In my previous
post, I wrote about the dreaded dentist’s visit that I inadvertently missed.
Eventually, I was able to reschedule for a time that was not very early in the
day and that wouldn’t interfere with my work schedule. Six months later, at the
next scheduled teeth-cleaning appointment, the dentist told me my gums were
receding, so he prescribed PreviDent 5000,
which is a toothpaste that contains a high amount of fluoride. At the very
mention of PreviDent, my mind was churning out thoughts: Isn’t fluoride a bad thing, especially in higher amounts? I’ll research
this product before having the prescription filled. Are there any alternatives
to fluoride that I can use?
I didn’t even
bother to ask the dentist or let him know about my suspicions about fluoride
because I know that he would’ve dismissed my ideas and thoughts as crazy. He’s
been my dentist since the early 1990s, so I know how and what he thinks about
certain dental-related concepts, and if those ideas are contrary to his
beliefs, he’ll either grunt or walk away and ignore me and my inquisitive mind
(similar to how my dad used to respond to me when I asked him religious
questions).
When I got home
from the visit, I promptly researched as much as I could about fluoride: the
good, the bad, the downright awful. In a nutshell, fluoride is present in more
than just toothpaste. ”Fluoride is found
naturally in soil, water, foods, and several minerals, such as fluorapatite and
fluorite.” [From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154164.php]
Too much fluoride is bad for everyone. After scaring myself half to death about
the evils of fluoride, I starting looking for alternatives that I could use. My
goal was to eliminate fluoride from my diet as much as possible, particularly
from my toothpaste. I don’t think I can totally eliminate it from the foods I
eat unless I grow my own food (not a possibility for me at this time). That leaves
me with finding an alternative in toothpastes.
I researched
fluoride alternatives, and I discovered two products that might do the trick:
theobromine (a compound found in cocoa) and xylitol (a sugar alcohol). I tried
Theodent (for more info on this, here is the official website that makes this
toothpaste: http://www.theodent.com/), which
is a toothpaste that contains no fluoride, but does contain theobromine. I had
to order it from Amazon because the local stores don’t carry it. The first week
of using Theodent was interesting. My mouth hurt, not my teeth, but my mouth. I
attributed this to the clearing out of all fluoride in my mouth. After that
first week, the pain in my mouth completely disappeared. I brushed with
Theodent for about a month.
During my most
recent teeth-cleaning appointment, the dentist told me that I needed to have a
cavity filled, so I had to schedule a visit to get that taken care of. I was
hesitant to even go back to the dentist because I was sure he would ask me how
the PreviDent was working for me, and I didn’t want to have to lie or even tell
him the truth – that I was using a toothpaste that had absolutely no fluoride
in it: the opposite of what he prescribed (more fluoride). I was using
fluoride-based toothpaste when the dentist discovered the cavity. Hmm. .
. That does cause some thinking, doesn’t
it? It makes me think that I’m on the right train of thought to eliminate fluoride
from my toothpaste.
The dentist did
not bring up the subject of fluoride. Maybe he forgot he prescribed it to me.
Maybe he’ll wait until the next teeth-cleaning appointment to ask me that
question. Anyway, since that visit to fill the cavity (and a second one to
boot), I’ve switched from using Theodent to a xylitol-based toothpaste
from Tom’s of Maine: “fluoride-free,
natural ANTIPLAQUE & WHITENING toothpaste” that I bought at the grocery
store. I was looking for Theodent, but when I couldn’t find it, I started
looking for other fluoride-free toothpastes, and that’s when I stumbled across
Tom’s. The antiplaque and whitening formula was the only one I could find, so I
purchased it. Since my teeth are very sensitive to hot and cold fluids (more to
cold than to hot), I’ve “wish-listed” a Tom’s sensitive paste on Amazon, and
the next time I place a supplements order, I’ll throw that into the mix.
Since the dentist
filled the two cavities, I’ve been experiencing mouth pain (teeth and gum pain).
For about two years, my dentist has been hinting that one of my teeth needs a
root canal. At that last visit, he filled a cavity in that tooth as an
alternative to getting the root canal because he knows I don’t want to go that
route (that’s another thing I thoroughly researched: root canals). Because I’m
having pain in that tooth, now (since he filled it), I’m wondering if he did
more harm than good. I may have to go back to the dentist to see what can be
done to eliminate that pain, but I definitely don’t want to hear that that
tooth needs a root canal. I keep thinking that the reason he filled it is
because he knew I would come back with pain, and he could then tell me the
tooth needs a root canal. I’ve really got to stop with these conspiracy
theories. Perhaps, I really do read too much. Never! Reading keeps me informed
(among other tasks).
