The Dental Diet , book by Dr. Steven Lin
 

This is the second most important book I have ever read!! DANDR will always be number one-- as it showed me the way to low carb and good health.
I could not find the way to better oral health as any dental office I have experienced generally deals with fixing dental problems, rather than preventing them. My questions in this vein fell on deaf ears. HERE , in this book, are the answers I have been looking for.

The subtitle, " The Surpising Link between Your Teeth, Real Food and Life",
only hints at the vast information packed into this easy to read format that delves into studies and loaded with explanatory diagrams about the failure of our modern diet in dental health, the gateway to total body health, and how to reclaim a healthy jaw and healthy teeth via a number of methods that primarily depends on a low carb diet based on vegetables and meats.

The structure of the jaw, which also affects the breathing airway, is well developed when the body is well nourished with sufficient fat-soluable vitamins including K2, sufficient fiber for chewing and gut microbes, using his restructured pyramid; and suprizingly, the epidemic of poorly developed jaws and facial structure and teeth decay can be stopped.

Definitely written to pull all the SAD eaters in to a new way of eating. Though not as LC as most of us low carbers prefer, clearly the food options can easily fit most low carbers.

WOW!! A must read if you want better oral health for yourself, your children, and your children's children.



https://www.amazon.com/Dental-Diet-...g/dp/1401953174

From the above--



This book floored me. A wake up call to all parents that dental care starts with proper nutrition, foods that exercise the jaw and nutrients that build strong bones and strong teeth. Teeth have the ability to heal---what a concept!!

Thank you. Just ordered it.

:)

Diet helps, especially with cavities in youngsters, but I don't think it can cure gum disease or repair its subsequent bone loss.

The book includes far more than diet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOsQ7YZPbH4


TEDx --if you knew good oral health could prevent lethal heart disease, or prevent ED, would oral health be more important ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6Cnld1DjDU


He also has a GREAT Utube video on the critical importance to breast feeding, starting with the spreading of the upper palate, allowing space for future teeth, and open airways to imparting GI microflora to the turing on of genes in the future.

I still remember at the hospital, the nurses offering me formula. I remember my boys needing tongue surgery that PREVENTED such options-- yet the doctor did not think it important enough to fix asap.

Thank you for publishing this. I have ordered a copy. I have read a little about teeth healing themselves, but I would like to know more.

The thing I don't like is that dentists nowadays have such sensitive x-rays that they can see "cavities" that wouldn't have been seen earlier. Every tiny thing they want to fill in.

I was taking my children to an old-school dentist, and he did not "see" cavities either with visual inspections or his X-rays. Then, when our insurance changed, I had to take them to a new dentist and that dentist discovered six cavities in one child's teeth. I found that hard to believe and went to another dentist who found only about two cavities in that child. Did the cavities heal? Did the six-cavity dentist con us? (Six-cavity dentist had a fancy office and has since moved to fancier digs.)

I totally understand.

Usually my children get sealants, but was very frustrated when I was told the cavity had started before the sealant was applied. WTH??

Sealants dont get my vote anymore.

Vitamin K2 is vitally important ,and Dr Lin provides a great explaination of why the formulation to make bone also includes lots of fat soluable vitamins, the usual minerals AND vit K2.

WHen reading other sources touting K2, calcium supplementation is actually closely correlated to higher heart attacks--- THAT was a surprize, and the key lies with K2 that moves the calcium into the bones and teeth where it belongs... What is not clear to me is how curative this is: can the extra calcium lodged in the vessels and the heart muscle be removed as well??

Back to Dr Lin-- he talks about balancing the microbes of the mouth, to keep the gums healthy, the oral cavity healthy. And offers a number of recipes that many might recognize as maintenance level in the carbs.

It is a complex book, some 300 pages, with chapter after chapter of either evifence for an issue, and then chapters and chapters on how to help the current circumstances.

