To the Dentist

I had to get a couple of cavities filled today and it was no fun!  We may not eat much refined sugar but that doesn't mean we don't enjoy plenty of nature's candy. We eat plenty of fruit, honey and maple syrup and to cavity causing bacteria, sugar is sugar.

David left work early to hang out with Ayden during my appointment.

I've always been lazy about taking care of myself. I never wash my makeup off at night, I do brush my teeth but never for the recommended amount of time and flossing?  That typically only happens when something is stuck between my teeth. I have always told myself, "this will catch up with you someday." And I suppose I was right. Now that I am pushing 30 it seems as though I can't just rely on genetics to keep things healthy. We are already eating well which is the first recommendation for preventative medicine and dentistry.  Now it is time to put forth that extra effort to keep my entire body healthy. Not just for me but for my kids and grand kids. I found out about my cavities about a week ago at my routine cleaning. The dentist explained that it is common for people to start getting more cavities as they get older. She said that they have patients who never floss, hardly brush and never see a cavity as well as patients who brush and floss religiously only to have a cavity filled at every visit. It seems as though some people are just more genetically susceptible to cavities than other.  The thing is,  I never had cavities until my pregnancy and it seems like ever since then I've had at least one at every visit. Perhaps pregnancy can forever change the balance of bacteria, ph, saliva and such in your mouth?  

It has also gotten me doing some research as I always tend to do. We use alternative methods to heal other illnesses, is there anything that will natural heal cavities and tooth decay?  I have found a book called Cure Tooth Decay that has been an interesting read. It discusses how to heal tooth decay with nutrition which is right up our ally. I also spoke with our naturopath who recommended an alternative dentist. Without even seeing me they recommended a few things and advised that I go ahead and get these cavities filled since they will continue to grow and could eventually cause other problems (as long as they are not mercury fillings) and to take better preventative measures in the future. 

That is exactly what I plan to do. We use floss picks on Ayden's teeth so I have been using them on mine twice a day since I found out about the cavities.  The reason I never flossed before was because I found it a burden to pull out such a long piece of floss, wind it around my fingers and then end up with floss all over the place after Ayden discovers it all in the trash can. The floss picks make flossing so muh more convenient. 

I also like how you can use the opposite end to scrape off any tarter build up on the gum line. Along with flossing, I've also been brushing for longer. I've always heard the saying, only floss the teeth you want to keep and I shall take that saying seriously from now on. 

Now that I have changed my evening routine up a bit, I go ahead and wash and moisturize my face before bed now too. It feels so nice to go to bed with a clean, tingly face. 

With any luck, I'll be able to prevent any additional cavities from forming. They are a waste of money (our dental Insurence only covers a portion of the cost) and I really hate the fact that they drill away at some of your healthy tooth only to fill it with an artificial substance. Sure, they don't use mercury but do the fillings contain anything else that may slowly poison you over time?  It just doesn't feel right to me...

Do you find that you are more prone to cavities after pregnancy?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Keeping Things Basic"

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