1 year dental hygiene experiment - conclusion

[Dingo]

Hello

I questioned the mainstream so much, that I challenged the notion of using toothpastes and brushing the teeth twice a day - this seems to be what almost everyone around me does.

I've found, that coconut oil can be used for cleansing the mouth (oil pulling might be the name), so I changed the traditional toothpaste for cold-pressed organic coconut oil and brushed only once a day at night (I would only allow myself to drink clean water afterwards). The idea is coconut oil kills bad dental bacteria, but keeps good bacteria.

How to:
It is important to look after the coconut oil = I stored it in a jar in room temperature and darkness the whole time and never introduced any water to it, otherwise it can go bad. Store it outside of steamy places like the bathroom. It will be semi-hard, so scoop it up with clean finger or the other side of the toothbrush, both have to be dry. The oil will melt in the mouth coz of the heat and then you just swish it around and start slowly brushing. Coz it is more liquidy than toothpaste, make sure so it doesnt come out of your mouth , also learn to brush well. After you are done, it is ideal to spit it into organic waste or the rubbish bin, then into the sink. Use water to clean your mouth afterwards. Some people dont like the coconut flavor... personally I love it, but sometimes there are less flavorful coconut oils - just make sure they are not refined or "flavor-removed".
Once a month, I'd do careful flossing after the brushing and then finish up with swirling a shotglass water with few drops of eucalyptus or clove essential oil (homemade mouthwash).

Takeaways:

• It feels very different to normal toothpaste! It coats the whole mouth into oil and the teeth actually feel much cleaner than after a toothpaste (even organic varieties).
• I've found it keeps the mouth cleaner for longer when eating, so this might go well with brushing only once a day. Though, I might be a bit biased in this way, coz I was eating very similar healthy food first and was doing intermitting fasting.
• After I finish brushing, I can feel a lot of sinus' mucus being loosened, so I'd pull it to the mouth and spit it out - this proved to be a very good for clean nose breathing throughout the day.
• Often in the morning, I had bad breath, so I had some technique for this... morning tea was good habit, chewing on dried organic citrus peels, eating an apple or swirling with EO homemade mouthwash, as explained above.
• After I came back to toothpastes, I felt how strong they are. The tolerance to these chemicals has been lowered, so now I could experience them in their original nature. I sensed even the healthy, organic toothpastes.
• I went to a dentist after about 1.5 years of doing this experiment like 95% of time. it was 3 years since I had last seen him, so I was curious about, what he has to say. He checked me, didnt find any problems and he was a little surprised, how healthy my teeth look (I used to have cavities often, when I was younger).

[Leo Gura]

Thanks for posting your results.

[EmptyInside]

More results...forthcoming...and always will be...u playin...or u flailinurwaybaxwurd

[EmptyInside]

2urMutha, Terenc bout to step in for a sec. Re@dy 2 meethim in purson? ME2 btw

[amenX]

I had a friend who stopped using flouride, he had an enormous amount of cavities within only six months. But I don't know what he was using instead of commercial toothpastes. 

I have a few cavities and gum receding in my mouth, as well as sensitive teeth. I've been doing research about taking care of the mouth in an holistic, conscious way. Here is the oil pulling technique I'm planning to try:

https://youtu.be/AToa-bSwboc

[Virtually]

@amenX was your friend on a low sugar diet?

[amenX]

@Virtually unfortunately I don't know. We're not very close. 

[Yarco]

Funny, I went to the dentist yesterday and noticed massive positive results from starting to floss daily for the past year. 

I might give oil pulling a try next to see what difference it can make.

Going for a fluoride-free toothpaste is tempting but it seems risky. Not sure if I'm willing to have a bunch of cavities in exchange for decalcifying my pineal gland

[Natasha]

@Dingo Thanks for the info. I use Hydrogen Peroxide (either mixed with a bit of water or full strength) for both brushing and rinsing. Works great and is super inexpensive. My dentist approves.

[amenX]

@Natasha Is H2O2 really safe to use in your mouth? What is your mouthwash recipe? 

[Michal__]

Nice. That's what I am planning to do. Thanks for sharing.

[Natasha]

@amenX I add a bit of water to it, that's all. My dentist uses it to brush and rinse too. I also use it to rinse when get a sore throat. Works well to kill bacteria/virus.

[Dingo]

I might add a point, that I might have missed...

I used to get aphthae (Aphthous stomatitis) regularly several times a year since early childhood. My mom has also been prone to getting them. Since I began this experiment, the amount of aphthae I get reduced significantly and also the time for it to heal was cut short.
It might be good to test this method, if you have any bacterial/viral/immunity problems regarding your mouth.

Disclaimer: I started this dental hygiene experiment at a similar time I started to changed my diet and generally started looking after my body better, so these factors could be entangled.

[Dingo]

One more key thing about PH levels I forgot to mention...

I believe I read somewhere, that the coconut oil doesnt create the right ph level for the mouth, which might be why bad breath in the morning was an issue. I tried two techniques to work around this;

1. Mixing the coconut oil = take the jar of coconut oil > put in on the radiator so it becomes liquid > sprinkle in some baking soda (optional: add a drop or two of some essential oil) > stir it up thoroughly and put back to a good storage area.
   Problem with this is that the baking soda will not dissolve and most likely fall down, so the top of the jar will be more or less the same as before, while the bottom of the jar will be much more alkaline. The grains of the soda will be there and make the toothpaste more abrasive (not ideal to use all the time, but great from time to time for whitening).
2. Relying on the homemade mouthwash = add some baking soda to the homemade mouthwash (water + EO) and be consistent at using it after every brushing or in the morning.
   This is the ideal way, as the aim here is to just alter the ph and not to utilize the abrasive properties of soda. The main problem is that you have to prepare it and have it ready at all times... which is really not that big of a deal
    

[amenX]

@Natasha thank you for your answer, this is good info to keep in mind.

[Hans]

Very interesting, thanks.

I also had cavities as a teenager, basically every time I visited the dentist. It was horrible. But they started going away once I stopped eating grains and sweets.

[Natasha]

@amenX You're welcome 

[seeking_brilliance]

I suggest getting one of these. You can use it with the coconut oil or you can use any toothpaste...  But it will also sonic the plaque out of the gum line. (well, supposedly. Also should get a waterpik) 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ML44K5P/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_d9mXFbNJ1AWMX?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1