Funny how he talks about the theraputic effects of chewing food. Because I know from personal observation, that my son with jaw ussues speaks better after a day of chewing gum. CHewing gum became part of his treatment for speech. Fortunately he and all other students are allowed to chew gum in school now.

Chewing our food 50 times before swalling might really have value.

I hate to say it but these dental clinics lie. In my 20s, I was once told I had 6 or 7 cavities and asked the sales lady ( not a dentist) to show me on the x-rays and she couldn't so I left. Years went by and nothing.

I dont doubt it.

When I had a cracked tooth, thanks to dentist No.1 , No.2 kept complaing about how much my tooth was costing him. HIM??? I spent $1100 in addition to insurance for root canal and a gold cap. ANd it all needs to be redone.

My son has a couple "cavities" and I will let it go for now, and have him add K2 supplement . Thinking of asking my nephew to check his teeth for a second opinion.

I've read several articles in the past that said Magnesium was very important for tooth and gum health.

yes, there is a complex of minerals and vitamins that work together. The push has been for more calcium to have good bones but whole picture has not been explained, supported or recommended.

K2 has virtually disappeared from our American diet. As a kid I ate pickled fish, being a good Swede, but even that is gone--epecialy as it is loaded with sugar. Have been buying raw sauer kraut for now as it is much cheaper than gouda and brie. Loooking to make my own pickles this summer ....... even cheaper.

Looking at this product to be sure I get the K2 microbes.
https://products.mercola.com/kinetic-culture/

I've done a fair bit of fermentation and IMO starter culture is unnecessary in most cases. I'd use it if I was fermenting meat, but for most vegetables it's unnecessary, especially given the cost. Once you've make your own ferment, you'll have juice from finished batches to add to the vegetables if you feel the need for starter culture.

I want to thank you for starting this topic. By following your links, I ended up changing my dental floss to Dr. Tungs. I am amazed at the difference in that floss. My mouth is so much happier!

ETA: From my research, inoculating a ferment with bacteria that ferments another type of product, like putting whey into a vegetable ferment, doesn't do much besides change the immediate level of acidity. Mercola's product has S. Thermophiles and L. Acidophilus both are milk fermenting bacteria with optimum temperatures far higher than the optimum temperature for vegetable ferments. I didn't parse the rest of the list, because the low hanging fruit was enough.

Thank you NewRuth for weighing in.

The reason Ihave not fermented in the past is because I want to start with a culture that I know works. Often homes have an upset in the mircoflora due to many issues, so I am more comfortable with using a purchased, or donated culture. ( I use commercial yogurts to start mine, and after a couple batches, the final product is off due to a contamination; kefir grains were also sent to me by a friend, and while that took more effort to get right , Im willing to try again.)

Otherwise, I am particularly interested in the K2, and other than a starter, I dont know how to be sure I am getting that particular microbe that makes K2.

Glad to help--hope you enjoy your new floss!!

Off topic, but this is a good opportunity to pass on something I recently learned - chronic breathing difficulty, even that due to untreated congestion - in children can lead to problems in the development of the jaw and skull - including later sleep apnea. So if your child is always "stuffy," get it treated!

My sister just had a denture made and it doesn't fit right and hurts her horribly. I want to avoid that future! She blames it on having genetically bad teeth, but I think it is her carby diet. I'm also using a water flosser right now and it does an amazing job of cleaning stuff that even brushing doesn't get rid of. I think my gums are much healthier now.

If your child is always stuffy, suspect something in their diet. Dairy and corn stuff me up like crazy. Dairy does a number on lots of people's sinuses and it is actually well known as a contributor to phlegm making, but it really does a number on my sinuses. Pretty sure that was why I had issues with chronic sinus infections for a long time.

Before going low carb my dental hygienist suggested that I should consider quarterly teeth cleanings. My plaque and tarter buildup was that bad. My gums were always bleeding, sore, and puffy after a cleaning. I had regular cavities throughout my life. Two of my teeth eventually broke, requiring crowns to fix them up. For me visiting the dentists was not one of my favorite things. I brush. I floss often enough. Yet my mouth was still an expensive disaster.

