Brushing your teeth

[A_Tribe_Called_Paleo]

From why I can tell I have pretty bad dental high gene. Teeth are very yellow, and recently brown spots/lines have formed on back maulers.  I floss and brush at night, without toothpaste, and have recently started oil pulling. How are you guys caring for your teeth, what alternatives are out there for tooth paste? 

[Iguana]

Sea water for me. 

[A_Tribe_Called_Paleo]

Sea water for me. 

Haha please elaborate on how you use it, and how it's beneficial. Thank you!

[Iguana]

If you are on a sea shore, it’s nice to have a swim and brush you teeth while bathing… 
Seawater is cheap and not chlorinated! I don’t like to put chlorinated tap water in my mouth, so I store seawater at home to brush my teeth. Plus, I feel that it cleanse them better than soft water. I also need seawater to wash the fish I buy and that’s another reason to have seawater at home.

I like to wash the fish with seawater because the fishmongers handle it along farmed salmon and other farmed fish, ice made with chlorinated tap water and also wash it with tap water. Also I don't know how that fish had been handled before; it may have fallen on dirt or other chemical such as detergents on the boat deck, etc. It's more important to me if  it is an already cut part or fillet from a big fish which could have been cut with the same knife which had just cut farmed salmon. I observed that they often don't bother to wash neither their knife nor the shelf in between and anyway if they do it is with tap water.

[Alive]

I have just started using activated charcoal to brush my teeth and it's amazing, they were yellow from poor digestion and just a small amount of activated charcoal powder from a health store capsule on tooth brush has cleaned them very quickly, and as a bonus swallowing will help detox your bowls :-)

[eveheart]

I had severe plaque buildup and gum disease that reversed itself with RPD eating. For brushing, I use baking soda. I also use dental floss and a water jet. I'm very fussy about keeping my teeth clean, and I don't like food caught between my teeth. I get my teeth cleaned by a dental hygienist twice a year because it's been a habit I like, and I always get complimented about my teeth and gums.

[jessica]

I just use a toothbrush and water once a day for less then a minute to get just my teeth and then make sure I brush my tongue a little bit kinda. I don't really have much build up its just a force of habit and also being used to them feeling totally smooth.  I like gnawing on gristle and bone and think that's what helps keep them clean.  I also think raw milk helps keep them healthy.  I also drink a lot of water so my mouth has plenty of clean water washing through it daily. Every once in a while, like one month, maybe less, but especially if I am drinkning certain herbal teas and they look stained I will brush very lightly with a little bentonite clay, it takes away the stains very quickly.

[sabertooth]

I haven't brushed my teeth in years, and my teeth have no signs of decay, in fact I had a couple of beginning stage cavities before going paleo that have since re-enameled.

 I will chew on connective tissue like gum after meals. If there is no tissue to chew, just swishing with saliva will clean the mouth sufficiently. Its natural hygiene, that simply requires that one be mindful of what foodstuff remains in the mouth, and diligently swish and tongue all the crevices until they are removed. Not unlike a dog that licks its chops after eating.

It may take more time than brushing, but it is a far more gentile and natural way to clean ones teeth.

[TylerDurden]

I use a special chemical toothpaste which is much stronger than the usual.

[sabertooth]

Special chemicals are sooo not paleo

[TylerDurden]

Special chemicals are sooo not paleo

Perhaps, but I was  once informed by non-rawists that my breath  supposedly "stank" of raw meat even if I used  regular toothpaste so I was forced to use this version instead. I never smelt anything but one has to conform to expected social norms if one is not a multimillionaire, and some people are  truly hypersensitive to the smell of raw meat and can even become  absolutely hysterical at the slightest whiff thereof, however fresh it might be. Ideally, I would much rather walk around stark naked except in  freezing temperatures(ie temperatures below  5 degrees Celsius plus windchill factor) and not have to brush my teeth(my teeth are so strong they need no brushing), and just use soap , but civilisation forces me to adopt some non-palaeo practices, unfortunately.