What am I doing,
on my end, to eliminate the pain I’m feeling in these two teeth and the
surrounding gums? After doing extensive research on how to eliminate toothache
pain, the first thing I did was rub lavender salve on my face, particularly my jaw
and chin. The second thing I did was drink ginger tea. The third thing I did was
rub ginger extract on my teeth and gums. These three tasks work! The lavender
salve works surprisingly well. It also makes my skin smooth and eliminates any
pimples that sometimes pop up. Ginger, like lavender, has a wealth of healing
properties. It is extremely beneficial for tooth-related problems. Ginger is an
awesome pain reliever! It helps improve digestion, circulatory, and respiratory
problems, and that’s just the icing on the cake (see http://bembu.com/ginger-benefits
for more info on ginger). If you “Google” ginger or benefits of ginger, you’ll
find a seemingly endless supply of websites and web pages that tout the
advantages of using ginger in everyday life.
I recently bought
ginger extract because I want to make mock ginger Altoids. The Altoids company
has stopped making Ginger Altoids because, apparently, not enough people bought
them (I know because I sent the Altoids company an e-mail message asking if it
was still going to make the ginger flavored mints). That prompted me to look
for recipes on how to make ginger mints. I haven’t made the ginger mints yet
(but will soon – before the next semester begins). I’ve discovered another
unique and quite pleasant use for the ginger extract: rub it on my teeth and
gums to “rub out” the pain.
Earlier today,
that all-too-familiar pain in my mouth occurred, and the first item I grabbed
was the ginger extract. All I have to do is unscrew the cap, put my index
finger over the top of the bottle, tilt the bottle upside-down and
right-side-up again, and scrape my finger across the top of the bottle to
eliminate any excess extract on my finger (because a little goes a long way).
Then, I just rub my finger over my teeth and gums and wait for it to take out
the pain. I thoroughly wash my hands both before and after applying the ginger
extract. If I don’t wash my hands afterwards, then anything I touch on my body,
arms, legs, face, etc., will get ginger extract on it. Sometimes, that has a
burning effect. While the ginger extract is doing its job, it’s also creating a
very hot effect in my mouth and on my tongue. If I put too much on my finger
and then in my mouth, it eventually will end up in my throat. The first time I
tried the ginger extract, it was quite hot and some of it ended up running down
my throat. A quick sip of milk eliminated the burning sensation in my throat.
I’ve also discovered that Saltine crackers do a decent job of that, too. The
very hot sensation lasts anywhere from 8 – 10 minutes before subsiding. After
another 10 minutes or so, the tooth/gum pain has virtually
disappeared.
What I need to
remember is that I should apply the extract to my teeth and gums on a more
regular basis, even if I’m not feeling any pain. Like most people, if I don’t
feel the pain, I don’t treat the problem. If I apply this treatment about three
times a day, every day, for a week or so, I could possibly eliminate the
teeth/gum pain for good because of ginger’s overall properties. It is such a super-food for me. It helps eliminate GERD (just from chewing a ginger candy or
drinking a cup of ginger tea after my meals). It’s good for nausea – totally
getting rid of it (that’s what even one Ginger Altoids mint can do). Some studies
(honest-to-goodness ones) show that ginger may lower bad cholesterol levels so
that’s always a plus for using ginger. There is just a wealth of good
information on the Internet about the benefits of ginger.
I’m not saying
that ginger really will eliminate the teeth and gum pain, but I will be happier
for it if it does. I’ll go back to the dentist if this method fails. Next week,
I’m going to do a parasite-cleanse, and I’m hoping that whatever is ailing the
mouth pain might be removed because of the cleanse. I’ll definitely keep you
posted on those results. I think I’ll keep a daily journal or log on how that’s
going to keep abreast of any dangers and/or benefits of the overall
parasite-cleanse. For now, I can tell you that I’ll be taking ParasiteClear
(ordered from Amazon). I’ve already thoroughly researched all of the ingredients
contained in this product, and none of them appear to contain any adverse
effects (some of them I already use on a daily or monthly basis). The
ParasiteClear-cleanse can only be done for 10 days. If it doesn’t do a decent
enough job of ridding my body of whatever ails me, I’ll have to wait a few
months to try it again. Some people do a second clean (2 or 3 months later)
just as a general upkeep. I don’t know if I’ll have the time to do that then.
When it comes to
pain management, my first recourse is to go the natural remedy route, and
that’s just because I’m not fond of doctors (or dentists). I’ve seen a plethora
of doctors in my lifetime. Some of them have been very good in helping me heal,
and others have been just totally the opposite. I’ve learned to heal pain on my
own rather than run off to the nearest doctor or medical facility for
overpriced diagnoses, tests, and medications. I’m fairly certain I inherited
that from my mother, and I’m thankful for her insight on things of this nature.
