As I finish up my naturopathic doctorate curriculum, I reflect back on what I was taught in dental school and continue to read the same old thing in all the dental journals and dental courses. I have come to realize that conventional dentistry is not better than allopathic medicine in how it approaches disease.
Today, conventional medicine is mainly a symptom-based
healthcare approach: Drug, cut or burn.
Dentistry has been a profession of tooth carpenters and tartar scrapers treating the consequences of oral disease. We have been taught to insist that our patients eat and drink fluoride to combat tooth decay as the main “preventative” measure. It seems tooth decay is a fluoride-deficiency disease!
That’s right, yet another drug from Big Pharma that we simply can’t live without! And, of course, it’s the lack of flossing that is at the root of gum disease! We have become the floss police! So, where are we now? Well, tooth decay is on the rise worldwide, and 80 percent of the population has some stage of gum disease! Not so good.
Meanwhile, all animals in the wild with teeth have no tooth decay or gum disease. And they don’t floss or drink gallons of fluoridated water. So, what’s going on?
I think it’s time we look at addressing the cause of oral disease and not just dealing with the symptoms. But that requires a paradigm shift—a shift my profession is just too stubborn to make. So, it’s up to you to make the changes and help yourself by becoming your own healthcare advocate. I will arm you with the knowledge to do so. Read on!
What is the real cause of tooth decay and gum disease?
Simply put, both are opportunistic infections of the mouth. We have created an environment in our mouth that leads to opportunistic bacterial and yeast overgrowth. What’s really interesting is that tooth decay, gum disease and crooked teeth were virtually nonexistent in our hunter-gatherer ancestors; much like most diseases we suffer and die from today. And they did not brush or floss or consume fluoride either.
How do we reclaim our oral health?
By eating the ancestral diet, which does not create the substrate for tooth decay and gum disease; eliminating disease-causing bacteria; and re-introducing the natural symbiotic microflora back into our mouths; as well as help teeth heal cavities naturally. It’s actually not that hard to do! I will address tooth crowding, its cause, consequences and long-term stable treatment in my next article.
The full tooth-decay elimination protocol and gum-disease adjunctive protocol can be found on my blog at SmithtownSmiles/Blog.com.
It’s time to address the cause of oral disease and not just try to focus on treating the symptoms. In this way, you can end the endless cycle of tooth, gum and bone damage and reclaim your natural oral health.
Source: Alex Shvartsman, DDS, MAGD, AIAOMT, Long Island Center for Healthier Dentistry, 260 E. Main St., Ste., 109, Smithtown. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 631-361-3577 or visit SmithtownSmiles.com See ad on this page.
