Daily Archive

It was a day right out of a dream. Taking five children to consecutive dental appointments might seem like a nightmare, but it went so well I was elated. We stopped by the library first, so each child was stocked with new reading material. For most of my kids, the ultimate punishment is suspension of library privileges. With books in hand, we entered the waiting room.

Rose went first and I chatted with the doctor while he examined her teeth. We talked about my recent education and excursion into traditional foods, local, grassfed, organic, raw etc. He didn’t scoff and give me “that look” (you know, the one the doctor gives you when you say you don’t want the Crestor, but thanks anyway) both he and his nurse listened, asked questions and were interested! Does it take a lot more time? Is it more expensive? Where do you get foods like that? He was so receptive and accepting that I even ventured to tell him about the tooth rinse I had made!

I explained our experiment: that from the first of the year until now we have avoided, for the greatest part, processed foods and sugars of all kinds. I wanted to know if he saw any improvement at all in the kids’ teeth. I wanted to know of caries he found: which were “watches” before that have worsened, which are brand new, and did he see any sign of remineralization.

Rose has good, solid teeth, and they are looking well-spaced. She develops sores in her mouth from fluoride, so she doesn’t use fluoridated toothpaste or rinses. She had no new cavities.

Christy has spacing problems and might need some straightening. Where the teeth are very crowded it is difficult for her to clean adequately. One adult molar erupted and immediately had a cavity. I suspect the cavity might have formed prior to its eruption, which to me would indicate the insufficiency of our diet over the last few years while that tooth was developing. In all, she has four cavities that will need attention, including one cavity that was previously drilled and filled, and is now larger than the original filling.

Kate is in the homestretch of orthodontia. She has developed nickel poisoning, resulting in a unique type of eczema. In the last several days, the sensitivity has started attacking her gums, tongue and cheeks. I am putting my foot down at the orthodontist this week. Minor overbite or no, it’s time to get rid of those braces right now! Kate has no cavities despite the challenges of cleaning around braces.

Blair has had her braces off for four years. She had one tooth that just never came in at all (her dad had the same thing) and it was causing her entire mouth to shift half a tooth off center. She’s all straight now and her teeth are rock solid in their new positions. When her braces came off, she had two “soft spots” in her enamel that the dentist wisely is going to fill. Because Blair will be away all summer, her dietary and hygienic choices might not be ideal, and I feel it’s best to catch these two small problems while they are small.

John: my most vocal detractor to this way of living, my most stubborn sugar-eater, my child with porous enamel, root canals, chipped teeth and thirteen (yes, 13!) cavities at one checkup. HAD NO NEW CAVITIES. None. He has a couple older ones that are needing filling, but nothing new.

John and I had a deal. If he had two or fewer new cavities at this checkup, he would agree that I was right about all this diet-tied-to-dental stuff and stop complaining about the food I was serving. But if he had more than two, he could resume his horrible diet with no further nagging or cajoling from me. I know that’s a risky agreement, but he is going to be 17 this year, nearly out of my range of influence when it comes to healthy food choices, and I have seen what he’s eaten. I know about Dr. Price’s orphans and the amazing improvements they made with just one healthy meal a day. John was getting two and a half excellent meals every day, butter, whole milk, cod liver oil, the whole nine yards.

I am jumping and leaping and singing joyfully tonight.