teeth

[Oscar]

I think Homo Sapiens in optima forma, on an optimal diet, shouldn't need anything. I'm not sure in what state we are, so basically it takes personal experimentation to figure out what works best for you. My current recommendation is to clean daily (1 or 2 times), very gently but meticulously. Using the Bass method for brushing, toothpicks and/or floss if needed.

[Marty]

One may clean the mouth as Oscar suggests above and also get one's teeth checked at gradually-increasing intervals by a professional dentist... When I have had my teeth checked this way, I have not had them cleaned at the same time. I began by having them checked every 2 months; then increasing that.

[dadasarah]

I also stopped using toothpaste like Oscar suggested, and I'm quite happy with the results. I brush and floss once before bed. My breath doesn't smell as long as I remove the plaque and brush my tongue. When I used toothpaste, I would have a nasty taste in my mouth in the morning. Now it's just "normal mouth taste" all the time. My man was really skeptical of this, and was surprised that I didn't have bad breath, but he's not ready to take the plunge.

Also, my teeth aren't as sensitive. I used to have the tooth pain while eating very sweet things (like dates), but not any more. Except when I went to the doctor and they had me rinse with mouthwash. My teeth got temporarily really sensitive really fast!

My teeth don't seem to be healing fast enough to notice though, probably because I've been on and off the diet. I had to have two root canals last year; hopefully my other cavities will be shrinking soon. They don't seem to be getting worse.

Marty, good idea.

[Terence]

Dear Oscar,

if I remember correctly, you mentioned somewhere here in the board that yellow teeth may be stronger than white teeth.

This is hard to believe, but I would be happy if this was true because the longer I stay on this diet the more yellow my teeth become. And my gums become weaker. Teeth problems have been the main reason for me to stop the diet.. And now I am trying again, maybe that my body needs more time to adjust to fruit.

Can you show me / us some references for the statement "yellow teeth = strong teeth"? Via google I found only some unscientific comments.

Terence

[Oscar]

I don't have any references to give, but what I learned in university was that the more translucent the enamel, the stronger it is. And the more translucent the enamel is, the more the dentin shines through. Dentin has a yellow(ish) color. This is not the same as the enamel being yellow though.

How are your gums becoming weaker?

[Seth]

How are your gums becoming weaker?

Oscar, I had a Chinese dentist who swore by drinking raw apple cider vinegar diluted in water on a daily basis to help with weak gums. Have you ever heard such a thing? If I remember right (this is 10 years ago), he said the ACV would help clean out the ammonia build up in the bowels, and would in turn help the gums. He used to say death starts in the colon so you want to start there.

[Oscar]

Nope, never heard of that. I can't really think of a connection between the colon and the gums. I could understand the vinegar making the pH in the mouth more alkaline, but then acidity has more to do with cavities than with gums.

In western dentistry gum problems are associated with plaque inducing inflammation.

[Terence]

..How are your gums becoming weaker?

They are not so firm any more. They are pale and soft, very sensitive, and if I touch them they become bloody red. What does this mean? I guess this is not a good sign?? And they are receding at some teeth. But this is caused by acidic fruits and/or not perfectly ripe fruits, I think. Daily powerful massage, as recommended by RRM, seems to be very beneficial.

On my prior low carb diet with lots of raw meat (1-2 pounds per day) teeth and gums became ultra-strong (!) and gums were growing back (even if my dentist told me that this is impossible), but on the other hand I got heart problems (rapid heartbeat, hypertension etc.) and slight depressions which is never the case on Wai's diet. So I´m in trouble now, don´t know which 'world' is better for my body: Raw low carb high meat high fat OR Wai... A combination is totally impossible (in my case) due to digestive issues.

If I eat raw beef (I prefer tough and chewy cuts) I feel that my teeth is really ideal for this purpose. It´s really fun to chew on big fatty tough raw steaks whereas teeth, gums and jaw become stronger and stronger. The kind of teeth we have are not needed for eating fruits and this is also true for fish. I could think hours and hours about this mystery.

My mind seems to demand fruits, the rest of my body demands raw fatty beef.

Terence

[RRM]

They are pale and soft, very sensitive, and if I touch them they become bloody red. What does this mean?

It probably means that you dont use them as you did before; less chewy food?
So, indeed, you need to compensate that by massaging them daily.

