I live in Canada and I use a natural toothpaste, Green Beaver, that is fluoride and sodium lauryl sulphate ( sudsing agent , yuck ) free. I will never go back to a regular toothpaste.

I'm glad a go to a dentist that allows me to choose my treatment. Two years ago, I had severe pain on one side of my face, and my dentist found a small infection in one of my molars. The severity of the pain did not match the small size of this infection. I figured that stress made the pain much more amplified.

She suggested that I either have the tooth pulled ( no way!!!) or that I take antibiotics to treat the infection, but that the infection would still come back and the tooth would have to be pulled. I told her that I would accept neither of those treatment options, since I wanted to cure my pain naturally. I am opposed to antibiotics since I take care to keep my gut bacteria healthy. This was not a life or death situation. I did take her cell phone number in case it got worse, but I never needed to call her.

I consulted my natural health practitioner, my chiropractor, who suggested that I in crease my intake of vitamin C (10,000 mg daily) and chew gum made with xylitol , an anti-fungal. The infection and pain went away and I still have my tooth !

Technically, the fluoride in drinking water and the fluoride in toothpaste and dental uses are two different things. The former is at best useless and at worst harmful through chronic exposure. The latter doesn't really pose the same health threats unless you swallow it, though that information is generally based on the twice-a-year usage of typical dental exams. I suspect the toothpaste has a time-limited recommendation on it for pretty much the same purpose. The dental version has been shown to actually be of some use, though its usefulness may be a bit limited, I think. Basically, it forms a thin layer on the teeth. Kind of like tooth varnish. It's why you don't rinse your mouth out and you have to wait like half an hour to eat or drink anything.

Frankly, though, there are safer and more effective ways to take care of your teeth, in my opinion. Things like fermented cod liver oil and butter oil (I'm a fan of Green Pastures' blend of the two) are phenomenal at healing existing cavities and preventing new ones from forming (in no small part thanks to the vitamin D and K2 in it) by acting from the inside. Making your own toothpaste is easy, too. I typically just use baking soda and coconut oil, though baking soda and water works fine, too, or you can go the other way and make a more involved toothpaste or tooth powder that includes things like bentonite clay (which is a drawing agent and can draw out all sorts of crud from all the little dark corners). Diet itself also goes a long way to preventing cavities by reducing/eliminating foods that prevent nutrient absorption or actively harm the body.

wabmester wrote: »

My dad is a chemist. As a kid, our family was a model of "better living through chemistry."

We ate those delicious fluoride tablets as kids. Probably mega-doses of the stuff.

My teeth (and probably all of my bones) are essentially fossilized. Rock solid. Impermeable. Not a single cavity in 54 years.

My kid, on the other hand, didn't get the same treatment. 6 cavities when she still had her baby teeth. (She brushes better now.)

54 years suggests that your diet and your kid's diet were probably fundamentally different, though (not to mention your wife's through her pregnancy with kiddo, versus your mother's during hers with you). Without more information, there's not really any way to come to the conclusion that it was the fluoride that made the difference.

Also, as you mentioned, her brushing was lackluster. When the SAD is involved, at least, brushing has been shown to make a large difference in dental health (the evidence in favor of brushing drops off when traditional diets are involved, since a number of cultures didn't brush at all and had a near-zero cavity rate as long as they remained on their traditional diet). If she's eating SAD, then her brushing quality will make a huge difference.

For those interested, the book Cure Tooth Decay is a fascinating read on the mechanisms by which we get cavities. The idea behind brushing and conventional dentistry is that bacteria and/or acid builds up in our mouth and causes the cavities, but the book shows diet and nutrition contribute to the weakening of the teeth that leaves them susceptible to damage from acid and bacteria (which makes sense when you also consider the rate of cavities and other dental health issues among women who have been pregnant at least once, and the rate per subsequent pregnancy).

Well, I guess I am just lucky then. I am 43 years old and no cavities.

I'm pro fluoride. My mom took the tablets when she was pregnant with me and I have the only good teeth in my family. Genetically we seem prone to cavities. I've had 4 in my life, all after moving to the ranch with non-flouride water. I do think it's made a difference.

wabmester wrote: »

My dad is a chemist. As a kid, our family was a model of "better living through chemistry."

We ate those delicious fluoride tablets as kids. Probably mega-doses of the stuff.

My teeth (and probably all of my bones) are essentially fossilized. Rock solid. Impermeable. Not a single cavity in 54 years.

My kid, on the other hand, didn't get the same treatment. 6 cavities when she still had her baby teeth. (She brushes better now.)

Kids are meant to have their teeth brushed by an adult until at least 8 years of age, so my sons dental nurse says. Before then they lack the skill to do a good job.

I think a lot of teeth stuff is just pure good luck, I didn't look after mine for many many years and haven't seen a dentist since I was about 7 (I'm almost 33 now), I've never had a cavity or a toothache. It hasn't been through any special effort, I think there was a year when I was depressed where I maybe brushed them once a week (yuck!).

'I've never had a cavity'
I don't want to presume, but I think you may mean you have never had a filling.
If you have not seen a dentist for 26years, it may be that you have undiagnosed tooth decay.
A dentist will take radiographs to determine whether there is decay not visible by direct vision, or developing unseen underneath the enamel layer.
Many cavities develop without symptoms of toothache.

inspirationstation wrote: »

maplehouse200 wrote: »

'I've never had a cavity'
I don't want to presume, but I think you may mean you have never had a filling.
If you have not seen a dentist for 26years, it may be that you have undiagnosed tooth decay.
A dentist will take radiographs to determine whether there is decay not visible by direct vision, or developing unseen underneath the enamel layer.
Many cavities develop without symptoms of toothache.

I am not sure if that is a general statement, but I see the dentist every 6 months and they take Xrays annually. I have always had minimal tartar build up too, as they always remark on it. Maybe, I truly am just one of the lucky ones.

Sorry for not making myself clear.
My quotation marks were not in response to your post.