Is Bicarb Soda Better Than Fluoride For Cleaning Your Teeth?

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What Really Causes Molar Decay?+ −
- Research of Dr. Weston A. Price
- Research of the Doctors Mellanby
The Doctors' Determination: Diet Affects Oral Wellness
Phytic Acrid Outcome on Oral Health+ −
- Phytic Acid'south Outcome on Bone and Tooth Health
- Vitamin D and Phytic Acid
Can Teeth Regenerate?
How to Remineralize Teeth+ −
- Foods to Sentinel Out For
Remineralizing Teeth: My Experience+ −
- Inquiry Stage
- My Results
- Diet to Help Heal Cavities and Amend Oral Health
- Supplements to Help Heal Cavities and Better Oral Health
- Toothpastes and Powders to Remineralize Teeth
Other Results

If you lot are similar me, you grew up with the idea that carbohydrate and bad genes cause molar decay. Cavities and molar decay meant a person needed to brush better and consume less sugar. And it certainly wasn't possible to remineralize teeth.

I believed all that stuff too… but equally it turns out, there is more than to the story!

This mail service shares my personal business relationship of my inquiry into oral wellness and my ain results. Information technology is not medical or dental advice in whatsoever way. I'm non a dentist or dr. and don't play one on the internet. I recommend finding a great biological dentist to piece of work with on your own oral health.

What Really Causes Tooth Decay?

Turns out, a lot of historical show and recent research points to the idea that diet has a large impact on oral health. In fact, diet might thing as much or more than brushing! As I started researching oral health, I found examples of groups of people with no tooth disuse. I as well found examples of people claiming their teeth had remineralized.

As I thought about this, it made sense…

Why would bones and other tissue be able to heal and regenerate, simply not teeth?

How did other populations throughout the world have dandy oral wellness, no cavities and no need for braces when they didn't even have access to modern dentistry?

Inquiry of Dr. Weston A. Cost

As Dr. Weston A. Price (a dentist) found and detailed in Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, there were cultures throughout the world who had perfect teeth spacing and no show of cavities. This was despite no access to dentists or modern toothpaste, while similar cultures with different diets had very high rates of tooth decay.

Price showed examples of cultures with similar genetic backgrounds. Some living in archaic blazon societies and eating primitive type diets and others eating a more than modernized diet. He concluded that many primitive cultures were able to completely avoid tooth decay and the many oral health problems we struggle with today. This was true even in cultures where they didn't brush their teeth.

weston a price The epitome on the left shows a stark example of this: the woman in the top right ate a primitive, whole-nutrient, high-fat nutrition while the other women ate a more modernized diet that contained grains and agricultural foods.

Price hypothesized that several dietary factors contributed to this deviation in oral health.

Research of the Doctors Mellanby

Sir (Dr.) Edward Mellanby (he discovered Vitamin D) and his lovely wife Dr. May Mellanby were as well influential in discovering the roles of nutrients in oral wellness. These two contributed much research in the areas of os and tooth health and mineral absorption.

In fact, it was Edward who discovered that Vitamin D deficiency caused rickets. They as well discovered that tooth structure is determined during a child'southward growth, and that poorly formed teeth are more than likely to decay (pretty logical).

The Doctors' Conclusion: Nutrition Affects Oral Wellness

These doctors all reached the same conclusion after years of inquiry. Specifically that tooth structure and decay is largely determined by diet, especially iii main factors:

The presence of enough minerals in the diet.
The presence of enough fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and Chiliad) in the diet.
How bio-available these nutrients are and how well the body is absorbing them. They institute that this is largely influenced by the presence of Phytic Acrid in the diet and how much sugar is consumed.

Phytic Acrid Effect on Oral Health

Phytic acid is a molecule of phosphorus tightly bound with other molecules to form a type of phosphorus that is not hands absorbed by humans.

