Natural Dental Care: Heal Your Teeth

The natural dental care focuses on providing safe and natural treatments to patients by getting rid of toxic materials and metals traditionally used by conventional dentists. This field of dentistry also focuses on prevention rather than curing the problems. It focuses on the health of the whole person, not just his dental health. The healthier the body is, the more likely it is for the teeth to be healthy. Diet and exercise as they impact a person's health are also given consideration.

A practitioner of natural dentistry will never use such potentially harmful treatments as mercury dental amalgams. This substance is a toxin and all dentists must handle it as hazardous waste. Since amalgams are about 50% mercury, do you really want that in your mouth? Mercury has been found to cause many complications in the body including multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Fillings used in natural dentistry are coloured resins and porcelain as well as gold. Old mercury fillings are often replaced by these safer materials in order to improve a patient's health.

Crowns used by orthodox dentists are made of materials that contain toxic metals like nickel. Metal free, porcelain and ceramic crowns are an excellent option for those concerned about what goes into their mouth.

Practitioners of natural dental care do not believe that tooth decay is caused by a lack of fluoride, but rather poor brushing techniques and an inadequate diet. In fact, excessive fluoride has been linked to loss of appetite in children, weakness of muscles and nerve damage.

So the patient is not given a fluoride treatment, but rather is shown the best brushing and flossing techniques as well is advised on the best diet which will ensure healthy teeth and gums. The dentist teaches his patients about the harmful effects of white flour, refined sugar and white rice. A diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables as well as protein from eggs, chicken and beef is also recommended.

Gum disease is addressed by the dentist by advising daily cleaning. Vitamin supplements and herbs may also be recommended. These include calcium to strengthen bone and vitamin C for healthy soft tissue. Tea tree oil in toothpaste and mouthwash is helpful in reducing the bacterial build up which can cause an infection. Diet, exercise and the state of mind of the patient are also taken into consideration. By controlling gum disease, the chances of suffering stroke, heart attack, diabetes and obesity are reduced.
Practitioners of natural dentistry hold the belief that root canal procedures can produce poor health by not thoroughly treating infections unable to be detected by x-rays. Alternative treatments such as red heat lamps, or sauna therapy are used. If these processes do not work, they will consider extracting the tooth.

Anaesthetic is available at the surgery of a natural dentistry practitioner. Acupuncture is also often made available for pain control, as well as nitrous oxide (laughing gas).

Dental Hygiene and a Well-Balanced Diet: How a Healthy Diet Equals Healthy Teeth

Healthy Teeth Need a Well-Balanced Diet

Many people think they can maintain healthy teeth just by regularly brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash. Although these practices are a crucial part of good dental hygiene, they are not the only habits that should be cultivated. A key factor to healthy teeth is maintaining a healthy diet. Unnecessary sugars should be eliminated, and the diet should be well balanced in order to help the body get all the minerals and vitamins it needs to promote teeth and gum health.

Sugar and Starch Create Tooth Decay and Gum Disease

Bacteria in the mouth continually coat teeth with a residue known as plaque, and when sugar or starch is consumed, the bacteria break it down into an acid which then eats away at tooth enamel. If left unchecked, this acid can eat through enamel and the moment it works its way past the hard enamel to the soft dentin, it wreaks havoc on the tooth. It's not that hard to figure out that sugar is contained in cookies, candy, and other sweets, and starch, found in bread and cereals, is just as important to moderate. A food that isn't the usual suspect but can cause harm is dried fruit. When fruit is dehydrated, the moisture leaves, but the acid and sugars remain, and often the fruit gains a chewy, sticky texture which clings to teeth. A few suggestions to help control sugar and starch consumption and protect teeth:

Don't snack on unnecessary sugars and starches. Sugars and starches found in a turkey sandwich are more desirable than those found in a soft drink.

If a sweet craving just won't go away, don't linger on the sugary snack or eat sugar continually through the day. The longer sugar remains in the mouth, the more time the bacteria has to break it down to acid and start attacking enamel, so it is far better to eat a dessert in one sitting than a bag of candy throughout the day.

Eat fresh fruit instead of dried fruit. Although fresh fruit still contains sugar and acid, the increased chewing it takes to consume fresh fruit causes more saliva to be produced which dilutes harmful acid in the mouth and washes away food efficiently.

Chew sugar-free gum instead of gum containing sugar. Again, this keeps sugar from lingering in the mouth and produces saliva to wash out the mouth.

Eat Foods High in Nutrients that Promote Healthy Teeth

Along with keeping unwanted foods to a minimum, it is also crucial to include foods within a diet that assist in maintaining dental health. It is important to remember that though enamel once destroyed cannot repair itself, eating a diet high in healthy nutrients helps to prevent any further damage of enamel, keeping enamel loss to a minimum. A lot of the nutrients can be found naturally in foods, as well as in vitamins and liquids:

Calcium - Calcium is very important when maintaining good dental hygiene, as it helps to form strong teeth and bones. This is especially important for pregnant women, as it promotes the formation of healthy bones. Calcium can be found in dark green leafy veggies, sardines, almonds, and low-fat milk products.

Vitamin D - Vitamin D is essential for the body to help it absorb calcium efficiently. It can be found in milk, fortified soy products, salmon, and sun exposure.

Vitamin A - Vitamin A helps to boost the immune system and fight disease. It can be found in foods high in beta carotene, like carrots and cantaloupe.

Vitamin C - Vitamin C is great at keeping gums healthy. As a common vitamin, most people know it can be found in citrus fruits, but some other sources are tomatoes, broccoli, and peppers.

Maintain a Balanced Approach to Dental Care

Eating a well-balanced diet and cutting back on sugar and starch is a great way of rounding out efficient healthy dental routine, along with teeth brushing, flossing, and rinsing. An informed perspective on daily dental care will help to maintain the health of teeth and gums and cause the twice annual visit to the dentist's chair to be far less ominous, maybe even cheerful!