Since going low carb in 2014... no cavities. My gums have firmed up. My hygienist marvels about how my gums don't bleed at all even after she performs a vigorous flossing. These days my plaque and tarter buildup is such that I only need a cleaning once a year. Both my dentist and hygienist have commented several times about my improved dental health. My response is something like "You dentists always say that sugar promotes cavities. You say to cut back on sugar. I actually do that and this is the result."

YMMV - but LCHF gives me a happy, healthy mouth. I've saved a ton on dental expenses over the past few years. It's a good thing, too. My dentist dropped out of all healthcare networks. Anything I have done now costs big bucks - even a cleaning.

Ken, 2014 is when you made the 100% commitment to LC. 100% all the time no cheating program, right?

How long into this commitment did you start to notice a change??

And for those that dont know, how many carbs a day do you eat and which items, If you dont mind sharing.

These belong here: (Ms Arielle posted the video earlier...)

Cure for Tooth Decay? - Ramiel Nagel 1-14-2012

Cod Liver Oil Vitamin A Comparison Charts

Does Cod Liver Oil Help Remineralize Teeth? 9-10-2014

You may have heard people sharing stories online about how cod liver oil has helped them to remineralize their teeth or in some cases, heal cavities. I decided to look into the science behind this phenomenon and this is what I found out.

Limitations of Tooth Enamel

Tooth enamel has no living cells, which means the body has no way of repairing it when it is chipped or cracked. But that's not the end of the story because saliva containing calcium helps to remineralize teeth and enamel is only one part of the tooth. The interior parts of the tooth (dentin, cementum, and pulp) all do contain living cells. Cod liver oil nutrients affect both the saliva that can remineralize teeth and the living bone tissues under the enamel. It cannot repair a broken, cracked, or chipped tooth.

Receding Gums & Vitamin C 8-17-17

Great points. Once the enamel is damaged ( chipped, worn ) it is gone.

The dentin is very much alive---I always thought the teeth were dead bone with nerves just to be a pain. But no. Teeth are ALIVE, and can make their own types of protective cells and chemicals to repair as much as possible. Really stunning to me.

I wondered why the dental specialist left one root of a broken tooth ( damaged by a dentist.) intact--- I was questioning her methods. Especially as I was led to beleive that when I handed over a few thousand dollars in cash that she would fix the tooth only to hit the same road blocks of the first specialist hit and "how bad a job" or similar words were said at the time to validate the new work.......

Getting enough K2 is challenging.

Yes - I've been consistently LCHF since February 2014. My carb count has varied between 20 net and 45 net carbs over that time. I stuck to OP foods throughout that first year and beyond (No Cheats). Since then I've "experimented" a few times and had once sugary soda accident. Still, you can count on one hand the times that I've had sugary, junky food in the past 4 years. The sugar that I do get comes mostly from nuts, nut butters, dairy, and lower carb veggies. I occasionally eat fruit (berries, cantaloupe, and small servings of apple or banana) - once or twice a month I'd say. If I have banana it is an ounce or two mash up in a flax mug muffin (lots of fiber to minimize the sugar spike). I probably eat more carbs that most people here, but I stick to the program. I don't eat or drink sugar. I brush twice a day and occasionally floss.

The rate of tarter buildup seemed to improve right away, but it took a couple if 6 month cleanings before my hygienist remarked about the improvement. The sensitive teeth and gums improve over time - say 2 years. Since my plaque & tarter buildup was minimal, I think my hygienist had time to do a more thorough job cleaning under the gums. I just don't have any significant gum issues or bleeding anymore.

The only issues that I ever have with my gums is when some food gets stuck between two problem molars that I have. The gap is just the right size for some foods (meat, hard nuts, and fiber) to get stuck. If I don't notice it and skip flossing for too long my gum will get a little inflamed in that area. That area used to be puffy and inflamed all the time. Now it only happens once or twice a year.

