article on keeping teeth healthy....long but worth it!

[Guest guest]

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How to avoid dental decay, gum disease

and erosion for good.

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A letter by Frederic Patenaude

 

To anyone involved in the raw-food and vegan movement or to

anyone who cares about their health, please pass along this

letter to as many people as possible.

 

Research and practical experience has demonstrated that

raw-foodists get more problems with their teeth than the

average American. This is a very unfortunate situation,

since the dental health of Americans is already very bad.

 

One of the few scientific studies done in Germany on the

health of raw-foodists showed that they get more cavities

and more dental erosion than the rest of the population.

This has been observed by nearly every single raw-food

leader and author I have talked to, which have seen that the

dental health of raw-foodists is indeed, very bad.

 

I am sharing this information with you because this issue is

very dear to me. Due to the misinformation that I have

received through reading raw-food books and listening to bad

advice from many leaders in the raw-food and natural hygiene

movement, and also due to my own ignorance, my dental health

has suffered tremendously. Before becoming a raw-foodist, at

the age of 20, and with no special care in my diet or dental

hygiene, I had a few fillings only. After 4 years on a raw

or mostly raw vegan diet, I got 19 cavities. Even then, with

renewed efforts in order to reverse the situation, the decay

pursued its course and I got other cavities.

 

This unfortunate situation led me to find the truth and lies

about dental decay and gum disease and this is why I am

sharing this information with you today.

 

By carefully following the advice below I have been able to

reverse the situation and even re-enamelize some of my

teeth.

 

Understand this: Only one thing can cause tooth decay,

erosion and gum disease: acidity. The acidity can come from

the foods you eat, or be produced by acid producing bacteria

that live in the mouth. These bacteria live of sugar and

decomposed food particles. If the teeth are clean, if

acidity is removed from the teeth promptly, if sugar is not

allowed to remain in the mouth for very long and if enough

minerals are present in the diet to build strong,

decay-resistant teeth, you will avoid erosion and never have

problems with your teeth and gums ever again.

 

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The reasons why raw-foodists have problems with their teeth

are the following:

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1- After eating, the PH in the mouth drops to a more acid

state. It takes 1-2 hours for it to go up. If you are

snacking often, like most raw-foodists are, the PH in the

mouth will stay acid. This is a perfect environment for

bacteria to do their work and produce even more acids that

will create tooth decay. But this will not occur if the

following factors are not present.

 

2- Raw foodists eat too much dried fruit and too many

dehydrated foods. Dried fruit and dehydrated foods encourage

tooth decay and gum disease. Dried fruit and dehydrated

foods stick to the teeth and provide PERFECT nourishment for

the acid-producing bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum

disease. This includes all dried fruit, fruit bars, trail

mixes, dehydrated crackers, raw “burgers,” as well as nuts

and seeds (although nuts and seeds do not have a negative

impact on the teeth if they are eaten in moderation. Soaking

them in advance is better)

 

3- Raw-foodists eat too many acid foods. Acid foods have a

negative impact on the teeth. Those include lemon juice,

fruit juice, citrus fruit, unripe fruit, vinegar and other

acid foods.

 

4- Constant contact with sugary foods encourages tooth decay

and gum disease. If your teeth are in constant contact with

sugar, even the natural sugars in the form of coconut water,

honey, dried fruit, fruit juice or other sugary foods —

tooth decay will occur. It is not okay to sip coconut water

all day long, drink fruit juices, and snack often on sugary

foods.

 

5- Raw diets can be deficient in many important alkaline

minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, that are necessary

to build strong enamel. Sufficient levels of vitamin D and

phosphorus are also necessary to build strong teeth. Those

nutrients can be obtained in a balanced diet. (How? Click

here).

 

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If the following measures are taken, dental decay and gum

disease can be prevented and teeth can be healed up to their

potential. Realize that this is the very minimum you can do

to insure healthy teeth for life.

