Dr.Jane Hightower, in her book "Diagnosis Mercury" writes about her experience treating patients who managed to poison themselves eating a lot of top of the food chain, expensive fish. There is a chapter in the book about mercury in medicine, too. She describes the Crawcour brothers who in 1880, brought "Royal, Mineral Succadeneum" or, mercury amalgam, from London to the States. This was so easy to use that dentists at the time really liked it. The dental community broke in to two camps, those pro mercury and those con. The pro mercury crowd prevailed and were the precursors of the American Dental Association. At the time, the anti mercury people called the pro mercury people "quacks" because the German word for mercury was "quackselber."
Dr. Kevin Stock is really good, you can find conversations with him on YouTube. Talks about the findings of Weston Price, and the fact that no other animals get cavities because they eat “species appropriate “ diets. Ditch the carbs.
I said this once and I'll say it again. I left home at 19. Who knows when I last saw a dentist. Thirty years later, not ever seeing a dentist, I got a few pin hole cavities. They didn't even bother me but my son worked for a dentist so I decided to get my teeth cared for.
Big mistake. HUGE!! He wouldn't work on me because he said I had too much plaque and needed a periodontist before he could fill my cavities. Like a dumb ass, I did.
What followed was a horror show of x-rays, broken teeth, extractions, root canals, implants and crowns. I had a perfect smile before the periodontist. Straight white teeth. No dentists or even a cleaning in 40 years. I know, don't say it, who does that?
If it ain't broke, don't fix it, was my belief. To this day, I firmly believe that it was the plaque buildup behind my teeth that literally made them invulnerable to decay because the pin hole cavities were on the front of my teeth were no visible plaque was formed.
So now I take care of my few teeth and crooked smile by watching what I put into my mouth. No nuts or anything crunchy or hard. They have to last me a few more years, God willing. Going back again, ever, to a dentist? no friggin way.
We dental hygienists are the preventive arm of dentistry. I've spent almost fifty years talking about nutrition to patients. The dentists do not have nutrition in their course of study, but it is an important part of the hygiene curriculum. We are also in a good spot to provide education, since we often see people once or twice a year under less stressful circumstances. The concern now is that many hygienists no longer have the luxury of time set aside to educate.
Absolutely one of the best essays I've read on the subject of dentistry. Thank you!
I can tell you with certainty that nearly ALL of my health issues today have been caused by dentists of one kind or another.
It is just as the author explains- there is no money for dentists in saving our health and our teeth. It's always, Drill-Fill-Bill all the time.
It starts when we were children. I was born in the 1950s and my parents were first generation Americans. What did they know about dentists? For that matter, I am in my 70s and only in recent years discovered how the dentists- all of them, in every specialty- were ruining my teeth, gums and my health.
Thanks to substack, I now have access to some of the best medical and health professionals in the world. I have started a library of sorts on my computer where I save all these articles and use them for reference. They have literally saved my life.
Back to the Satanic dentists. Just over a year ago I had an infection under a tooth that was part of a bridge that has 8 teeth on it. I went to 10 different dentists including periodontists, oral surgeons and prosthodontists, as well as "regular" dentists. All of them are highly recommended in this area of NY.
I made the mistake of allowing the periodontist to remove part of the root and supposedly clean out the infection. BIG MISTAKE. Today I am sitting here with a big hole in the gum under the tooth. Nobody can seem to fix it. I looked up every conceivable material and treatment and showed it to the various dentists. NONE OF THEM WERE INTERESTED.
Their answer was simple- I need to invest a minimum of $30,000, maybe more, to remove the old bridge and let them do implants and rework my mouth! One of them said- just leave it and rinse with peroxide every day to keep it clean. As it turns out- that was probably the best advice.
I could go on- but I'm sure many of you have similar horror stories.
PS- I am a big fan of Dr. Robert Yoho after reading his substack and his book "Judas Dentristry".
Have you looked at references attributed to Dr. John R. Christopher? He once recommended White Oak Bark Powder to a woman to prevent a full mouth extraction due to gum disease.