[van]

For breath, after brushing with say salt water, etc..  try sucking on a piece of cinnamon stick.   Actually quite pleasant for everyone involved.

[sabertooth]

Civilization can be a judgmental superficial vain bitch, for sure.

 My girlfriend who is primarily a vegetarian says I have much cleaner smelling breath than anyone she has been with, and she likes my body odor. I will rinse off if dirty, and will coat myself in a home made lotion made with coconut oil and lanolin. I will use a little soap to wash my hands after working on something unnatural. On occasions when I do have to work in peoples homes I will wash over pits and crotch so my man musk wont stink up their whole house,

Outside of the work environment, as far as I am concerned, I do not care to be around people who do not like the way I smell and expect me to use chemicals hygiene products block my sweat or mask my natural aroma.

[Inger]

Perhaps, but I was  once informed by non-rawists that my breath  supposedly "stank" of raw meat even if I used  regular toothpaste so I was forced to use this version instead. I never smelt anything but one has to conform to expected social norms if one is not a multimillionaire, and some people are  truly hypersensitive to the smell of raw meat and can even become  absolutely hysterical at the slightest whiff thereof, however fresh it might be. Ideally, I would much rather walk around stark naked except in  freezing temperatures(ie temperatures below  5 degrees Celsius plus windchill factor) and not have to brush my teeth(my teeth are so strong they need no brushing), and just use soap , but civilisation forces me to adopt some non-palaeo practices, unfortunately.

You could use hydrogen peroxide, Tyler? It is not dangerous, but kills bacteria and odor.. you get it from the drug store here very cheap, 3% strength Just drop some drops on your tooth brush. It will foam a bit, nice Then rinse with peppermint water after if you want to smell fresh, just use pure peppermint oil in water.
I would never use chemicals in my mouth... errrr.....

I usually use no soap when showering.. just water... and I wash my hair with mud.... I do not smell
at least my boyfriend has not complained yet..lol Just that he can smell it when I have been eating raw fish and he kisses me ( I do raw fish all the time) so I have started to brush my teeth after eating raw fish at his place... yeah. When I eat high meat I floss and brush after... sure! But no one have ever complained of me smelling like raw meat... weird.

[van]

I wonder if any of you have ideas about the following.   I used to used hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, mms solutions etc... but 'believe' now that those products kill all bacteria, even the healthy ones the mouth is supposed to have.   Also eating foods that don't support the bacterias in plaque makes a big difference. 

[A_Tribe_Called_Paleo]

Perhaps, but I was  once informed by non-rawists that my breath  supposedly "stank" of raw meat even if I used  regular toothpaste so I was forced to use this version instead. I never smelt anything but one has to conform to expected social norms if one is not a multimillionaire, and some people are  truly hypersensitive to the smell of raw meat and can even become  absolutely hysterical at the slightest whiff thereof, however fresh it might be. Ideally, I would much rather walk around stark naked except in  freezing temperatures(ie temperatures below  5 degrees Celsius plus windchill factor) and not have to brush my teeth(my teeth are so strong they need no brushing), and just use soap , but civilisation forces me to adopt some non-palaeo practices, unfortunately.

Why not just find a organic natural chewing gum rather than put toxic chemicals in your mouth....

[eveheart]

I wonder if any of you have ideas about the following.   I used to used hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, mms solutions etc...

I don't think that those solutions can kill all bacteria in the low concentrations used in the mouth, but I think that they should be thought of as therapeutic and used only for a specific reason. For example, I used mms solution diluted as a mouthwash to help treat gingivitis infection, and it really helped my gums heal completely. (I've heard of using hydrogen peroxide for the same reason, but hydrogen peroxide burns the body's cells - it cleans and harms at the same time. H₂O₂ also works as a oxygenator, purportedly killing anaerobic bacteria that rot the gums.) Once gingival pockets have formed along the gum line, the gums can no longer protect the root margins of the teeth, and mild disinfectants can be used to keep that area clean. In my case, the gum pockets closed, but my gums had already receded and have not grown back. I want my dental care to prevent problems that would not be there if my gums had not been infected in the first place.

