| WHY? | STEP ONE | STEP TWO | STEP THREE |
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STEP ONE The Only Way to Clean Your Teeth
The first step to saving your teeth is to stop using ALL toothpaste, whether or not it contains fluoride. That goes for the “natural” tooth pastes and the gels or rinses that you are using as well. I found the natural tooth pastes had glycerin as one of the main ingredients and glycerin coats the teeth and prevents re-enamelization. If you check all your dental products, you will find glycerin is a main ingredient in them. You will also find that most tooth pastes and gels contain SLS (sodium laurel sulfate) which has been shown in studies to cause canker sores. You must stop using all tooth pastes with glycerin and/or fluoride and other contaminating ingredients. So what does Dr. Judd recommend we use on our teeth? SOAP. Yes, you read that correctly. Dr. Judd says BAR SOAP is the only effective cleanser for teeth. Dr. Judd states, “Soap takes oils and other items off the teeth quickly leaving them perfectly clean. Toothpastes, all of them, with 60% glycerin in them require over 20 washes to remove it, thus leaving the teeth with a coating at all times. Soap takes only two rinses and it is off.” Once the teeth are cleaned with bar soap, they will reenamelize from calcium and phosphate in the diet. I will talk more about these two minerals in Step Two. “Teeth which are cleaned and rinsed by bar soap are far cleaner than those cleaned with toothpaste which includes sugar, acid, chalk, silicates (sand), soap*, fluoride, dyes, stabilizers, mixing agents and other contaminating materials. These badly contaminate the teeth and prevent good enamelization,” says Dr. Judd. * Soap is the only component of toothpaste that is not detrimental if the soap is pure and natural. Dr. Judd refers to teeth as a crystal and states “The soap cleaned crystal will enamelize better and build more perfectly. It is a given in making crystals in the laboratory that the solution they are made from must be free of all undesirable impurities, to get the beautiful perfect facets. ”Plaque, on the other hand which is a poorly formed crystal stuck to the bottom of the enamel, is prevented and eventually removed by brushing with bar soap! And prevention of plaque retards gum pockets! If plaque is so bad, isn’t going to the dentist a good idea so he can clean off the plaque? Dr. Judd says that, “Dental procedures to get the badly formed crystals off dig holes through the enamel. These cavities catch food and cause GUM INFECTION.” Don’t probe your teeth with sharp objects or those metal picks made for removing plaque. Speaking of plaque, in one of Dr. Lita Lee’s newsletters I read that plaque on your teeth is the same plaque in your heart and blood vessels in the body. Your mouth will tell you exactly what is going on in your body! It is important to make sure you don’t have plaque so your gums stay healthy and soap takes care of it. Soap prevents gingivitis caused by bacteria which is lodged in the gum pockets and many germs are killed by soap’s wetting ability. Dr. Judd states, “receding gums and plaque are ended when soap is used for brushing and vitamin C is taken daily” (see Step Two). Dr. Judd has been using bar soap on his teeth for years and still uses it today. He does warn however, that one should NEVER use SYNTHETIC liquid soaps. He states, “these synthetics are said to create hermaphrodites (species with both reproductive organs) from alligators subjected thereto in the swamps.” SYNTHETIC liquid soaps also have a different composition that is harmful to protoplasm (the essential living matter of all animal and plant cells). Right now you may be thinking, “But soap tastes gross! How will my children ever go along with brushing their teeth with soap?” I was hesitant to try the bar soap myself. Dr. Judd suggests using Palmolive, Dial and even Motel 6 soap, but since I won’t even use those types of soaps on my skin, I knew I couldn’t brush my teeth with them. I ended up trying a few soaps. I searched for soaps that had peppermint in them hoping they would taste okay. But even the natural peppermint soaps I tried were AWFUL. A peppermint castile soap I tried was bitter and tasted terrible! And another soap that smelled wonderful tasted even worse than the castile. I ended up trying a fragrance free pure bar soap and decided I would try and live with it. When I first started brushing my teeth with soap, I DID NOT like it! After two weeks of brushing with the regular bar soap, I knew I needed to find something else. Having a soap I liked was a big deal to me because I brush my teeth at least 3 times a day. The expensive natural toothpaste I was using did not have fluoride or SLS (sodium laurel sulfate), and it tasted great, but it was certainly not getting rid of plaque