Wondering about three products recommended by holistic dentist....

[sunnysandiegan]

Does anyone here have any comments on the following products?

Sulcabrush
Orarex
Hydrofloss

I went to my first holistic dentist today and these products were recommended for several issues I have, but mostly general good dental hygiene along with a propensity to floss less than I should (never developed the habit, I guess).

Part of the visit was really, really good and part of it was less than good. The worst news, as far as I am concerned is my "numbers" were the highest they've ever been! I am used to getting mostly 3s and some 2s and a couple 4s when the dentist pokes my gums with his torture stick. This time he called out mostly 4s and some 3s and one 5! My teeth themselves are considered to be in excellent health (no remineralization needed, he said), but my gums are suffering and this level of health is markedly lower than typical.

Meanwhile, the best news is I was able to reverse/correct an infection that had the last dentist imploring me to get a root canal based on an abscess in my gum and xrays showing a "shadow". The shadow and abscess are GONE now! (I actively worked on this, so it is very good news to me.)

I am a little confused on where to go next in healing since I always thought the health of one's teeth is a measure (at least in part) by the health of one's gums. As in, the state of one's gums determines (at least in part) the state of one's teeth. I've always had healthy teeth and gums even though I had quite a few cavities in childhood. My teeth are strong, straight, and light-colored without the use of any whiteners or orthodontics, etc.

Any comments or advice or links for further reading? Any books I can "order" from the library?

Thanks!

[gbailey]

I've never heard of any of them but am interested in trying the Orarex. I was told by one dentist I needed to have a teeth scaling and I'm not sure I want to do it. This product sounds like something that may work for me.

[sunnysandiegan]

I was told I need root planing done to get the calculus off my teeth from just below the gumline. The above wasn't meant to replace that advice, but rather to supplement it and to keep the teeth/gums healthier overall and especially after the root planing to prevent needing it (root planing) again. Hmmm... We do not have dental insurance and DH just went through the root planing last year. (Even though he DID - not anymore - have dental insurance, it was still rather expensive.) We need to build our HSA back up before I can deplete it again. DH had not only his insurance cut but also his salary reduced, so building it up will go a little slower now.

The holistic dentist (or rather the "billing" person in his office) recommends I go for just the cleaning every 3 months in order to halt the progress of the calculus build-up. Only because I was straight-forward and told her the naked financial truth. ) After explaining that it is not the same as root planing, she offered a cash patient discount for each of those cleanings. No xrays will be done and no exam by the dentist; just the hygienist would use her tools to scrape the new build-up more often in hopes of preventing further gum issues. My dad does the every 3 months cleaning thing and he is friends with his dentist (knew him before becoming his patient), so I'm going to ask him some questions.

Meanwhile, I want to figure out why this happens and what can be done through other methods (like nutrition or supplements or home remedies or whatever) to improve my gum health. The dentist gave me the news and gave me some paperwork to read and answered my initial questions, but he didn't really push the issue. The hygienist discussed the calculus/tartar/plaque and flossing with me a little bit, but she also did not push the root planing. The only one who exerted what I felt as pressure to do this procedure right away or dire consequences would ensue was the "billing" gal. (When did dental offices move to this model of having a billing specialist in the office talking directly with patients at the end of every visit, anyway? I'd prefer to work with a receptionist since they generally have better people skills and are often far more personable!) Anyway, I wonder if the dentist and hygienist didn't push the issue because they had their jobs to do and they knew the billing person had her job to do... or what the deal is really. There are different schools of thought on dentistry and most dentists I have seen prior to this one are all about very traditional modern dentistry. This dentist is holistic and we had several discussions on various topics that lead me to believe he has always believed in holistic health practices (more encompassing than dentistry alone). Hmmm......

[sunnysandiegan]

I found a different oral irrigator called Glacier Floss (made in USA) I like better for less than half the cost of the one above. It has the magnetic capabilities of the one above and this one attaches directly to the sink, so there is no tank to get icky and no electricity usage and a lot less counter space used. Win-Win for me!

DH likes the idea of the above one, but would prefer to use it in the shower. I found one of those with great reviews (ShowerBreeze), but it doesn't have the magnetic capability. We'll see if the Glacier Floss can be adapted to shower use.

[tanyalynn]

I'm really not sure if it would help, but maybe look for the threads on oil pulling? I think it's meant to help with overall dental/mouth health issues, and it's pretty low risk.

JaneS has some old threads on tartar and digestive bile, I don't remember what the connection is, I just thought it was interesting because DD tends to build tartar, which is apparently quite unusual in a young child, and I know she has digestive issues. Some folks use ox bile supplements, I've just worked on our overall health plus digestive stuff that's helpful for us (no allergens, and lots of kimchee). I don't know that it would do anything for already-deposited tartar, but I think it's supposed to help slow down/stop new deposits.

FWIW, DS had a short time period when he built tartar quickly, but it was a calcium regulation issue due to lack of K2, and the whole thing was a bit particular to our situation. I'm not sure whether it would happen the same way in an adult, but I figure I'd mention it just in case.

[sunnysandiegan]

Thanks for all the tips, TanyaLopez! I appreciate it.

I do oil pulling.

I think your other tidbits are definitely worth further investigation. I'm sure there is a connection between my oral health and my overall health. I'm beginning to wonder about undiagnosed allergies. I have had digestive system issues for a long time and had gotten them under control [by some standards] years ago. I am wondering if I merely transferred those issues elsewhere in my body or if I stopped too soon or who knows what.....

[**Lisa**]

Originally Posted by sunnysandiegan

Meanwhile, the best news is I was able to reverse/correct an infection that had the last dentist imploring me to get a root canal based on an abscess in my gum and xrays showing a "shadow". The shadow and abscess are GONE now! (I actively worked on this, so it is very good news to me.)
Thanks!

Could you explain how you worked to get the shadow to go away?

[sunnysandiegan]

Originally Posted by **Lisa**

Could you explain how you worked to get the shadow to go away?

I'm quoting myself from another thread on root canals:

I have a tooth I was told needed a root canal and they showed me the x-ray explaining the slight color difference [shadow] was an infection. I had an abscess in the gum. I took the round of antibiotics (mostly because they scared me) while taking probiotics to counteract any good germs being destroyed. I did not experience any yeast issues that I am aware of.

I've also been working on my general health. I was swishing coconut oil around in my mouth every night for awhile and the abscess healed. I have more recently been doing "oil pulling" with unrefined, cold-pressed sesame oil and have been releasing all kinds of "gunk" from my body (mostly congestion). Bone broth, healthy salts (Celtic, RealSalt, and Himalayan), coconut oil, vitamin D3, and other things as well.

So far, I have no pain, so I have not taken any action on the root canal thus far.

I think I have found a reasonably priced holistic dentist and plan to see him in the next few weeks. I will know more after that appointment.

I added the [shadow] to the above quote. The color difference I noted in the quote is the differences of gray on a digital xray.

This current thread (wondering about three products) is the aftermath of the appointment I referenced in the quote.

I had the abscess for roughly two years and was seeing three holistic / alternative health practitioners during that timeframe, as well. The abscess was in the "laundry list" of issues I wanted to resolve. None of them specifically said, "This supplement/action will heal the abscess." However, I know each of them work on the whole body in their specialties, so there may be other things that helped the situation also.