A Perspective On Our Oral Health

by | Apr 20, 2017 | ARTICLES, Periodontal Care

We’re delighted to welcome guest blogger, Dr. Alvin Danenberg, DDS!  Dr. Danenberg has been a periodontist for 43 years. In 2014, he received designations of Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and Certified Primal Health Coach. In 2016, Dr. Danenberg created a CE course for dentists and dental hygienists titled, Beat the Beast of Dental Disease. Elecktra Press will publish his new book, Crazy-Good LIVING!, on July 15, 2017.

For more information, visit Dr. Veronica’s video interview with Dr. Danenberg here.

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Dr. Al Danenberg

Are you a visual person?

Conjure up in your mind a fluffy, fictitious little animal that lived about 200,000 years ago. I’ll call her “Fluffyoptigus”. Let’s assume that she had teeth and needed to chew her food to survive and thrive. However, this little gal started to develop tooth decay, which eventually led to painful teeth. She also started to develop bleeding gums, which eventually led to loose teeth. Shortly after that, many of her teeth were lost to severe decay and gum disease. Not only was this happening to her, but also to her brothers and sisters. Her species was losing teeth and couldn’t digest food properly. What would happen to her and her kind?

She and her siblings would become frail. Predators would take advantage of this species’ weakness and kill or eat them. Fluffyoptigus and her brothers and sisters would be unable to function or survive. Evolution would eventually deselect this species, and this species would become extinct.

In contrast, the human species hardly ever had gum disease or tooth decay. If humans were like Fluffyoptigus, then none of us would be here. Our species would have died off. But that didn’t happen.

 Human Evolution

We have evolved over the last 2.5 million years. Over that course of time, our genetic makeup and biological systems evolved to be the best they could be. During that course of time, our primal ancestors did not have toothbrushes or dental floss. They didn’t see their dentist every 6 months, and they didn’t have fluoride to apply to their teeth. Yet, they hardly ever had gum disease or tooth decay. What is up with that?

Something happened about 10,000 years ago, a drop in the evolutionary bucket-of-time. Something very unnatural occurred. It was not part of our primal ancestors’ experience and not part of what was supposed to happen.

A Means To A Healthy End

The primary forces that led to rampant tooth decay and gum disease also led to most chronic, degenerative diseases in our modern and civilized societies today. These primary forces include the introduction of innutritious foods, an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, and the inclusion of toxic substances into our food supply.

The obvious but not-so-easy solutions are to:

  • Eat nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods
  • Engage in an efficient exercise program
  • Assure restorative sleep
  • Explore methods of stress reduction

Specifically for dental health, you also need to clean your mouth effectively. Here is what I tell my patients:

  • Clean Between Your Teeth: I floss between my teeth using lightly-waxed floss. Think about sliding up and down a poll. That is how the floss wraps around the tooth and slides up and down to scrape the plaque away from the tooth. Also, I frequently will use a small brush that is designed to clean between teeth like a pipe cleaner (example: Soft Pick® by GUM). Imagine the small bristles of this tiny brush scrubbing the bacterial film away as it is pushed in and out between the teeth at the gum line.
  • Brush Your Teeth: I like to use an electric toothbrush like the Sonicare® or the Oral B/Braun® because electric brushes are more efficient, and I am lazy. Dip the bristles in a little coconut oil (I keep some which stays solid at room temperature in a small jar in my bathroom), and then dip that into a little baking soda (I also keep some in a small jar in the bathroom). Then I brush my teeth, angling the bristles into the space where the gums meet the teeth on both the cheek side and the tongue side of all my teeth.
  • Brush Your Tongue: An effective way is to use a teaspoon. Place the inverted teaspoon as far back as is comfortable on the upper side of your tongue. Then, gently glide the teaspoon forward, removing the bacterial film and microscopic food particles. Repeat this 2-3 times, and then wash off the teaspoon. Perform this tongue-cleaning method in the morning and then in the evening before bed.

 Bottom Line

We can beat the beast of dental disease as well as reduce the risk of developing chronic, degenerative diseases by following my basic but profound recommendations.

Learn more at Dr. Danenberg’s website.

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Medical Intuitive, Functional Medicine Doctor, Functional Medicine New York, ManhattanDr. Veronica Anderson is an MD, Functional Medicine practitioner, Homeopath. and Medical Intuitive. As a national speaker and designer of the Functional Fix and Rejuvenation Journey programs, she helps people who feel like their doctors have failed them. She advocates science-based natural, holistic, and complementary treatments to address the root cause of disease. Dr. Veronica is a highly-sought guest on national television and syndicated radio and hosts her own radio show, Wellness for the REAL World, on FOX Sports 920 AM “the Jersey” on Mondays at 7:00 pm ET.

To get started transforming your health, schedule a consult HERE.

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