Why even go to the dentist? I went my entire 20s and early 30s without going. Then I was in a job with "good" (inexpensive) insurance so I got dental and started going for cleanings. When I started going my teeth were perfect. With every visit my gum measures increased a little until they started wanting to use antibiotics. I stopped going, stopped paying for insurance, and my mouth stopped bleeding a little (sometimes) when I brushed. Now I only brush once a day with bentonite clay and my mouth has no issues.
They tried to do that gum pocket measuring trick with me, too. And I used to believe in it, got scared, had the "deep cleaning" done where they have to numb the area first. Expensive.
One time a dental hygienist told me "Your gums are bleeding". I told her, "It's because you're poking it with that thing! I just need more Vitamin C." She shut up real quick.
I have a much better dentist & hygienist now. They don't poke my gums or threaten me with x-rays every time.
They clean my teeth.
There ARE some dentists out there who aren't just in it for the money.
After 47 years in dental practice, I’ve learned that dental health closely parallels general health. Even when patients understand what’s required to maintain a healthy, disease-free mouth, few are willing to make the significant lifestyle and dietary changes it demands. While I agree with much of what’s stated in the article, lasting oral health ultimately depends on patient cooperation—and most people find that level of commitment difficult to sustain.
Bandit - Shouldn't we stop complaining and just be grateful that someone has provided FREE information for us to use in our lives to keep ourself and our families healthier?
It's not up to one person to handfeed us what we need. We have to take responsibility for ourselves and gather info.
We have the internet, the world-wide-web at our fingertips!
Bandit- agree. I recently read an article about oral probiotics to help with gum disease. A brand named ProDentim was recommended so I purchased it online. I am pleased to say that it seems to be helping. I had no idea when I bought it about all the research in this article.
I once went to a holistic dentist and what a great experience that was. Just there for an annual exam and cleaning, no big deal.
He actually asked me about my habits, diet, sleep, etc. Then he had me stand up so he could check my jaw and skeletal posture.
Soon afterwards, he retired. I was so sad - I didn't get to enjoy a second appointment with him. He cared about the patient's entire lifestyle, not just "drill, fill, bill."
NOT ZERO. Several dentists have contacted VitaminDWiki. Some now provide in-office blood spot tests to show their patients their vitamin D levels and encourage them to increase their vitamin D levels. Other dentists have a slowed-down (25% speed reduction) version of our video " Does Less Sun Mean More Disease" playing silently in their waiting room. http://is.gd/LessSun. Besides the original English, it is dubbed in German, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, etc. The summary Dental page in VitaminDWiki is at https://is.gd/dentald
Dentists had, back in the 1930's, extensively used Vitamin D to stop cavities. https://is.gd/dental1930, but the American Dental Association was later lobbied to have the dentists get more money by applying Fluoride instead of using Vitamin D.
I moved to a new town and went to a new dentist. They cleaned my teeth, no problems. On the way out, I asked the dentist if there's anything I should do - "Should I stay away from sugar and citrus fruits?"..............I can still see his face. He smiled and said, "No, just eat your regular diet".
"An ounce of prevention... costs thousands in profits"
Dr.Jane Hightower, in her book "Diagnosis Mercury" writes about her experience treating patients who managed to poison themselves eating a lot of top of the food chain, expensive fish. There is a chapter in the book about mercury in medicine, too. She describes the Crawcour brothers who in 1880, brought "Royal, Mineral Succadeneum" or, mercury amalgam, from London to the States. This was so easy to use that dentists at the time really liked it. The dental community broke in to two camps, those pro mercury and those con. The pro mercury crowd prevailed and were the precursors of the American Dental Association. At the time, the anti mercury people called the pro mercury people "quacks" because the German word for mercury was "quackselber."
"Quackselber" translates to what Mercury was known as back then. Quicksilver.
yes
Dr. Kevin Stock is really good, you can find conversations with him on YouTube. Talks about the findings of Weston Price, and the fact that no other animals get cavities because they eat “species appropriate “ diets. Ditch the carbs.
