As unhealthy as this sounds, I will go ahead and say it anyways. Visiting the dentist regularly (every 6 months, I think) has never been on my list of priorities.
Having said that, I have to also reveal that I have a very sweet tooth. I don't drink soda, and in terms of sweet drinks, it usually stops at pop. But everything else that's sweet goes. This is clearly a recipe for cavities, tooth decay and everything else in the mix.
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| This is going to be in a few days. Hopefully I don't need a filling. Image Source |
I try to brush my teeth twice a day, but I just haven't gotten into flossing. I'm so on and off on that one, I don't know why. Well, over the last year, I've been what I believe to be cavity prone. I haven't been to the dentist to confirm this, but all the weird tooth pain I get once every couple of months lasting about a day or 2 is probably cavities.
Well, no thanks to the holiday treats this season, I woke up this morning to really bad pain in one of my premolars. Like with everything else, when in doubt ask Google. In the process of "researching", I came across the website of this guy struggling with cavities. Check it out.
It's a long read, but he summarizes it at the end which I'll repost:
1. Floss at least three times a week, preferably daily.
2. Sterilize your toothbrush frequently. (Steam, UV, etc. See above. )
3. Get a tongue cleaner and scrape your tongue each morning after you brush your teeth. (ref)
4. Drink enough water.
5. Eat onions (raw are best) since they contain powerful antibacterial sulfur compounds and in a 1997 test tube study killed S. mutans. Then use parsley or mint leaves for your breath.
6. Drink Green tea (Camellia sinensis) which contains substances called catechins that kill mouth bacteria.
7. Get enough vitamin C. Kiwis have more than any other fruit. I currently take 3,000 mg of C each morning in a delicious shake.
8. Eat a tablespoon of sesame seeds to clean teeth and add 87 mg of calcium.
9. Eat wasabi since it contains isothiocyanates that inhibit the growth of cavity-causing bacteria.
10. Eat cashew nuts which have anacardic acids that kill bacteria like S. mutans [Himajima & Kubo 1991 p419]. These nuts have antibacterial, antidysenteric, anti microbial and antiseptic properties.
11. Eat grapes since they contain polyamides, a type of tannin that inhibits the growth of S. mutans. Buy organic to avoid pesticide residues.
12. Eat pure cocoa powder or raw chocolate without sugar, since it contains tannins known to prevent bacteria from attaching to the teeth.
13. Eat Sage honey and Tupelo honey which inhibit oral pathogenic bacteria.
14. Kiss people who never get cavities.
15. Take Culturelle ( Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus GG ) which produces an anti microbial agent that kills Streptococcus.
16. Rinse your mouth with a baking soda solution within 10 minutes after you eat.
17. Cook with cinnamon and oregano.
Here's to healthy teeth!