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1- Rinse your mouth with water during and after eating,

especially when eating fruit and acid foods. Rinsing your

mouth with water during and after meals will help prevent

tooth decay. Water and other neutral liquid wash out

acidity. Whole fresh fruit will have no negative impact on

the teeth if the acids are removed promptly from the teeth

by sipping water as you eat and rinsing your mouth with

water after you’re done eating. Whenever you eat fruit,

rinse your mouth with water immediately after the meal. And

as you are eating your fruit, sip on some water too. An even

better idea would be to eat celery after every fruit meal.

 

2- After eating certain high-sugar fruits that tend to leave

residues on the teeth, you should floss and brush your teeth

(just water and a brush is fine).

 

Those sweet fruits are: bananas, dates, really ripe figs,

persimmons, mangoes, cherimoyas, durian, jackfruit,

sapodilla, sugar apple, sweet sapote, mammey, etc. You can

also eat greens after a meal of such fruits, but brushing

your teeth is a good idea.

 

After eating other types of juicy fruits, it is not

necessary to brush your teeth, but it is still a good idea

to finish that meal with greens (such as lettuce and

celery), and/or swich water in your mouth (you can also use

water mixed with some Celtic sea salt, to restore alkalinity

in the mouth environment).

 

Those juicy fruits include all the following and more:

citrus fruits, apples, grapes, kiwis, pineapple, berries,

melons, papaya, pears, peaches, plums, litchi, etc.

 

3- Avoid dried fruits and dried foods. Dried fruit and

dehydrated foods are NOT raw foods and are not health foods.

Replacing the oven with a dehydrator is not a good move. Eat

fresh foods, not dried foods. However, if you happen to eat

some dried fruit or dehydrated foods, eat an apple or some

celery after, and brush your teeth as soon as possible.

 

4- You should try brushing your teeth with bar soap.

According to Dr. Gerald Judd, Ph.D: “Reenamelization of the

teeth occurs when they are clean. All toothpastes make a

barrier of glycerine on the teeth which would require 20

rinses to get it off. A good solution for clean teeth, which

I have used for 5 years, is bar soap. Wet the brush, swipe

the bar two or three times with it, then brush the teeth

thoroughly and the gums gently. Rinse with water three or

four times. All oils are washed off the teeth and the gums

are disinfected. The bacteria are killed by the soap. The

teeth are then ready for reenamelization with calcium and

phosphate in the diet.” You can use any regular bar soaps.

Find one that you like. It takes some time getting used to

it — but you teeth will never feel so clean.

 

5- Avoid constant contact with sugar. It is okay to eat a

lot of fruit, but have it all in a few meals, rather than

snacking on it throughout the day. Also avoid sipping on

fruit juice, coconut water, etc.

 

6- Insure proper nutrition. In order to build strong,

decay-resistant teeth, certain important minerals must be

present in the diet. Particularly important are calcium,

phosphorus and vitamin D. For more information, read this.

 

7- Remove food particles. It is not necessary to floss, but

food particles that get caught in-between the teeth and

along the gum line must be removed. You can use dental floss

or learn to use a tooth pick. It is important to do this

once or twice a day.

 

8- Research shows that it's more important HOW WELL we brush

rather than HOW OFTEN we brush. A good brushing with a soft

brush takes 2-3 minutes. Same for flossing. Reach every

corner of your teeth and do a thorough job. Two such

thougrough brushings followed or preceded by flossing per

day is enough.

 

Had this simple information been presented to me, I would

have saved $4000 in dental work and avoided the trauma of

dealing with dental problems.

 

Had this simple information not been presented to me, the

decay would have continued its course, leading to worse

problems that would have required: root canals, crowns,

teeth extractions and ultimately the demise of my teeth.

 

Do take this information seriously and pass it along to your

friends.

 

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For other useful tips and health news, please make sure

that you receive my e-zine " Pure Health & Nutrition "

Go to: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/newsletter.html

 

*Raw Vegan & Frederic Patenaude*

6595 St-Hubert, CP 59053

Montreal, QC, H2S 3P5

Canada

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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