[Michelle Murphy]

<p>While brushing and flossing tonight (the first of which I admit to have fallen off quit a bit in practice and the second which is almost a lost art around here) I made some terrible discoveries.  As the daughter of a dentist, I know a few things to look for and what happened tonight set off all the alarm bells. <br>
Quick TMI: far more bleeding than normal; pockets of increased sensitivity; pockets of "bad-breath" smell when brushing; and (shudder) what very much looks to me exactly like the rotted bone I have seen dear dad pull from the mouths of others during a cleaning.<br>
I brushed, flossed, then brushed again more vigorously (angled into the gums moreso) with salt and baking soda mixed to a paste. <br>
I might add a drop of EO next time and see if it works for me.  I have some ideas I've been wanting to play with and now I need to play with them!<br><br>
Has your dental regimen fallen behind? <br>
Have you indulged in sweets and then failed to brush?  (Damn the peanut brittle!)<br>
Have you completely forgotten how to floss?<br><br>
Come one ladies.  Confession is good for the soul and the truth shall set you free.  <img alt=":Sheepish" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/Sheepish.gif" style=""></p>

 

[Sihaya]

I will admit that the blood thinners I'm on turn brushing into a crime scene. I am not a fan of looking like I've just feasted on raw flesh every time I smile, so I have been avoiding doing it as much as I should. Since it's due to the blood thinners, there's nothing I can do to stop/prevent the bleeding and I won't go off of them until 6 weeks after birth.

 

[BennyPai]

<p>You've hit my sore spot.  This is a big problem for me.  <img alt="gloomy.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/gloomy.gif" style="width:15px;">  I entered adulthood with teeth that had been neglected most of my childhood.  My family's lifestyle left me and my 4 sisters (at the time -- my parents had 2 more DDs after I moved out) without a toothbrush for entire summers.  (We didn't have shoes, either, or a home for that matter but that's beside the point.)  I saw two dentists during my childhood.  One in first grade and the other in seventh grade.  The end.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My fillings have all fallen out.  My teeth are in regular pain -- sometimes there is blood, other times not.  When I was 26, I had one of my molars pulled after a piece of it fell off while I was brushing.  Visits to the dentist are embarrassing.  They always feel the need to point out all of the problems in major exclamation, like my mouth is some kind of bizarre alien experience for them- I am an introvert, not too confident about my tooth situation, and the humiliation is more than I can stand.</p>
<p>To top all that off, I can't afford the visits or treatments at this point.  I haven't been able to work up the courage to go in to the clinic.  A free clinic comes once a year from the NY School of Dentistry and sets up in a large, open space with chairs side-by-side, and tons of < "Hey, come and look at this situation" and camera phones coming out and snapping shots to take back to make slide shows for the students.  My DP had a root canal done by students (under supervision) there and it took them more than four hours.</p>

 

[BennyPai]

<p>Ha!  Something to add to this afternoon's therapy session... <img alt="idea.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/idea.gif" style="width:15px;"></p>

 

[Dandy Lion]

<p>I had a dentist visit during my first trimester, and my gums were pretty inflamed then. I've had a cavity every year since I started having kids, and I really the pattern to stop, so I did a little research and I came across <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&tag=motheringhud-20&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FKiss-Your-Dentist-Goodbye-Do-It-Yourself%2Fdp%2F1929774672" rel="norewrite" target="_blank">this book</a>. I've been following the regimen for a few months now. It's a very mainstream approach, but it makes sense to me, and my dental health seems to be improving a lot. When I would floss before, my floss would kinda smell like bad breath, and now my floss doesn't have a smell. My teeth are noticeably whiter, and my gums don't bleed when I floss anymore. It takes a couple of extra minutes to brush every night since you're rinsing too, but it's totally doable. I won't have another check-up until July, but I'm expecting things to go a lot better.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I know there's lots of other stuff on teeth out there that uses a more nutrient based system, but I wanted something that was more of a quick fix, and this is fitting the bill. I have read some other books that are more Weston Priceish, and for long term health, I'm incorporating some of those ideas.</p>

 

[Dandy Lion]

<p>I should also mention that flossing isn't really part of the plan, so I just do it now when I feel the need--like I have something stuck in my teeth. It happens a few times a week, but I don't stress about it anymore.</p>

 

[EarthyLady]

<p>I read the book Cure Tooth Decay last year and it has changed our lives forever in regards to our dental health through diet.</p>