Cheap Dental Care - Fire Your Dentist Part 2

Tooth decay is now an epidemic. Tooth decay affects most the people who can afford it least. In the second part of my dental health guide I'll talk about more methods of home tooth care.

Mouth Wash

If you have any store bought mouthwash, throw it away. It does not kill bacteria that leads to tooth decay. Dental mouthwash almost always contains alcohol. What it does do is dry out your mouth and this promotes the growth of bacteria. There is absolutely no reason to have a mouthwash. If you are already brushing your teeth and swirling the water in your mouth, nothing else is required.

If you absolutely must have a mouth wash, put two teaspoons of sea salt into a 250 ml water bottle. Fill with water and shake until salt is dissolved. Use this as a mouth wash, as salt will kill a lot of unwanted bacteria without damaging anything else.

Breath Fresheners

If you have any store bought breath fresheners, throw them away. They contain nasty chemicals that you swallow. If you want minty smelling breath get a bottle of peppermint essential oil from a health food store. They are not expensive. Put a tiny amount of oil on your finger (clean finger, that is) and rub it on teeth. Run your tongue over your teeth to mix it around. You can spit it out if you want, but in such a small quantity it is safe to swallow.

Dental Bleaching / Tooth Whitening

If you have any store bought dental bleach or tooth whitening agents, throw them away. Any bleaching will damage tooth enamel and ensure that you visit the dentist more often in the future. To make your teeth whiter:

- Only brush with baking soda / bicarbonate soda (see part 1 of this guide)

- Learn oil pulling. You will start seeing results in about 2 months.

Help, I have a Tooth Ache. What do I do?

Firstly. Do not eat or drink anything sweet when you have a tooth ache. This makes it much worse.

Examine the tooth in the mirror. Can you see a cavity (a hole that wasn't there before)? Has a bit if the tooth broken off? If so, take a pin (or something pointy) and touch it. If it hurts like hell, you have an exposed nerve. You will have to go to the dentist to have it fixed.

If you can't see a hole and your tooth hurts when you drink something hot, you have a root canal problem. You will have to go to the dentist to have it fixed.

If the tooth feels ok, but the gum or gums look red or infected, floss around the tooth and surrounding teeth to remove any plaque. Then you can try any or all of the following:

- Salt mouth wash (see Mouth Wash Above). Swish around mouth once every hour for 3 minutes.

- Hydrogen peroxide. This is a very cheap antiseptic. You can get it from a pharmacy or a supermarket. Put some peroxide on cotton wool and dab it on the sore gums. Do this a couple of times a day.

- Olive leaf extract. You can get this from a health food shop. Take a teaspoon and swish it around the mouth for about 3 minutes. This stuff often works miracles as it has antibiotic properties. Do this 2-3 times a day.

- Coconut oil. You can also get this from a health food shop. It doesn't have to be the expensive variety. Take a tablespoon. Let it melt in your mouth and swish for about 3 minutes. Spit it out. Do this 2-3 times a day. Before sleep rub the coconut oil on your sore gums and leave it on over night to do its job.

If after two days of doing the above you don't see any improvement or the pain is worse, it's time to see the dentist.

Foods that Prevent Dental Decay

Needless to say, sugar and processed grains are the worst enemies of your teeth. Soft drinks and fruit juices fall into this category.

The only acceptable tooth-friendly alternatives to sugar are Xylitol and Stevia, both made form plants. Xylitol has also been known to prevent tooth decay. Chewing gum and sweets made with Xylitol are now available. Be careful though, Xylitol has a laxative effect. So you can't have too much of a good thing!

Click here to see Part 1 of this guide.