If, due to prolonged presence of plaque and/or tartar in the sulcus gingivalis, the gingivitis (gum inflammation) turns into periodontitis (ligament and bone inflammation), the sulcus gingivalis turns into a 'pocket' (>4mm) and becomes very difficult, if not impossible, to clean.

Ok. I definitely don't want that to happen.

I'm not sure if our regenerative powers are increased because of the diet.

How are your teeth since being on this diet?

Thanks very much Oscar! This is the only problem I seem to encountered on this diet so far that I haven't been able to fix yet.

[Oscar]

It seems to me you're doing fine. A few details:
- in the morning, do you brush before or after eating or drinking something?

I always brush before I eat. Sometimes I'll eat a banana for breakfast, then drink from my OJ for few hours.

Good.

- the Bass method is good, but it takes time to do it thoroughly. You can actually feel the hairs of the brush go into the sulcus gingivalis

Ok. So work the bristles deeper but necessarily harder/more pressure?

Not necessarily to do either, just make sure they do.

Have you heard of P' d Arco? It is some natural remedy to to candida?

Nope, I haven't.

The white spots are decalcifications. These can either turn into cavities, or stay the same.

Are these reversible? Do you know what caused these decalcification?

Not to my knowledge.
There are a few causes, but the important ones are plaque (i.e. bacteria -> acid) and fluoride. The latter one tends to be more spread all over the teeth instead of on the gumline.

How are your teeth since being on this diet?

They seem to be the same as before. Maybe stronger, but that could be my imagination, since there's nothing to even remotely prove that.

Thanks very much Oscar!

You're welcome!

[avalon]

Here's a better quote:

Q. Can a change in my diet help prevent dental erosion?
A. Acidic foods and drinks such as fruit and fruit juices, particularly citric ones including lemon and orange, can be particularly harmful to teeth. Fruit juices and fruit contain natural acids, which are also harmful to teeth. Fizzy drinks are also a cause of enamel erosion. It is important to remember that even diet brands are still harmful. Even flavoured fizzy waters can have an effect if taken in large amounts, as they contain certain acids which can harm teeth.

I follow wait pretty strictly except for the oj. I've notice just a couple of noticable things since starting the diet. 1. My body odor has changed remarkably. I'm not even sure how to decscribe it. 2. A sense of clarity. 3. And my teeth lost that film you spoke of. I used to have it upon waking, but not anymore.

If you google Fruitarians and tooth decay, you'll find some interesting info. I don't mean to put down oj in any way. But my gut says don't hesitate to cut back on the juice as a test- just like some who break-out on brazil nuts -cut back or stop eating them...

tweak away

Best wishes

[nick]

Not a bad idea!
But how would I continue this diet, economically and practicality of not having juice?

[Cairidh]

The only way to eat fruit without it being harmful to your teeth is to juice it, and drink the juice with a straw, being careful to take the juice right into the back of your throat (its crafty at making its way to your mouth and teeth, even with a straw).

[CurlyGirl]

Have you heard of P' d Arco? It is some natural remedy to to candida?

Nick, you are thinking of Pau d'arco:

This is a natural-grown herb, derived from the inner bark of the Taheebo tree in South America.

The ancient Incas and Aztecs were probably the first to be familiar with the herb's healing powers. The tea has been used for many centuries by the Indio tribes of South America. Many people report that this tea has curing powers.

Doctors and healing specialists throughout the world now recommend Pau d'Arco tea for the treatment of many diseases.

Dr Daniel B Mowry, PhD, stated in his widely published article on Pau d'Arco: "whole Lapacho has produced clinical anti-cancer effects without side effects." In addition, South American medical practioners have used Pau d'arco tea as a primary treatment for cancer for many decades.

According to the author Susan Clark, Pau d'Arco (or Lapacho) is one of the most effective herbs to combat yeast problems (see her article here). She states that even the flowers of this Brazilian 'Tree of life' are deadly to parasites and fungal and viral infections, and various studies have shown it to have a potent anti-microbial action.

Susan says that "as an immune booster, Pau d'Arco ranks alongside Echinacea as a great winter cold beater, but it has these other benefits too. Its anti fungal properties make it ideal for the treatment of Athletes’ foot. Taking Pau d’Arco internally has been shown to reduce topical fungal infections (such as fungal nail infections)."

Susan continues: "With growing concerns over the levels of antibiotics in the modern food chain, and the effects of these on the probiotic ‘good’ bacteria, it is a great ‘protector’ even for those not unlucky enough to have suffered yeast infection. Studies have found it useful in the treatment of Chronic Fatigue, which may be related to Yeast problems."

Customers have told us, and Susan agrees, that you can get a foggy head as the yeast is being killed by the herb. Drink plenty of water and think about taking a liver support herbal supplement, which may make the process more comfortable."

(from: www.shazzie.com)

[Chin-Chin]

Hey guys,

I've been having swollen gums (not just isolated area, but the entire upper teeth) and it's been bleeding for the past two days. Tonight I just brushed, and there was so much blood that it tasted salty and I spit a lot of blood. What is going on?

I brush my teeth twice a day, and have only had inflammation in isolated area on occasions and usually, it goes away with a bit of brushing...

Not good...

Did you read this thread: http://www.acneboard.com/forum/viewtopi ... sc&start=0? Maybe your answer is in there?

Yeah, Oscar,

I just read this thread more carefully, and it's even more frightening that other people are having the same problems. I didn't have dental problems before, and because I starting blending my cocktails with orange juice (I used to not eat oranges at all), my gums reacted within hours! And it's not going away (they don't react to lemon) ...

I think it's definitely the orange juice. I'll try to replace with grapefruit, but if this goes on, I'll have to discontinue the diet

[avalon]

CurlyGirl,

I've never heard of Pau d'arco. Cool. Sounds very interesting.

Chin-Chin,

Why would you have to give up the diet because of Orange juice? There are other juices, maybe Grapefruit will work for you...Have a bowl of fruit instead of drinking juice, it's less likely to seep in between teeth. Maybe just belending a babana in will help also.

[avalon]

sorry, blending a banana!