As Cora’s “dental drama” has unfolded, I’ve naturally become more aware of the dental health of our whole family. I mentioned briefly that Aidan has an “enamel defect” according to one dentist. It looks like his teeth have decayed in several spots and then healed themselves. He has one active cavity.
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My own dental health has declined at an alarming rate. Now that Cora is stabilized, I’m taking the time to decide what to do for myself.
A little history – I had braces for almost 8 years as a teenager and young 20-something. A few of my molars were surrounded by metal rings for all of those years. Since having my braces removed, I have had cavities in those teeth at every dental visit. When Aidan was a little more than a year old, I went in to the dentist to have some existing (mercury) fillings removed and replaced with composite because they were breaking down and had cavities underneath. Then I got pregnant with Cora.
I didn’t notice any more cavities until Cora was nearing a year old. Then all of a sudden I could see several cavities in between teeth and even at the gumline. Some of these are in the teeth that I have had recurrent trouble with, but some are in new places.
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Because Cora is nursing, I’ve done most of the things we tried to treat her cavities along with her. I did not focus on mine with as much intensity, and I haven’t seen much improvement. I *did* notice decreased sensitivity after I started using MI Paste.
I decided to get into the dentist for x-rays and an exam last month. I went to the cheapest dentist in the area and declined the cleaning to save money. He found 8 cavities. I think he missed at least one, honestly.
I have good dental hygiene, am on a no-sugar diet, and eat few grains. As I’ve wondered about my declining dental health and tried to determine whether there is a connection between my teeth deteriorating and Cora having trouble, I’ve found some interesting things.
Many of my friends and acquaintances have reported that their teeth have gotten worse with each pregnancy. I remember reading about how teeth are sometimes sensitive during pregnancy and that you should be extra diligent with cleanings, so I’ve done some digging.
Have a child, lose a tooth…
It seems this has always been a reality to some extent. It seems women have always known that having children makes them more vulnerable, but people disagree on why exactly that is.
There may be evidence that pregnancy plays a role because of increased estrogen and the decreased antimicrobial properties of saliva. Increased mouth acidity may be a contributing factor as well. It is also possible (I’d say probable) that our teeth suffer from nutrient deficiencies as our bodies take on the load of caring for our babies’ development. The ADA is ambiguous about the connection between pregnancy and oral health. It seems that they concede that our bodies will take calcium from our *bones* if our diet doesn’t supply a sufficient amount, but I’m not sure they include our teeth in that calculation.
I am fairly convinced that this problem is related primarily to nutrition. My theory is that I didn’t consume/absorb enough calcium and other nutrients to protect either my teeth, or Cora’s. Because we desire to have more children, I want to get this under control if at all possible.
The Strategy
SO… just like I made a plan for the treatment of Cora’s teeth, I’ve now made a plan for my own. In addition to practicing good hygeine, continuing my no sugar diet, and limiting grains, I have begun to take supplements designed especially for dental health. These supplements are designed to provide the body with adequate amounts of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, and vitamin K2. I love that they are based off of the research of Dr. Weston Price!
In fact, the kind people at Dental Essentials have sent me enough of their supplements to last me almost 3 months at no charge! I offered to test their claim that,
“Taken daily, “The Dental Essentials” can help reduce the incidence of cavities by up to 95% in as little as 3 months.”
After email conversations with the owner, Melinda Friedman, I am following their recommendations for my personal situation and am taking two tablets 3x a day (for 1500mg Ca, 1500 D3) plus 2 glasses of milk and a drop of liquid. This totals a daily intake of 2000mg of calcium, 2000iu of vitamin D3 and 100mcg vitamin k2.
I will be paying attention to changes and any improvements that happen and reporting back each month for the next 3 months. At the end of the trial, I’ll visit the dentist again and give you the final verdict!
Anxious to see how it goes for you!!!
(I just saw you guys are saving up for a Yellowstone trip…whenever you decide to go, let me know, maybe we can come that way while you are in the area!)
Yes! Come out and camp with us! Trying to decide when the best time (ages) to make a trip like that would be. I’d rather not have a newborn… not that I can really plan that exactly.
Glad for getting YOU back on track too. I hope the supplements will help immensely. Thanks for the update!
Obviously this is of great interest to me personally, being pregnant currently. Honestly, we haven’t seen a dentist in years, and part of it is because I just don’t want to know if I have major problems–real responsible, right? Everything seems okay so far, save for the occasional sensitivity/bleeding gums. But I have just had so many horrible dental experiences that it scared me away. I may have to get in after the baby gets here just to see where things are at with my dental health. I’m *really* interested to see how these supplements work out for you!
So sorry about all of your dental troubles. I heard once about a friend-of-a-friend who had to get dentures after giving birth to twins… I can’t really verify the truth of that story, but I do think there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that pregnancy can be hard on the teeth.
Wish you lived closer — we could keep you supplied with organic goat milk to drink! :)
Wish we were closer for lots of reasons! Goat’s milk would be awesome! I’ve finally found sources for pastured eggs and beef, so we’re getting closer!!