What do you really know about your oral health and teeth?
I think so many of us, when we are honest 😉, don’t know nearly enough.
Well hang on folks, you are about to learn a whole lot more. (Well, I hope you are). I am not even close to being an expert but I wanted to share a few things and point you in a direction that might get you to dig deeper to learn more.
Just how many teeth do we have? Normally adults have 32 teeth and that includes wisdom teeth. Kids usually have about 20 teeth.
For most people throughout their life they will mostly have to handle fillings as a treatment for cavities and nothing more. There are many other dental treatments and work that can be done. For now, we will just stick to the basics and not get into the more complicated stuff.
Here are some quick details about materials.
🦷 Common Materials Used for Dental Fillings
- Amalgam (Silver Fillings)
- Made from: Mercury, silver, tin, copper
- Pros: Durable, long-lasting, cost-effective
- Cons: Noticeable (silver color), contains mercury
- Composite Resin (Tooth-Colored Fillings)
- Made from: Plastic and fine glass particles
- Pros: Aesthetic (blends with natural teeth), bonds well
- Cons: Less durable than amalgam, may wear down over time
- Ceramic (Porcelain Fillings)
- Made from: Porcelain
- Pros: Highly aesthetic, stain-resistant, durable
- Cons: More expensive, can be brittle
- Gold Fillings (Cast Gold)
- Made from: Gold alloy
- Pros: Extremely durable, doesn’t corrode
- Cons: Very noticeable, expensive, requires more than one visit
- Glass Ionomer
- Made from: Acrylic and glass
- Pros: Releases fluoride, good for kids or non-load-bearing areas
- Cons: Weaker, wears down faster than others
- Resin Ionomer
- Made from: Acrylic and glass with added resin
- Pros: Fluoride release, better aesthetics than glass ionomer
- Cons: Less durable than composite resin
Let’s start with our wisdom teeth. The more I have learned about these teeth the more I wanted to keep them. (A wisdom pun seems appropriate here). That is a bit backwards to what we have been told for so long. Most people get their wisdom teeth pulled soon after they all come in. Why? Have you ever asked that? For some people it might be because there isn’t enough room in their mouth. That seems logical.
I decided to take another path. It took forever for all of mine to come in. I had more than enough space in my mouth and I wanted to keep these teeth unless there was a very specific reason they needed to be removed. I have made a deal with all of my dentists since they have come in. They won’t be removed unless there is a problem. At one point one of them had cracked right down the middle. So it got removed. Other than that I still have 3 wisdom teeth. Now does that mean that I am more wise than someone with fewer wisdom teeth? Hhmmmmm one of life’s little mysteries.
One common thing that seems to be perpetuated about teeth and dental work in our world today is that there is no possibility for dental improvement. What I mean is that none of us are taught that you can improve things in your mouth. Some people deal with gum recession. I used to have issues with that. But I used a toothpaste that really helped with that and I was able to dramatically improve my gum health.
I haven’t really shared much about my experience with my teeth and how that relates to my cancer journey. Unfortunately one of the many side effects of chemotherapy for me was long term damage to my teeth. I don’t know the specifics or technicalities, but it basically leeched out the nutrition in my teeth. So as time went on, I would have more and more work that needed to be done on my teeth. Yuck! No one likes hearing that dental drill over and over.
Thankfully it was only simple work like fillings and nothing more serious. It wasn’t until I sat down with a holistic (biological) dentist who spent quite a bit of time learning about my whole health history and issues including my cancer treatment, that we were finally able to come up with a plan to improve my dental health.
My dentist helped me decide what choices would be best for me and I did that. I began to see him about 10 years ago and it was one of the best decisions of my life. I have daily used one product he recommended which helped make my teeth stronger and replenish the nutrition decay from chemotherapy 20 years previously.
Until I met with my new dentist, I believed that there was nothing I could do to improve my teeth and gums. I was so grateful he took the time to find the best solutions for me and provide an education on proactive and restorative dental health. I have had to put the work in to make things better but it has been worth it. No question at all. Absolutely worth it.
Have you ever wondered if your general health issues started in your mouth? Hhhmmm, it’s probably something that most people don’t generally think of or consider too seriously. But what if what you do in your mouth really matters?
Absolutely it does! Since every tooth is actually directly connected to some other place in our bodies it’s very possible the symptoms you have somewhere other than your mouth might actually be rooted in those chicklets!
Here is a very basic chart connecting your teeth and organs. There are much more detailed charts you would be able to find through more research.
Have you ever heard of a biocompatability testing for dental materials? If you haven’t you are not alone. I would say that most people have never heard of that. Or have been offered the opportunity to do it at your dentist. I won’t go into details but I would encourage you to dig deeper into this for quite a few good reasons.
Here is a link you can click to find out more. This is only one site and I am sure there are many more to check out. Availability is likely different based on where you live.
I think most people think that all dentists are basically the same. Not true friend, not true. There are some dentists and dental practitioners who come at this from a holistic angle like I mentioned earlier. Here is a short breakdown on how they are different. The treatment options they likely would provide.
- natural remedies
- biocompatible materials
- whole-health treatment
- avoiding mercury or fluoride
- alternative therapies
There is so much more I could have written but this post would have become a novel. None of us would like that, so hopefully I have peaked your interest with something I have said and you want to go find out more on your own. I really think you should. Of course don’t just take my word for any of this, see what you can learn yourself.
So friend I cannot tell you what your health choices should be, but I absolutely believe that our bodies were created with the whole body in mind. Separate pieces to a great big beautiful puzzle. Everything is connected and should not be treated separately or without consideration of the rest of the systems in our body.
What this means to me is that I try to view my health in a very comprehensive manner. I also seek to work with medical professionals who share the same view. This includes my dentist for sure. I encourage you to think about this and what it might mean for you. You might choose to do everything the same you have always done it, or maybe something I have written has peaked your interest or given you a new avenue to research and maybe find it might be a great way for you to increase your health.
Friend, I pray that you continue to search for answers you are looking for with your health and achieve a higher level of health in that pursuit.
Comment below with your comments about teeth. I would really like to hear your story. Shoot me a personal message through the contact form on the site. I would love it if you like this enough to share it with others. Please SUBSCRIBE in the box above, it helps you know more of what’s going on.
Melodee Glassford 