I've been using quite a bit of wheat lately. That, and barley.

Been turning it into beer. yum.

I am a third year dental student and I am not surprised at all by the pristine condition of the teeth. We are taught that there are three main factors that need to exist in the mouth to cause caries, the disease process that leads to cavities:

1. tooth
2. bacteria
3. glucose

Of course, other factors need to be taken into account (like fluoride, composition/amount of saliva, oral hygiene, systemic diseases), but none are as important as the tooth, bacteria and glucose.

One of the pluses with the low carb diet is the strained relationship with the dentist.

Through you do need to be careful with the hard food like nuts and bones.

I went to the dentist for my cleaning two days ago. Forty-two years old and still no cavities! Woo-hoo! (Just thought I'd take this opportunity to crow about that).

What was the age of the guy when he got fossilized 7000 years ago? That is the question to be asked.

Besides, I am sure 7000 years ago, they probably did not clean their teeth the way we are doing now. So I can also extend the inference to say that probably brushing teeth makes them bad :-). Just saying that we can the same evidence to infer different things.

I'm surprised at the straightness of the teeth.

I'm surprised at the straightness of the teeth. -- Insufficient Poison at July 1, 2012 6:49 PM

Another portion of bacteria and glucose in dental decay is the dissolving of the bone in the jaw and upper mouth that surrounds the the teeth.

With no (or limited) sugar that cycle is severely curtailed.

whistledick aren't you in ROK. Really no cavities? ROK dentists can find cavities in a new born baby. Still impressive. What is your secret?

I was having tooth problems since my first pregnancy. I'd always had pretty good teeth until college (read that as when I started eating more pasta because it's cheap and I had to buy my own food). But after my first kid it got really bad. I got back on track, then had number 2. After that, I was inducted into the see-you-in-three-months club. I had lots of "bleeders" every visit and lots of plaque. My teeth invariably hurt after, and they were being gentle.

Then, last summer, my doc tests my vitamin D. It was ridiculously low. Massive supplementing, retest, then more normal (multivitamin) level supplementing. Next dental visit I went from 40-odd bleeds to 16. We'd gone about 9 months trying to get it down to make it to that 40-something (only dropped about 15). I'll tell you, my "home care" didn't change.

Still, lots of buildup, etc.

THEN I dropped most flour/sugar from my diet. Went back to the dentist (4 months later). The tech kept going on about how awesome my home care must be. She hardly cleaned anything. It was almost all polishing and some x-rays. I asked her if she was joking, but she wasn't.

I kept giggling to myself on the way home. My "home care" has not changed one iota since the baby was 4 months old... she's almost 3 years old now.

In the "Do it, Don't Think About It Category"....

3 different dentist offices, the hygenists have exclaimed what good shape my gums are in, just amazing.

Then they give me the "What do to list" and the free toothbrush, and I ask for a firm one.

Flabbergasted looks.

"NO NOT FIRM! NO! BAD! FIRM BAD! SOFT! SOFT ONLY! SOFT!!!!!!!"

"Didn't you just tell me how great my gums looked? I've been using firm for years now. So, unless there's a problem.....?"

"FIRM BAD!!! IMPOSSIBLE!"

*sigh*

Soft toothbrushes are usually better because people brush right after eating. Most people consume acid even though they don't know it, and that makes the enamel soft. Using a firm toothbrush will erode away the enamel which makes your teeth more susceptible to cavities.