It’s been four years since I had dental insurance and consequently it has also been four years since I have seen a dentist. In this time I have been following an all natural self dentistry regime. You can read about the specific products and methods that I follow here but the basic system includes;
- Oil pulling with cold pressed organic coconut oil (swish for 20 minutes per day)
- Brushing gently with all natural fluoride free toothpaste
- Flossing diligently every single day
- Incorporating a blend of antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial essential oils
- No fluoride. Not in my drinking water or dental products
So four years later did it pan out? Does it work? How well does it work?
I had my first dental visit in four years today. I had myself in a bit of a tizzy over what I suspected to be a large cavity in my molar. When I would run my tongue over my teeth I could feel ridges and bumps that I was sure had not been there before. It felt cavity like. I also have a chipped back molar from biting into a candied almond from England, that experience was a total bummer. What’s worse is that it happened to my husband as well. I was really dreading the appointment and the expenses that were to come.
I left this appointment grinning from ear to ear. I was literally skipping, trying not to squeal when got home and told Ryan my good news. The cleaning took no time at all and the hygienist wanted to know how I kept my teeth so clean. She was surprised when I told her that it had been four years since my last cleaning. We chatted about oil pulling and she shared that some of her other clients swear by it too and that she has bought some oil to try it herself.
She took some x-rays to get a look at things and then the dentist came in. I listened intently waiting for the verdict. The hygienist knowing my concern pipes up with a translation for his code words …no cavities. He is saying “no cavities” … she sounded almost as pleased as I was. We discussed my natural dental regime and no one scolded me or pushed Colgate. My teeth were good. They were happy. What about the cavity?
Dentist: ” you have no cavities. Why did you think you did?
Me (ignoring his question): Really? Seriously? No cavities? (I really was concerned that they missed something)
Dentist: “Let me show you. I’ve got this camera it’ll only take a minute”.
They took a bunch of photos of my teeth as promised. This nifty camera gave me a really good look at what was going on inside of my mouth. I got to see all of my teeth in a close up view, front, back, top, the works. Call me impressed. It all looked really good in there. No pit of decaying black like I had imagined. Just a shiny white, healthy tooth.
The final verdict is that I needed to get a cap on that chipped tooth to prevent it from decaying. Other than that, I am booked in for a cleaning next year. I am going to be honest here, considering all I have discovered I probably wont be keeping this appointment. There is no sense spending $250 each year for a cleaning and check up that I really didn’t need.
As for costs. I have spent $250 CDN for dental services in the past four years and I suppose that was money well spent to solidify my confidence that I am on the right track with my dental regime. The crown will cost me about $1000. A dental plan would have cost me anywhere from $75-$100 per month and would not have covered the cost of the crown. I have saved myself thousands of dollars by breaking convention and opting to care for my own teeth. In my experience paying for a dentists on an as needed basis opposed to subscribing to a dental insurance plan has paid off.
I am confident that you can be successful in caring for your own teeth without the use of commercial products, fluoride, dental plans or any of those other new fangled dental products being pushed. All natural dental regimes can work extremely well.
Diligence and consistency are the key to success with natural dentistry.
If you have cavities you will need to deal with those regardless of what type of dental regime you use. A cavity is not something you can fix at home (as far as I know). If you want to read about my families regime and the products and methods that we use you can read about it here.
Excellent post Charlotte. My family has also had great dental success after switching away from commercial dental products (namely, fluoridated toothpaste and mouthwash) to a homemade tooth-powder made of baking soda and bentonite clay. One particular benefit has been the elimination of tooth stains. I have read about oil pulling and think I will give that a go as well. Did you start off swishing for 20 minutes or did you do so gradually?
Hi Erica, nice to hear from you! We started at 20 minutes but I will admit sometimes something comes up and I don’t get the full 20 minutes in. I would say do whatever works for you! I had a dental check up in the summer and I was really surprised that they knew about oil pulling and even supported it. Tides are changing it would seem. I swear by oil pulling and hope that you experience the same benefits that we have. All the best and Happy Holidays!