I still brush with baking soda for no reason at all, except that I like the way my mouth tastes afterwards.

[TylerDurden]

Why not just find a organic natural chewing gum rather than put toxic chemicals in your mouth....

I have an aversion to gum....

[Inger]

I wonder if any of you have ideas about the following.   I used to used hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, mms solutions etc... but 'believe' now that those products kill all bacteria, even the healthy ones the mouth is supposed to have.   Also eating foods that don't support the bacterias in plaque makes a big difference. 

Yep, I think you are onto something, Van. That is why I do not brush with hydrogen peroxide - just occasionally
Hydrogen peroxide is a very interesting thing to study.. it can have great healing properties too. But the amount makes the poison
I too think our mouth have its own delicate bacteria balance that should be not disturbed. That is why I would never use antibacterial mouthwash either.
Yeah.... carbs can do some shit stuff to the gums... I remember when I had a lot of fruit my gums were bleeding when I brushed. Now they never bleed anymore.... so cool.

I do believe in some seasonal crabs... when they naturally grow and are not too cultivated. Then I think they are very good for us.
I do NOT think eating fruit in winter where they do not grow, is a good thing at all.
Carbs need to be coupled with sunshine.....
Everything has its own season in nature.. I believe in exploring those.... that makes life really interesting.. and very magic

Veggies are mostly pretty much cultivated... very different than wild herbs.
I am a wild food fan
I love wild greens
wild berries
anything wild

[Alive]

After reading of research that chocolate is excellent at re-mineralising teeth I've been brushing my teeth with raw cacao powder and they are feeling and looking great. I just wet my brush and dip it into the powder 

Did you know you can use chocolate to remineralize tooth enamel while discouraging cavities?  Researchers from Tulane University in America have discovered that cocoa powder contains an extract which may be more effective than fluoride in fighting cavities. They compared side-by-side a cocoa extract versus fluoride on the enamel surface of teeth.  The results concluded that people who brushed their teeth with the cacao-extract toothpaste twice a day for one week had “100 percent dental occlusion” with their teeth getting re-mineralized or repaired. According to a press release:

“The comparison to toothpastes containing fluoride – one as much as 5,000 ppm [parts per million] – validates what our research has shown all along: that Rennou [the cocoa extract] … is more effective and safer than fluoride, which can be toxic if ingested.”

http://livingtraditionally.com/chocolate-toothpaste-better-teeth-fluoride-make/

[A_Tribe_Called_Paleo]

I might try the cacao method!

[eveheart]

Is there proof that raw cocoa powder works as well as the extract Rennou? How about a study comparing baking soda paste with Rennou vs baking soda paste without Rennou? And of course, don't forget to compare ANY dentifrice with and without RPD.

My dental repair expenses for infected gums and carious teeth dropped from about $2000/year to zero (as expected) since I switched to a paleo diet, with minimal daily dental care.

[A_Tribe_Called_Paleo]

Idk if there's any proof that it works. I will see first hand I guess. My teeth are very yellow after trying AVs primal diet approach... I feel like flossing is most effective and necessary. When on cooked paleo, I had minor success whitening by rubbing the inside of banana peels around teeth and gums. Stopped because of butter taste.

[eveheart]

The research that backed the link that the OP posted was for Rennou, an extract of the theobromine found in cocoa; however, the link itself was a click-through affiliate marketing webpage for cocoa powder, clove oil, and coconut oil. It concerns me that what they are selling isn't what the research is about.

Theodent is the company that produces the toothpaste with the patented ingredient Rennou.

[A_Tribe_Called_Paleo]

i might go back to doing coconut oil pulling morning and night during the summer. Ive also heard of people using peppermint oil as toothpaste, reviews seemed promising.