Don't brush after you eat

This has been quite a - pardon the French - mindfuck for me, yet it's so simple:

Since acid from food will soften your enamel, you shouldn't brush until it hardens up again. Otherwise you'll strip it off your teeth.

The fact that this isn't common knowledge but something you have to painstakingly dig up from the internet is further proof of... Well, let's not go there.

What about gums? Does brushing after eating affect them as well? I've had heavy gum recession for a 25 year old, and I've heard that "brushing too hard causes gum recession" is a myth.

Try peri-gum for the gums.

ITITCHES wrote:This has been quite a - pardon the French - mindfuck for me, yet it's so simple:

Since acid from food will soften your enamel, you shouldn't brush until it hardens up again. Otherwise you'll strip it off your teeth.

The fact that this isn't common knowledge but something you have to painstakingly dig up from the internet is further proof of... Well, let's not go there.

I totally gave up on brushing my teeth about a year ago. I used to brush with Xylitol toothpaste, but it like most other toothpastes contain glycerine which coats the teeth, giving a false feeling that they are clean.

I also used soap to brush my teeth, but abandoned that practice too.

Now I furnish it with bacteria instead. If I've eaten garbage, then I am at risk for bad breath, so I combat that with xylitol. I've got a 5 pound bag of xylitol I keep around and just pour in half a mouthful and it will neutralize any bad breath. I use a different method to keep my teeth free of build of and discoloration.

All the research shows that bacteria is good and the the incorporation of fermented foods and/or probiotics, will ensure healthy teeth.

CS, we need to clear up your GF's sinuses....

CausticSymmetry wrote:

I totally gave up on brushing my teeth about a year ago. I used to brush with Xylitol toothpaste, but it like most other toothpastes contain glycerine which coats the teeth, giving a false feeling that they are clean.

I also used soap to brush my teeth, but abandoned that practice too.

Now I furnish it with bacteria instead. If I've eaten garbage, then I am at risk for bad breath, so I combat that with xylitol. I've got a 5 pound bag of xylitol I keep around and just pour in half a mouthful and it will neutralize any bad breath. I use a different method to keep my teeth free of build of and discoloration.

All the research shows that bacteria is good and the the incorporation of fermented foods and/or probiotics, will ensure healthy teeth.

To add to CausticSymmetry here is a quote

"(ref 5) Reenamelization of the teeth occurs when they are clean. All toothpastes make a barrier of glycerine on the teeth which would require 20 rinses to get it off ..... The enzyme adenosine diphosphatase delivers phosphate to the enamel surface. Do not use liquid soaps. Their different composition is harmful to the protoplasm."

CS,


so how do you clean your teeth ?

thelibrarian - It may sound ridiculous, but I kind of like it and I'll give a little background behind it also. After meals will rinse with a little water. In the morning I take piece of toilet paper or tissue and friction rub my teeth and then rinse with water. If the food eaten the night before is poor quality, I can tell just with a whiff of the tissue. It's a pretty good indicator of the clean factor.

Each time teeth are brushed with a traditional toothbrush, it will retain some bacteria and if there is any bad bacteria in there, using it can reintroduce this bacteria back into the mouth. Of course there is always hydrogen peroxide but since brush may not be that much of a benefit, maybe at all I just stopped brushing. I find the tissue method does a pretty good job of keeping the teeth visibly clean and I do it frequently, because it's so easy to do anywhere.

On most mornings I'll use the Xylitol because the teeth really feel fresh after this and it is proven to help prevent tooth decay. I've heard one theory that the bacteria themselves are not bad, it is the interaction between the metals released in the mouth and the bacteria that cause the problem. Most of the bacteria are in the tubules in the teeth and it's impossible to remove them. That said, brushing maybe of little value except for cosmetic appeal.

In MPB, the amount of Hydrogen Sulfide, which resembles the smell of car tail pipes or rotten eggs is higher than non-MPB and how the digestive tract may also have some bearing on the breath.

My diet/regimen has been helpful for my teeth and has refilled cavitations that once existed during my periods of poor nutrition.

While on the subject of teeth brushing I very much recommend to replace your toothbrush every week. The reason being is what CausticSymmetry just mentioned.

I usually get a blank stare when I tell other people to do this and they never follow through but this is probably one of the main reasons why I have never had a cavity before.

I brush with the soladay toothbrush, it requires no toothpaste and I love it. Toothpaste used to make my mouth feel chalky and it made the food I ate later on taste bland it irritated me so much. Soladey uses the saliva/bacteria from your own mouth to clean your teeth all you need is light and you can start brushing, your mouth usually gets all foaming I love it so far. But yea one of my gums slighty receded not to big a deal, but the peri-gum its a all natural mouthwash works really well for the teeth and gums.

