for what it's worth...
multiple times i have proclaimed that my dental health has improved since my diet change, so i will clarify here...
my teeth are in pretty rough shape to begin with... when i was 21, i had 22 fillings put in. a year later, 18 had fallen out. my teeth had degenerated and the enamel decomposed over the years, with some pretty extensive rot going on along the gumline. some molars had become brittle enough to crack and break apart. a small chip on one canine as a teen had quickly rotted out by the time i hit my thirties. over the last ten years or so, i would regularly brush out chunks and bits of enamel in the mornings. i have had only two root canals in my mid twenties, the rest of my molars have been extracted as time passed. i had temperature and sweet sensitivities, and eventually stopped brushing with toothpaste (once sensodyne started to hurt). i switched to brushing with a mouthwash instead.
during the last year, my diet changed over to a raw omnivorous, omitting dairy items, and eventually grains (close to raw paleo). while transitioning, i noticed two major improvements: one, the sensitivity issues were gone. two, the bits of enamel i would regularly brush out stopped (once dairy was deleted). the rate of decay has dramatically slowed, however i have not noticed any "rebuilding" of anything, i cannot chew on my left side (the remaining molars are pressure sensitive, not painful, but feel like they're ready to break), and i cannot bite through or chew hard items such as carrots (i have to cut them thin, or shred them). i have a "remaining" molar on the right that does not exist past my gumline, and the once chipped canine is little more than a dark, soft, pulpy lump now(no outside enamel). again, no pain or sensitivities. other molars that remain are still heavily rotted and missing the majority of enamel (mostly at the gumline). my incisors are still mostly intact, however lately they have been discoloring and turning darker, i assume from the blended berries i've been drinking regularly (i can compare the color change with the two caps from my former root canals). i have, for many years, accepted that i would have teeth extracted as they rotted, since this was a far less expensive alternative for a guy without dental insurance (250 bucks per extraction, versus 1600 bucks per root canal). the diet change seems to have bought me some additional time, before the inevitable action of pulling, and looking into implants.
my gum health has always been, and continues to be very good, no receding, redness, tenderness, or swelling(just "receding" enamel) despite the tooth decay. i still brush 1-2 times daily with mouthwash (a dentist assured me it was not the toothpaste that cleans, it's the brushing action). i brush to remove food particles from my cavities to avoid infections (which i have had none). the brushing also keeps my tongue clean, and my mouth feeling fresh (for a few hours, at least... rotting tooth pulp has a not-so-nice quality).
tomorrow i fill out paperwork, and set an evaluation appointment with a center that may possibly provide free dental care for me. a dentist customer informed me of this center, where he volunteers, and he has offered to try and help me out with getting some much needed attention. i will update on his findings mid-month... my last evaluation 5-6 years ago suggested 6300 dollars worth of work... i laughed, reminded them about my financial situation, and told them i would just continue with the extractions when warranted. i think i'm well beyond the point of root canals now...
Topic: Dental health (Read 15983 times)