More simply, it is a compound present in grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. It is too present in much smaller amounts in some fruits and vegetables. The trunk naturally converts phytic acid into phytates. Some research shows that these take calcium from the body. Those who swallow high amounts of phytic acid can lose calcium and blot other minerals at lower rates.

Modern growing practices, including the employ of high phosphorus fertilizer, mean a higher phytic acid content in many foods. Seeds, nuts, bran, oatmeal, and soybeans are especially high in phytic acid, and these foods are present in affluence in modern diet.

Check out this article nigh phytic acid for a comprehensive listing of phytic acid content in foods.

Phytic Acrid's Effect on Bone and Molar Wellness

People who swallow big amounts of phytic acid (most Americans) in the grade of grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes have higher rates of tooth decay, mineral deficiencies and osteoporosis.

Just as lack of Vitamin D and poor calcium absorption can crusade malformation of the bones of the legs (equally in the example of Rickets), it tin can cause the jawbone to grade poorly, resulting in spacing problems for the teeth and braces for the child.

Sadly, the nigh commonly eaten diet in America these days is high in grains, sugars, and vegetable oils, and low in animal fats and fat soluble vitamins, the exact contrary of what the Drs. Mellanby establish to exist helpful for optimal bone health and the prevention of tooth disuse.

Vitamin D and Phytic Acid

These doctors showed in their research that teeth are able to heal themselves in a process called remineralization. They explained that specialized cells in the eye of the tooth are able to regenerate dentin, the layer of molar just under the enamel. The enamel tin then properly remineralize from the exterior. This aforementioned procedure happens in bones when phytic acid is removed from the diet and minerals/fatty soluble vitamins are added.

To prove this theory, the Drs. Mellanby did a study on children with existing cavities and reported their findings in the British Medical Journal. The children were put into 3 groups:

I: Regular diet plus oatmeal (which is high in phytic acid)
Ii: Regular nutrition plus vitamin D
Three: Nutrition low in phytic acrid plus vitamin D.

This is what they found:

grains cause cavities and bone loss

The group consuming phytic acid with no supplemental vitamin D continued to go cavities with little to no healing.

Participants that merely supplemented Vitamin D showed some healing, but also got some new cavities.

The group consuming no phytic acid and supplementing Vitamin D showed very few new cavities and actually had many existing cavities heal!

This commodity at Whole Health Source explains more.

Can Teeth Regenerate?

Dentists know that the enamel of teeth can regenerate. Common conventionalities is that in one case a cavity is through the dentin (the layer under the enamel), it is incommunicable for it to heal without dental intervention.

In my ain life and in further reading, I've found that this isn't the instance either. As this commodity elaborates:

Fortunately, a decomposable or broken tooth has the ability to heal itself. Lurid contains cells called odontoblasts, which class new dentin if the diet is proficient. Here's what Dr. Edward Mellanby had to say well-nigh his wife'south research on the discipline. This is taken from Nutrition and Disease:

Since the days of John Hunter it has been known that when the enamel and dentine are injured by compunction or caries, teeth do not remain passive but respond to the injury by producing a reaction of the odontoblasts in the dental pulp in an area generally corresponding to the damaged tissue and resulting in a laying downwardly of what is known as secondary dentine.

In 1922 M. Mellanby proceeded to investigate this phenomenon under varying nutritional atmospheric condition and found that she could control the secondary dentine laid down in the teeth of animals equally a reaction to attrition both in quality and quantity, independently of the original construction of the tooth. Thus, when a diet of high calcifying qualities, ie., 1 rich in vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus was given to the dogs during the flow of attrition, the new secondary dentine laid down was arable and well formed whether the original structure of the teeth was proficient or bad.

How to Remineralize Teeth

To recap, the things that Drs. Mellanby and Dr. Price found to be of import for oral and os health are:

The presence of plenty minerals in the diet.
The presence of enough fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) in the diet.
How bio-available these nutrients are and how well the torso is absorbing them. They found that this is largely influenced by the presence of Phytic Acrid in the nutrition.