Seems it always comes back to our diet - what we eat and drink every day give us health or sickness.
I said this once and I'll say it again. I left home at 19. Who knows when I last saw a dentist. Thirty years later, not ever seeing a dentist, I got a few pin hole cavities. They didn't even bother me but my son worked for a dentist so I decided to get my teeth cared for.
Big mistake. HUGE!! He wouldn't work on me because he said I had too much plaque and needed a periodontist before he could fill my cavities. Like a dumb ass, I did.
What followed was a horror show of x-rays, broken teeth, extractions, root canals, implants and crowns. I had a perfect smile before the periodontist. Straight white teeth. No dentists or even a cleaning in 40 years. I know, don't say it, who does that?
If it ain't broke, don't fix it, was my belief. To this day, I firmly believe that it was the plaque buildup behind my teeth that literally made them invulnerable to decay because the pin hole cavities were on the front of my teeth were no visible plaque was formed.
So now I take care of my few teeth and crooked smile by watching what I put into my mouth. No nuts or anything crunchy or hard. They have to last me a few more years, God willing. Going back again, ever, to a dentist? no friggin way.
CM - Sorry you had to go through all that. We think the dentists know what they're doing, but they don't always.
And we believe dentists know EXACTLY what they are doing, ALL of the time.
We dental hygienists are the preventive arm of dentistry. I've spent almost fifty years talking about nutrition to patients. The dentists do not have nutrition in their course of study, but it is an important part of the hygiene curriculum. We are also in a good spot to provide education, since we often see people once or twice a year under less stressful circumstances. The concern now is that many hygienists no longer have the luxury of time set aside to educate.
Never had an hygienist speak one word to me about nutrition.
Me either
I wish I could have had even one dental hygienist like you in all the years I've been going to dentists.
I wish you were the norm, not the exception. Only nutrition advice I’ve ever received is “don’t eat sugar”.
Absolutely one of the best essays I've read on the subject of dentistry. Thank you!
I can tell you with certainty that nearly ALL of my health issues today have been caused by dentists of one kind or another.
It is just as the author explains- there is no money for dentists in saving our health and our teeth. It's always, Drill-Fill-Bill all the time.
It starts when we were children. I was born in the 1950s and my parents were first generation Americans. What did they know about dentists? For that matter, I am in my 70s and only in recent years discovered how the dentists- all of them, in every specialty- were ruining my teeth, gums and my health.
Thanks to substack, I now have access to some of the best medical and health professionals in the world. I have started a library of sorts on my computer where I save all these articles and use them for reference. They have literally saved my life.
Back to the Satanic dentists. Just over a year ago I had an infection under a tooth that was part of a bridge that has 8 teeth on it. I went to 10 different dentists including periodontists, oral surgeons and prosthodontists, as well as "regular" dentists. All of them are highly recommended in this area of NY.
I made the mistake of allowing the periodontist to remove part of the root and supposedly clean out the infection. BIG MISTAKE. Today I am sitting here with a big hole in the gum under the tooth. Nobody can seem to fix it. I looked up every conceivable material and treatment and showed it to the various dentists. NONE OF THEM WERE INTERESTED.
Their answer was simple- I need to invest a minimum of $30,000, maybe more, to remove the old bridge and let them do implants and rework my mouth! One of them said- just leave it and rinse with peroxide every day to keep it clean. As it turns out- that was probably the best advice.
I could go on- but I'm sure many of you have similar horror stories.
PS- I am a big fan of Dr. Robert Yoho after reading his substack and his book "Judas Dentristry".
Have you looked at references attributed to Dr. John R. Christopher? He once recommended White Oak Bark Powder to a woman to prevent a full mouth extraction due to gum disease.
Why even go to the dentist? I went my entire 20s and early 30s without going. Then I was in a job with "good" (inexpensive) insurance so I got dental and started going for cleanings. When I started going my teeth were perfect. With every visit my gum measures increased a little until they started wanting to use antibiotics. I stopped going, stopped paying for insurance, and my mouth stopped bleeding a little (sometimes) when I brushed. Now I only brush once a day with bentonite clay and my mouth has no issues.