or helping my teeth to re-enamelize. I brushed my teeth faithfully and still got plaque while using toothpaste. My natural toothpaste was full of glycerin and many other ingredients that were not helping my teeth and gums. I was also concerned my girls would never go for the taste of bar soap even though they were willing to try it. Being ages 5 and 9 at the time, they did have discerning palates and they were used to brushing with regular toothpaste. I felt like I hit a dead end because brushing the teeth with soap was the first important step in keeping healthy teeth and gums for life. Dr. Judd mentions several times that bar soap is superior to any toothpaste and is very pure and natural because it is made with only fat and sodium hydroxide. He states, “Soap is an excellent detergent, mixing insoluble oils on the tongue, inner cheek and teeth with the water and rinsing it away. Soap rinses off oils and doesn’t coat the enamel to block calcium and phosphate entry.” I was on a mad search for a soap that was more palatable than the one I was using. I kept checking all the health food sections of every store. I never found anything that tasted better than that fragrance free bar soap, and that one didn’t taste so good either. If I wanted something different, I knew I was going to have to come up with my own soap. I began working on the formula and was even going to teach myself how to make soap. Fortunately, shortly after that, I happened to run across a soap maker who made beautiful artisan soaps. I told her about Dr. Judd and of my idea for a good tasting all natural “Tooth Soap” and she got excited. She worked on my formula and after a few trials the Tooth Soap™ was born. I started using it right away and so did my family. They actually liked it! And I liked it too! I could definitely live with my new Tooth Soap® for life and strangely enough, the more I used the Tooth Soap®, the more I liked it. My children said the same thing. My teeth feel so much cleaner after brushing with soap. I could never go back to using sticky toothpaste again. Others that have tried the Tooth Soap® have also commented on how clean their teeth feel after using it. Toothpaste is not a good cleanser for your teeth and gums, but it works great to clean your sink! If your house is anything like mine WAS, there is always a blob of toothpaste in the sink at one point during the day. Truth be told, I would use the toothpaste as a sink cleanser because it was so abrasive. It worked as well as Ajax! No kidding, I would get a sponge and use the toothpaste that had fallen off the toothbrush to clean the metal drain and it worked great. I have to laugh out loud at this one. The great thing about brushing your teeth with soap is that not only does it keep your teeth, gums, and tooth brush totally clean, but your sink will be free of toothpaste blobs as well! How to get rid of all toothpaste… You have to go “cold turkey”. Get rid of all toothpaste tubes in your home. Just throw the toothpaste in the trash! The only way to stop using toothpaste is to make sure it is in the trash so you cannot reach for it! I went through a withdrawal period when I stopped using toothpaste. I kept wanting that super burst of MINT in my mouth because as a consumer, I had been brainwashed into thinking we need all that junk on our teeth to clean them. But the simple truth is SOAP is the best thing to clean teeth and disinfect gums. CAUTION: Again, do not use SYNTHETIC liquid soap or ANY TOOTHPASTE on your teeth! Use only pure NATURAL SOAP. After trying quite a few bad tasting bar soaps myself, I highly suggest using only “Perfect Prescription Tooth Soap®” (see Toothsoap.com for more info). Do not use glycerin bars as the added glycerin coats the teeth and prevents re-enamelization. The importance of water and your teeth… I am not talking about drinking water (although you do need to do that!) but I am talking about rinsing acids off of your teeth immediately after eating by rinsing your mouth thoroughly with water after you eat any acid foods (vinegar, lemon, sodas, etc.). As stated before, tooth enamel reacts with all acids to form cavities. Acid foods are what eat away the enamel of the teeth, and drinking water neutralizes any acids in the mouth. Dr. Judd states, “By drinking a sip of water along with the acid during eating, the acid reacts chemically with water immediately to form hydronium ion and thus the enamel is saved.” Swish water in your mouth (politely of course) when you eat. You will need to forget about any info you read that says you should never drink water while eating. To save your teeth, you have to rinse your teeth with water during and after your meal. If however, drinking liquids while eating causes digestive problems for you (heartburn!), drink very small amounts of water. An ounce will do the trick. After