Need help getting started

[gardenmommy]

I am feeling overwhelmed with information and whatnot with regard to healing cavities.  My DD1 (9) recently had a big hole in her molar (baby, not permanent).  The dentist cleaned it out and capped it with a stainless steel cap; he didn't fill it, because he felt that the tooth was too brittle to take a filling, due to the size of the hole.  She also has crowded teeth (both top and bottom), and will almost certainly need braces to space them out.

DD2 (7), also has crowded teeth, but not as badly as DD1, and she has no cavities.

My DS1 (12) also had a small cavity, and we did have that one filled.  His teeth are otherwise beautiful, well-spaced, healthy gums, etc.  I think that his cavity is mainly because he *loves* sweets and isn't the greatest wrt oral hygiene.

DS2 has beautiful teeth, well-spaced, and very clean.

I've known for some time that I need to address our diet, to really get the sugar out, cut down on the grains, and increase some foods (bone broths, fermented foods, etc.).  However, various life events have made it hard to implement those changes, so it just hasn't happened.

This is the heart of my post:  Is it really possible to heal cavities?  Can we truly make any difference in this situation?  Is there *any* possibility that we can avoid braces for DD1, any chance that dietary changes can help her teeth space on their own?  

I'm also curious about the connection, if there is one, between gluten and oral health.  AFAIK, we are not sensitive to gluten, but I'm def. open to going GF if it would benefit our dental condition.

There is SO much information out there about dental health, and I just really feel overwhelmed.  I don't really know where to start.  I've been reading here on MDC, and some other sites, but again, there is so much, it's hard to know where to focus my attention.  I would love some help pinpointing worthwhile reading.  Thanks!

[mbravebird]

My first son has major dental issues, most likely from various heavy-duty meds he was on when he was almost 4. Before that he had perfect teeth, and then in two years they turned into crazy 10 caps, four extractions, root canals, etc etc etc. We found our way through the maze and are doing one cap, one extraction, and the rest fillings. So I'd say definitely get multiple opinions if you want to. You will definitely get very different perspectives.

Anyway, part of the reason I told you all that is because through all this teeth trouble -- before we even discovered it --  he's been on a traditional foods diet, aside from the cod liver oil. We can't give him CLO because he has severe hemophilia. Even when on his meds, he bruises badly and gets more internal joint bleeds when on CLO. Because of that, we've searched for alternative sources for that nutrition -- A, D, and K2 mainly. We found this, linked from a post on this forum: http://www.thedentalessentials.com/ . I like their formulation, which includes the phosphate form of calcium, the exact form our teeth are made of.

I feel like the dental essentials are a good alternative to CLO for our situation, and for anybody it's certainly a lower-stress way of getting a foot up on the situation. The pills crush easily, so even my toddler can get it in applesauce.

We also do cell salts, although we can't really see an effect. Again, my son's situation is unique, so it's hard to use us as a test case.

I guess I'm saying certainly do the nutrition changes, but that I understand how overwhelming it is, and perhaps starting by supping can be a low-stress way to dabble a foot in the nutrition aspect of tooth-building. The dental essentials and cells salts are both really easy to add to a daily routine.

I would also say that there's no one right way to approach it nutritionally -- everyone's body is different, and will tolerate different things. So take your time to figure it out, and don't feel pressured.

[mbravebird]

Just re-looked at your post, and wanted to add that yes, it is certainly possible to heal cavities with nutritional changes. People are, apparently, doing it all the time -- http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2011/05/how-i-healed-my-childs-cavity/

BUT there are others who make the exact same changes and DON'T see a result -- and I'm not talking about us, but other more normal folks without underlying health conditions. So it seems like everyone's puzzle is a little different. There is no formula, even though there are clearly good directions to go in.

[gardenmommy]

Thank you for your response.  I think that I will spend some time trying to figure out where to start.  There is so much to sort through, so I guess maybe I just need to start reading.