On my prior low carb diet with lots of raw meat (1-2 pounds per day) teeth and gums became ultra-strong

There you go; raw meat requires lots of chewing.

My mind seems to demand fruits, the rest of my body demands raw fatty beef.

Maybe it is possible to strike the right balance?

[Terence]

My mind seems to demand fruits, the rest of my body demands raw fatty beef.

Maybe it is possible to strike the right balance?

RRM, I really really hope so, after trying so many raw food diets. The minimum amount of animal food (meat or fish) I need (from my feeling) per day is 250g. I can easily eat much more, but then digestions will be in trouble unless I cut out fruits.

Terence

[avalon]

Terence wrote:

The kind of teeth we have are not needed for eating fruits and this is also true for fish. I could think hours and hours about this mystery.

Me too, Terence!

Best wishes,
Avalon

[Oscar]

The kind of teeth we have are not needed for eating fruits and this is also true for fish.

Not when using knives and other utensils.

How do you clean your teeth/gums?

[Terence]

Hi,

my sugar tolerance is increasing, my saliva becomes thicker again, my teeth feel better now, I am happy! I think I have solved a small puzzle I was thinking about many months.

The following text is copied from my post to the 'muscle growth' section because it belongs to this teeth discussion actually:

But I think that in some cases if I listen to my body I would eat 1 kilogram of bananas in one sitting. But if I eat FAT simultaneously with fruit, I feel satisfied and don´t need to eat so much sugars.

...

In my case, I already told you that I ate too much bananas, based on a statement of Wai in the old forum, and developed a tooth erosion, but because I didn´t ate enough fat. So strictly speaking, I WAS NOT on Wai´s diet.

Ketodog, I have made the same experiences like you regarding fruits/bananas and tooth problems and I think that I have now found the answer.

I was really angry and afraid of the tooth problems, obviously caused by Wai's diet high in sugar. BUT, nevertheless I was confused and skeptical, because during my low fat raw vegan times, several years ago, I was able to eat TONS of fruit without any new cavities (but gum problems due to acidic/unripe apples). WHY??

The last times I started Wai's diet I always came from very low carb, high animal fat diets (Vonderplanitz, Atkins, Wolfgang Lutz, Vilhjalmur Stefanson, 'The Bear' etc.) I noticed now that saturated fats significantly diminish my body's ability to handle sugars! Especially animal fats like suet, lamb fat and bacon. After two weeks strictly NoCarb with lots of suet I was not able to eat ONE banana. The result was a small sugar shock and immediate tooth ache. It´s unbelievable. But not only animal fats scale down my sugar 'processing', coconut fat does it too. Mono-fats like olive oil, avocado and some nuts do NOT disturb my ability to use fruits as a fuel. They seem to be 100% compatible to fruits.

I have read your posts on AV Skeptics and ActiveNoCarber forums and I guess that you have made the same experiences like me.

BTW: I had to abolish low carb, high animal fat diets because I always got heart problems, slight depressions and my athletic performance was really lousy. Obviously I never reached the praised state of full Keto-Adaption.

Terence


So, the longer I stay away from saturated animal fats like suet and bacon the more my body becomes able to use sweet fruits without negative reactions. And I have to add that fish fat seems to be also much better (like olive oil) regarding my heart problems. Athletic peformance is now much better again, too.

[Terence]

Terence wrote:

The kind of teeth we have are not needed for eating fruits and this is also true for fish. I could think hours and hours about this mystery.

Me too, Terence!

Best wishes,
Avalon

Dear Avalon,

remember, ping pong between Viljhalmur and 'Wai' does not work. Smile.
So, where are you now?

Terence

BTW: I have tried NoCarb also in Malaysia, I can assure: NoCarb is pure HELL at tropical 35 degree celsius! And please ask the NoCarbers how they want to follow 'The Bear' dairyfree if no herd of cattle is on the horizon... Fat is a luxury.

[Terence]

The kind of teeth we have are not needed for eating fruits and this is also true for fish.

Not when using knives and other utensils.

Hmm... Okay, I agree partially, regarding apples for example.
But think of bananas, litschies, latschies, lutschies and oranges.

How do you clean your teeth/gums?

I think it was 1999 when I used toothpaste the last time. I brush my teeth 1-2 times per day with a soft toothbrush and water only. Plus gum massage when on Wai's diet.

Terence