(I actually once had a dentist who recommended this... stating that if you don't use toothpaste, then you can FEEL when you teeth are clean, instead of getting a false impression from the toothpaste).
My 82 yr old father cannot "swish and spit" when we brush his teeth due to being disabled by a stroke. A naturopath recommended we use a product called Dentalcidin which contains herbal ingredients to fight bad bacterial in the mouth that can cause decay, but my dad doesn't like the taste of it, so we overlay it with some of Dr. Bronner's Peppermint toothpaste. Both have ingredients that are safe to swallow.
I became aware of the hazards of fluoride (even small amounts in the mouth) decades ago and have only used non-fluoride toothpastes. It's just one fewer toxin I need to have in my body. Most women don't get enough iodine and breast tissue has the highest requirement for iodine, so the receptors there will bind to anything in the same chemical family: chlorine, bromine and fluorine, all of which are toxins. And then we wonder why there's so much breast cancer? We were done an injustice when bread flour became bromated (thankfully I gave up most grains too!). A toxin is still a toxin, no matter how little we manage to ingest, especially if there are receptors in the body looking to grab onto something like it.
Dr. Mercola and other holistic doctors have warned at length about the hazards of fluoride in water and toothpaste. My next door neighbor gave his girls fluoride treatments when they were young, and both have serious health problems now. There are enough alternative toothpastes on the market, for both kids and adults, that don't have fluoride, that it should really be a non-issue for those who are educated on the matter and have a choice. Oil pulling is another good technique to learn to keep the teeth and gums healthy - using coconut oil or sesame oil. Good nutrition - sufficient vitamin D3 with co-factors of fat-soluble vitamin A, vitamin K2, magnesium, zinc and boron are all needed to get calcium into the bones and teeth. And, as the late Dr. Weston A. Price discovered, healthy fats in the diet are critical to healthy gums and teeth. So check out information on the Weston A. Price Foundation website.
Dr. Thomas Levy is also one of my favorite go-to authors. A cardiologist, he was reformed to holistic practices by a friend of his who was a dentist! His book "The Toxic Tooth" was one of the first to explain the hazards of root canals and their effect on health. The link between periodontal health and cardiac health is also well-established. Dr. Levy's book "Death By Calcium" deals with the other myth that we need to supplement with calcium and eat a lot of dairy to make strong bones and teeth. In fact, most of our diet has plenty of calcium, but we need the co-factors to help our bodies metabolize and utilize it right -- all of which affects our teeth and potential for remineralization.
Can we just use no toothpaste at all?
(I actually once had a dentist who recommended this... stating that if you don't use toothpaste, then you can FEEL when you teeth are clean, instead of getting a false impression from the toothpaste).
Does fluoride actually assist in the remineralisation of teeth ?
I don't think there's a parent on earth who conforms to those toothpaste dosage recommendations!
My 82 yr old father cannot "swish and spit" when we brush his teeth due to being disabled by a stroke. A naturopath recommended we use a product called Dentalcidin which contains herbal ingredients to fight bad bacterial in the mouth that can cause decay, but my dad doesn't like the taste of it, so we overlay it with some of Dr. Bronner's Peppermint toothpaste. Both have ingredients that are safe to swallow.
I became aware of the hazards of fluoride (even small amounts in the mouth) decades ago and have only used non-fluoride toothpastes. It's just one fewer toxin I need to have in my body. Most women don't get enough iodine and breast tissue has the highest requirement for iodine, so the receptors there will bind to anything in the same chemical family: chlorine, bromine and fluorine, all of which are toxins. And then we wonder why there's so much breast cancer? We were done an injustice when bread flour became bromated (thankfully I gave up most grains too!). A toxin is still a toxin, no matter how little we manage to ingest, especially if there are receptors in the body looking to grab onto something like it.
Dr. Mercola and other holistic doctors have warned at length about the hazards of fluoride in water and toothpaste. My next door neighbor gave his girls fluoride treatments when they were young, and both have serious health problems now. There are enough alternative toothpastes on the market, for both kids and adults, that don't have fluoride, that it should really be a non-issue for those who are educated on the matter and have a choice. Oil pulling is another good technique to learn to keep the teeth and gums healthy - using coconut oil or sesame oil. Good nutrition - sufficient vitamin D3 with co-factors of fat-soluble vitamin A, vitamin K2, magnesium, zinc and boron are all needed to get calcium into the bones and teeth. And, as the late Dr. Weston A. Price discovered, healthy fats in the diet are critical to healthy gums and teeth. So check out information on the Weston A. Price Foundation website.
Dr. Thomas Levy is also one of my favorite go-to authors. A cardiologist, he was reformed to holistic practices by a friend of his who was a dentist! His book "The Toxic Tooth" was one of the first to explain the hazards of root canals and their effect on health. The link between periodontal health and cardiac health is also well-established. Dr. Levy's book "Death By Calcium" deals with the other myth that we need to supplement with calcium and eat a lot of dairy to make strong bones and teeth. In fact, most of our diet has plenty of calcium, but we need the co-factors to help our bodies metabolize and utilize it right -- all of which affects our teeth and potential for remineralization.
Anyway, lots of good info out there!
Thank you--I just ordered the chewable tablets.
I just learned about the "fluoride on trial" taking place - FYI: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/fluoride-trial-day-6-systematic-review-lower-iq-children/
(posted 2-8-2024)