eating you can rinse your mouth well and spit out the water. Just make sure to rinse the acids off of your teeth. The worst acid for the teeth is in rhubarb which has strong oxalic acid. Phosphoric acid is also strong and is added to certain fruit juice drinks (another reason to avoid those junky drinks!). Lemon juice and vitamin C are next, followed by carbonated drinks. Studies with children prove that children who drink soda pop 3 times a day have more caries (decay) than those who drink 1 soda per day. So the first step is SOAP and WATER. Brush your teeth with soap and water and rinse your teeth well with water during and after your meals. Pretty simple, huh? BRUSHING TIPS A study released on 6/18/03 from the University of Newcastle showed that when a person brushes too long with too much pressure, it can do permanent damage to the teeth and gums. “When people brushed for longer than two minutes, at a pressure higher than 150 grams, they were not removing any additional plaque.” Go easy on your gums and teeth when brushing and use a soft toothbrush. Brushing vigorously with abrasive toothpaste may have taken its toll on your teeth and gums, but remember, it is never too late to improve them! How to brush your teeth with soap:
A friend of mine who uses Perfect Prescription Tooth Soap® says she doesn’t notice any bad taste by using the soap on the back of her tongue, but I wanted to mention I noticed the taste just in case you have sensitive taste buds like me. Tips for brushing children’s teeth... Make sure you supervise children while they brush their teeth with soap, especially if they are using Perfect Prescription Tooth Soap®. The smell is very aromatic (almost makes you want to eat it) and children need to be watched so they don’t swallow it. Tooth Soap® is not toxic, but it is meant to be rinsed out of the mouth. Make sure children rinse their mouths 2-3 times. Babies teeth can be cleaned by putting a tiny amount of soap on a gauze pad moistened with water, and rubbing gently on the teeth and gums. Rinse out the gauze with water each time you wipe, wiping 2-3 times to remove the soap. Bad breath? Saliva is high in oxygen and people with a high saliva flow will have less bad breath and better teeth than those with low saliva. Most bad breath is caused by anaerobic bacteria which thrive in a low oxygen environment (dry mouth). Avoid those things that dehydrate the body like smoking and drinking alcohol and make sure to drink enough water. You also need to avoid using products that contain alcohol because they will dry your mouth out making the problem worse. To get rid of bad breath, twice a day use a tongue scraper on your tongue (using a spoon to scrape the tongue works too!). Scrape your tongue before you brush your teeth. Some people do swear by grapefruit seed extract (GSE) and think it is the greatest mouthwash of all. It supposedly keeps your mouth super fresh, even when you wake up in the morning. The only problem I have with GSE is the taste. It tastes HORRIBLY DISGUSTING (in my opinion) and no matter how much I rinse, I cannot get the bitter taste out of my mouth. But if you can take the bitter taste, it may be a winner mouth wash for you. Try it, you just might like it! A note about hydrogen peroxide mouth rinses that are touted as the solution for bad breath (e.g. 3% hydrogen peroxide mixed with equal amounts of water, etc.) In the book, “Your Beautiful Self” by the editors of Prevention Magazine it states, “Aside from the possibility that it may cause oral irritation, continued use of peroxide can lead to a blackening of your tongue.” They recommend not using hydrogen peroxide rinses in the mouth longer than 8-10 days if you do use them. Teeth Stains? You may get them when brushing with soap because soap contains ZERO abrasives. You will need to use a mild abrasive once a week or so to get rid of everyday common food stains. Dr. Judd suggests to “grind colors and other materials off the teeth with wet powdered chalk. It is harmless to teeth.” I don’t suggest using chalk, however, because although it may say “non toxic” on the box, it could be contaminated with lead or other heavy metals. Another option for removing stains on teeth is by gently rubbing a paste of some baking soda and water on your teeth with your finger, gauze, or cotton swab, being careful not to get any of the baking soda on your gums. This will remove common food stains on teeth. Do not do this often since pure baking soda is abrasive to the teeth and especially the gums. Note: Really clean teeth are just like a clean porcelain sink...certain foods can stain them. Because the Tooth Soap® is non abrasive, “Tooth Brightener™” was created to keep teeth bright and remove simple foods stains. For more info, visit Perfect-Prescription.com |
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