What does this mean practically in the diet? It is non possible or necessary to fully eliminate Phytic acrid from the diet. What should be considered is taking care to minimize the foods that contain the highest amounts.

Some preparations like soaking and fermenting can reduce the phytic acid content and should exist good if the foods are going to exist consumed, only in many cases, information technology is improve to avoid these foods completely.

Foods to Picket Out For

Nuts, for instance, have a high phytic acrid content which tin can be greatly reduced by soaking the basics in salt or lemon water overnight so rinsing and dehydrating in the oven (the aforementioned tin be done with beans). While this step is time consuming, information technology is feasible with things like nuts or beans, but much more intensive with wheat (which contains more phytic acid!)

Grains especially are better soaked, sprouted and fermented, if consumed at all, but this procedure does not completely eliminate the other harmful properties of grains. Avoiding the most mutual food sources of phytic acid can also assistance:

Phytic Acid in common foods

You lot might notice that meats, eggs, vegetables, and healthy fats are not on this list of high phytic acid foods. Every bit I've mentioned before, these foods incorporate college levels of vitamins and minerals are are more nutrient dumbo anyhow.

If foods high in phytic acrid are going to be eaten, check out this commodity from the Weston A. Price Foundation on how to sprout, ferment, and soak them to make them less harmful.

There is also a bully book called Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition by Rami Nagel that explains in great detail the connectedness betwixt phytic acrid and tooth/bone health and practical steps to reverse it.

Remineralizing Teeth: My Experience

In early 2022, my regular dental bank check-upwardly revealed that I had some soft spots and a lot of plaque on my teeth. I also had one "official" cavity. The cavity wasn't bad, and while they suggested getting information technology filled before long, information technology wasn't a huge rush. They did warn me that I had the kickoff stages of gingivitis in several places and had a lot of plaque. (It took them about 30-40 minutes to scrape and make clean my teeth, which I thought was normal). They took x-rays, and then I have picture show of my teeth at this time.

I had every intention of getting the cavity filled quickly, but then life happened and I didn't get effectually to scheduling an engagement for months. Past the time I was set up to schedule an appointment, I had seen some interesting info in books about the power of teeth to heal, and then I decided to hold off.

Research Phase

I did more research, read the book Cure Tooth Decay and read accounts of other people reversing dental damage, so I decided to give it a endeavor. I took communication from all the enquiry I had done and figured out a specific diet and supplement regimen that I was going to utilize to endeavour to heal my teeth.

Subsequently a couple of months, my teeth were whiter and much less sensitive to common cold. This was large news to me as I used to have such sensitive teeth that drinking too cold of a drinkable could literally almost bring me to tears.

My Results

It was fall of 2022 before I finally got effectually to making information technology back to the dentist (I know, I know… every six months…) and I didn't mention a thing nearly the cavities and soft spots that needed to be fixed… and neither did the dentist!

It besides only took them about five minutes to clean and scrape my teeth. I thought she was still checking them and she was done! The hygienist told me that my teeth and gums looked great, and asked if I had started using fluoride or fluoride toothpaste (my chart fabricated it very articulate that I was anti-fluoride). I told her no just that I had been trying to brand certain I was taking better care of my teeth lately (very true!).

When the dentist checked my teeth, he didn't mention any problem areas either and remarked that my gums looked bang-up! On a random notation, I heard him telling some other patient that cutting back on the sugar and starches was a good idea since "without starches, cavities can not grade, since they feed on sugar and starches." Newfound respect for my dentist!

So what did I do?

Diet to Help Heal Cavities and Amend Oral Health

I drastically cutting foods that independent phytic acid. I already wasn't eating grains or beans, only I too cutting or limited nuts. Podcast guest Dr. Steven Gundry points out that using a force per unit area cooker like an Instant Pot reduces phytic acid and lectin content and is a nifty option for people who yet want to swallow these foods.
Limited foods containing even natural sugars or starches– I limited fruit and even starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes and focused on mineral rich vegetables, bone broths, meats, and good for you fats. Most dentists will back this communication upwards. Studies testify it isn't merely sugar consumption but how oft we swallow it that is linked to higher risk of cavities.
Ate a LOT of good for you fats. I added seafood, fish oil, olive oil, and healthy fats to my nutrition each day, and used only pastured, cultured butter. This helped increase the presence of fat-soluble vitamins.
I made an attempt to swallow a lot of homemade bone broth for its added minerals. (If you're short on time, I recommend buying your broth online.