They tried to do that gum pocket measuring trick with me, too. And I used to believe in it, got scared, had the "deep cleaning" done where they have to numb the area first. Expensive.
One time a dental hygienist told me "Your gums are bleeding". I told her, "It's because you're poking it with that thing! I just need more Vitamin C." She shut up real quick.
I have a much better dentist & hygienist now. They don't poke my gums or threaten me with x-rays every time.
They clean my teeth.
There ARE some dentists out there who aren't just in it for the money.
money, money,money,money.....money!
After 47 years in dental practice, I’ve learned that dental health closely parallels general health. Even when patients understand what’s required to maintain a healthy, disease-free mouth, few are willing to make the significant lifestyle and dietary changes it demands. While I agree with much of what’s stated in the article, lasting oral health ultimately depends on patient cooperation—and most people find that level of commitment difficult to sustain.
That’s one way to justify the dental system!
Chasz - It's similar to any self-care. We can be lazy about it until it's too late: "Why am I losing all my TEETH??!!"
It would have been a much better article if some of the suggested preventives had been listed. Not just don't eat sugar.
Bandit - Shouldn't we stop complaining and just be grateful that someone has provided FREE information for us to use in our lives to keep ourself and our families healthier?
It's not up to one person to handfeed us what we need. We have to take responsibility for ourselves and gather info.
We have the internet, the world-wide-web at our fingertips!
BINGO.
You trust the internet to give you the truth. The internet that bows to big pharma. Ok, sure. Have at it.
Bandit- agree. I recently read an article about oral probiotics to help with gum disease. A brand named ProDentim was recommended so I purchased it online. I am pleased to say that it seems to be helping. I had no idea when I bought it about all the research in this article.
Reading the books referenced in the notes is a good start. And not eating sugar is probably 75% of the battle. Speaking from experience.
I once went to a holistic dentist and what a great experience that was. Just there for an annual exam and cleaning, no big deal.
He actually asked me about my habits, diet, sleep, etc. Then he had me stand up so he could check my jaw and skeletal posture.
Soon afterwards, he retired. I was so sad - I didn't get to enjoy a second appointment with him. He cared about the patient's entire lifestyle, not just "drill, fill, bill."
NOT ZERO. Several dentists have contacted VitaminDWiki. Some now provide in-office blood spot tests to show their patients their vitamin D levels and encourage them to increase their vitamin D levels. Other dentists have a slowed-down (25% speed reduction) version of our video " Does Less Sun Mean More Disease" playing silently in their waiting room. http://is.gd/LessSun. Besides the original English, it is dubbed in German, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, etc. The summary Dental page in VitaminDWiki is at https://is.gd/dentald
Dentists had, back in the 1930's, extensively used Vitamin D to stop cavities. https://is.gd/dental1930, but the American Dental Association was later lobbied to have the dentists get more money by applying Fluoride instead of using Vitamin D.
There's a folk-myth that many dentists are failed medical students...There must be a grain of truth in that...
What happens when a dental carie is cured? The dentist doesn't get paid.
I moved to a new town and went to a new dentist. They cleaned my teeth, no problems. On the way out, I asked the dentist if there's anything I should do - "Should I stay away from sugar and citrus fruits?"..............I can still see his face. He smiled and said, "No, just eat your regular diet".
I never went back to that dentist again.
An acquaintance of mine around 40 years old had all his teeth pulled in a clinic in Mexico in order to save money.
He planned to get a full mouth of dental implants so before pulling all the teeth, the staff took x-rays, etc. to plan the implant locations.
But....they lost the records and couldn't proceed with the implants!
I saw him shortly afterwards and he told me what happened. He was a retail employee, had a low income, and didn't know what to do next.
I haven't seen him in a few months - not sure what happened.
Morale of the story - Don't go to Mexico for dental work.