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3 Most Simple Ways How To Prevent And Reverse Cavities Naturally
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Toothy decay is a problem almost everyone living in the modern world has to deal with. Cavities and gum disease have just become accepted as a part of life. Left untreated, such conditions can have painful and expensive consequences. New research is showing that traditional methods for solving these problems, such as metal fillings, can pose health risks of their own. Is there a way out of this mess?
Luckily, there are natural and time honored techniques for protecting your gum health, and preventing, and even reversing, the development of cavities. In this article, we’ll explore natural and cost-effective solutions for ensuring your pearly whites remain clean and healthy.
The primary source of tooth decay and gum disease is poor diet. Modern diets are absolutely filled with added sugars and artificial ingredients which contribute to poor oral health. Sugars in particular are one of the worst culprits when it comes to damaging the teeth. Sugar is very acidic, and literally eats away at the enamel of teeth. A common public health scare tactic in elementary schools in the United States is to show children what happens when a newly loosed baby tooth is placed in a bottle of Coca-Cola. Over the course of a few weeks, the tooth is completely dissolved, eaten away by the acidity of the beverage. The message is simple; sugar is bad for your, brush your teeth and don’t eat so much of it. Unfortunately, many young children just don’t listen, and continue eating sugar candies and snack foods. (It doesn’t help the sugar has been proven to have addictive qualities.) Dietary habits acquired during these formative years continue into adulthood and contribute to diabetes, obesity and all the other health problems that often accompany tooth decay.
The most significant sources of dietary sugar intake are carbonated soft drinks, candy, baked goods, syrup, and many types of juice. What makes things worse is that many of these foods contain sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup, which is arguably the most unhealthy additive that is currently legal to put in food. Oftentimes, what you don’t do is just as, if not more important, than the actions that you do take. The first step in tackling the problem of tooth decay and gum disease should always be to reduce to the amount of sugar in your diet.
The traditional remedy for cavities has been fillings. It seems so obvious, there’s a hole in your tooth, it shouldn’t be there, so fill it up. The logic is sound, but is the cure worse than the disease?
Traditional tooth filling procedures consisted of the filling up of the cavity with a metal amalgam that plugged up the hole and prevented the tooth from decaying further. While these fillings certainly do achieve this purpose, they also carry risks of their own. The composition of these fillings can contribute to heavy metal accumulation in the body. While some people believed they were solely composed of silver, they also included metals like mercury which is toxic. The good news is that metal fillings have largely fallen out of use in favor of porcelain ones.
1. Oil pulling
This practice is part of Aryuvedic medicine and can be traced back to ancient India, and has only recently become popular in Western countries. This practice involves the use of natural oils, usually sesame or coconut oil. Swish one tablespoon of the oil around in your mouth for 20 minutes, and spit it out (DO NOT swallow it). These oils have powerful antiseptic and antimicrobial properties, and the oil “pulls” these contaminants off your teeth and out from between your gums, and detoxifies the mouth and prevents disease.
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2. Try using remineralizing toothpaste
Brushing your teeth is a no brainer, everyone knows they should do it. Remineralizing toothpaste offers a number of special advantages over traditional varieties. They work by replenishing the enamel with key minerals that help repair it and prevent further damage. This is very important because past a certain point of decay, damage to the enamel can be irreversible.
3. Eat a Clean Diet
This was touched upon above, but eating a healthy and clean diet will go a long way toward keeping your teeth and gums healthy. In addition to avoiding excess sugars, excessive amounts of carbohydrates can exacerbate tooth decay, gum disease, and growth of bacteria. Eat lots of high quality fats and protein, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly cruciferous vegetables like spinach or kale. Foods rich in calcium, phosphorous and magnesium also contribute to strong teeth and a healthy mouth.
READ ALSO: Natural Home Remedies for Tooth Decay and Cavities
Follow these simple steps and you will be way ahead of most people when it comes to protecting the health of your gums and teeth. Everyone is blessed with a healthy smile. Don’t throw it away with poor dietary and health decisions.
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