You have said pretty much what I was expecting---- and hoping. As I want to move my kids to keto, and push more vegies than fruits.

Honestly I think fruits are over rated--- when we hear 5-7 fruits and vegies a day I know I hear 7 fruits a day. And my kids reach for fruit and never vegies for a snack.

I agree, 45 carbs a day is more than most consume here on this forum, but IMO there are a lot of vegies hiding in those 45 carbs, and nutrients that are worth the carbs. Atkin often suggested maximizing the number of carbs and still maintain weight.

My boys are 90-95% grown, and should be able to handle lc-keto diet, and save their teeth. Given that both pinch less than 1/2" I can only assume they do not have IR issues at this time.

Bananas are overrated as a food---they certainly get me into trouble. lol

I just listened to Joe Rogan's podcast with guest Jordan Peterson and Peterson, in the last half an hour, outlined how the carnivore diet has improved his health greatly, including the gum disease he had. He started it after his daughter, who suffered from a great many auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, depression, skin issues, etc, switched to an all meat/greens diet and her health improved dramatically. He suffered from the same things (except for the arthritis) and saw her improvement so he started doing it too. He lost 50 lbs and after doing meat/greens for several months, switched to all meat and had even greater improvements. Not saying I'd do this but it seems to be working for him. He specifically said he had gum disease and has even had grafts done before and that this diet improved all of that greatly.

The low carb diet talk starts at about 2hr 50 min in. Gum disease comment at 2:54:52 Joe Rogan/Jordan Peterson

The many vitamins and the essential minerals must be present to work together for strong bones AND teeth.

The article posted above--

https://www.calmingfears.com/blog/i...ineralize-teeth

Vitamin D-- I dont encourage my boys to wear sunblock. WHY? Because the rate of rickets has increased markedly, with the use of sunblock. The decision was very easy: choose between a sure thing ( ricketts) or a maybe ( skin cancer). No brainer. The only time I insist on sunblock, is when out on the very reflective water. ( Neither are into winter sports.)

A recent understanding of Vit D3 is that it is reparative, and minimizes the skin cancer.

THAT would explain my mothers life long obsession with sunbathing and the lack of skin cancer until her 70's !!!

My boys are brown, but I am looking for a D3 supplement that will see them thru the fall, winter and spring. Neither will eat a huge amount of fish, and it is rather pricey.

Was in the same boat even doing very low-carb, no cavities just gingivitis, tooth staining and bad breath. Hygienist said "you have bad bacteria in your mouth, no cure for that" as a microbiologist that got me thinking. Tried mouthwashes, Listerine, even the Crest one that turns your teeth brown!
Tried "oil pulling" -- still no joy. So I decided to fight fire with fire and try kefir. I also use an essential oil blend, WaterPik and sometimes brush with baking soda. Now I can probably go back to twice a year cleanings now all symptoms have disappeared :)

Dr Lin talks about balancing the mouth bacteria--getting the good ones to survive.

My toothpaste is now baking soda. CHanging it for my kids too. No more flouride toothpaste. HAPPY that we have well water.

The state of my teeth and gums gets praised by my dentist and hygienist. I can't remember the last time I had a cavity. I brush twice a day with homemade toothpaste (coconut oil, bentonite clay and baking soda), floss once a day and use the waterpik once a day. It seems to be working well for me. I still get my teeth cleaned 3 times a year but hope to reduce that to twice a year. I'm at an age when many of my contemporaries (and younger) have lost their teeth. I plan for that never to happen to me and so far there are no signs that it ever will. I have been told that given the state of my mouth I have nothing to worry about. I do eat some fermented food every day as well.

Jean, which waterpik do you use??

I have a Waterpik Ultra.

I can see my teens playing with it!!! Back in the 60's we played with a WaterPik---splashed water everywhere. Unhappy mother. lol