To recap: No grains, beans or nuts and limited fruits and starches. Lots of vegetables, protein, healthy fats and bone broth.

Supplements to Help Heal Cavities and Ameliorate Oral Health

To help the body remineralize cavities, it is sometimes necessary to increase mineral levels with supplements. While diet alone might be enough, many foods are depleted of nutrients from being grown in nutrient-depleted soil, so supplements help make full the gaps. These are the supplements I typically recommend for improved oral wellness and dental healing:

Fermented Cod Liver Oil and Butter Blend- This is one of the main supplements recommended by Dr. Price from his inquiry and I took it during this time to aid my teeth. FCLO has become controversial recently, but it is the supplement I used to reverse my tooth problems and so I'm listing information technology here only do not experience comfortable linking to it or sharing the brand.
Vitamin D– This was the other main supplement that Dr. Price and the Drs. Mellanby found was extremely supportive of dental healing. In the study they did, cavities healed even when nutrition wasn't changed if Vitamin D was optimized. Patients healed most when diet was optimized and Vitamin D was added. I personally get my claret levels of Vitamin D tested oft and am conscientious non to have too much.
Other supplements– I besides took magnesium, gelatin and vitamin C daily. These aren't every bit vital to tooth healing.

Toothpastes and Powders to Remineralize Teeth

When I started, I brushed with homemade remineralizing toothpaste daily. I also swished with both calcium and magnesium powders (75% calcium, 25% magnesium) dissolved in water daily to assistance provide minerals and to keep the mouth alkaline.
I no longer make homemade toothpaste since launching my own Wellnesse toothpaste (no mixing required!). It contains hydroxyapatite, a mineral that naturally strengthens and whitens teeth. Ora Wellness Brushing Blend is another nifty choice (and what I used before I created my ain brand).
I brush with activated charcoal every couple of days to help pull toxins from the mouth (Exciting update: My Wellnesse Charcoal Toothpaste is at present available!)
I also practice oil pulling to help support tooth and gum wellness.

Other Results

I've gotten a lot of emails from readers with crenel-gratuitous teeth every bit well. Here is 1 of my favorites:

Hey Katie-

I just want to say thank y'all and share a healing success story thanks to your encouragement!

Last year (at age 30) the dentist told me I had my first cavity. It was not going to heal, he said it was also far advanced and not possible. I told him I didn't want to deal with it considering I was diagnosed with stage 4 carcinoid cancer and had recently had surgery to cut out a tumor. The thought of cutting something else out of my trunk when I was working and so hard to heal my body didn't brand sense to me. So I found your site, read your tips, fabricated homemade remineralizing toothpaste, ate a lot of bone broth and skillful butter, cutting down on phytic acid, etc.

I went back to the dentist 6 months subsequently and he was shocked that the cavity was gone. He wanted me to tell him everything I had done. I felt so skilful!

-Catherine D. from Virginia

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Lauren Jefferis, board certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor or work with a doctor at SteadyMD.

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Steven Lin, who is a Board accredited dentist trained at the University of Sydney. With a background in biomedical science, he is a passionate whole-health advocate, focusing on the link between nutrition and dental health. Heed to my podcast or read the transcript of my interview with him here.

As always, this is non personal medical advice and we recommend that yous talk with your md or dentist.

What practise you think? Would yous effort remineralizing your own teeth? Practice yous already do these things?

Did you know it's possible to remineralize teeth naturally? Teeth must be taken care of from the inside as well as the outside. This is how you do it.