I would think that tissue after rinsing is a better way. I'd already known about the rinsing. The reason to not brush before rinsing is because of acid (from sugars, I think) on the teeth. If someone has no dental problems and a very healthy diet, he probably can safely not brush. 'Primitives' 100 years ago did fine without it. Anyone else probably should brush regularly, sometimes with toothpaste and whatever "regularly" is. I brush three times a day with an xylitol kind of toothpaste. Maybe I can cut back a little. I also use an xylitol mouthwash at night. Also, I sterilize the Sonicare toothbrush head weekly and probably should do it more often.

Dentist told me that till 20min after eat it's safe to clean your teeth (low levels of acidity before digestion starts).
Make sense, but who believe in dentists
Meanwhile I'll give a try on miswak stick - the toothbrush tree. Does anyone tried before?

I can see where IH is coming from with the brushing, just make sure you floss regularly. Probably more important than brushing to oral health.

Wanted to add one comment on this. I've found my teeth stay clean and are a lot more manageable since I have stopped brushing. Perhaps it's the lack of glycerine. I usually "wipe" my teeth three times per day, just after water rinsing. Thinking about this, it makes brushing teeth with traditional toothpastes like a trap that ensnares the user. We come so accustomed to having that "fresh" glycerine coating on the teeth it's like being hooked when in reality this coating prevents clean teeth.

Using this wiping method, how do you clean the area close to the gums? It seems like only a brush can squeeze between the small cracks.

Espio - No doubt it doesn't hit all the areas, my aim is just for cosmetic aesthetics. From the research I've looked at, which doesn't exactly follow older microbial teachings, all bacteria has purpose and bacteria is so pervasive in the tubules that no brush can remove it. One of the most controversial new theories and I tend to agree with it is that it is the metals in the body, particularly in the brain that harm the teeth, not the bacteria itself. In other words, the dentin are only attacked when metal interacts with the bacteria. Having the bacteria is totally normal, however I also suspect that gastrointestinal health has a lot to do with teeth health as well.

The primitives died with perfect teeth, no cavities no braces and no brushing. I'm pretty sure it will be confirmed in the future that increasing good bacteria will ultimately determine oral health.

CS- Now that I think of it, the friends I have had who rarely see a dentist, who only go like once every 4 years for a cleaning before leaving to a foreign country or something, who casually brush their teeth every other day, they are the ones who have perfect teeth with no cavities. The friends I have, including myself, who brush our teeth religiously once or twice a day, and see a dentist for a cleaning every 6 months, we are the ones who get a lot of cavities. I have like 5 personally.

CS: where did you get the xylitol bag from?

thanks!

I have had a good experience with Eco-Dent tooth powder. Doesn't mention glycerin anywhere in the ingredients, and it even made a couple sensitive teeth feel a lot better. Mouth just feels nice and clean for hours.

Yeah this is really interesting. I thinking brushing our teeth goes against our natural instinct. When we are kids, parents have to fight to force us to brush our teeth, its just something that is unnatural to us. I've recently stopped brushing my teeth every day and when I do brush I use baking soda and sea salt and my teeth feel good/clean.

magic_gro - Here's a link (it comes in 1 and 5 pound bags)

http://tinyurl.com/4j2e5go

Just to update on this thread. About a year ago I found out that glycerin isn't so bad. The question of glycerin being supposedly bad was first proposed by Dr. Gerald Judd, but then debunked by Dr. Nara DDS.

For the sake of convenience I went back to brushing, but I use Xylitol with baking soda toothpaste. If anything for cosmetic purposes. I still rinse with water after meals.

thank you thank you

for the reference here's the list of chewing gums from iherbs that i have been looking into, plus the xylitol bags that CS suggested.

items are sorted in increasing order by price (dollar cents per gram of xylitol)


[1.08 c/g]
Pure xylitol powder
http://www.iherb.com/Xlear-Inc-Xclear-XyloSweet-All-Natural-Xylitol-Sweetener-5-lbs-2268-g/14734?at=0


[1.46 c/g]
Pure xylitol powder
http://www.iherb.com/Xlear-Inc-Xclear-Spry-XyloSweet-All-Natural-Xylitol-Sweetener-1-lb-454-g/5307?at=0


[5.85 c/g]
Peppermint [estrogenic!!!] discontinued
http://www.iherb.com/Peelu-Xylitol-Dental-Chewing-Gum-Fresh-Peppermint-Flavor-100-Pieces/24361?at=0


[6.16 c/g]

Raspberry & blackberry
http://www.iherb.com/Xlear-Inc-Xclear-Spry-Berryblast-Mints-Sugar-Free-240-Pieces/5305?at=0

Peppermint [estrogenic!!!]
http://www.iherb.com/Xlear-Inc-Xclear-Spry-Power-Peppermints-Sugar-Free-240-Pieces/5313?at=0

Lemonburst
http://www.iherb.com/Xlear-Inc-Xclear-Spry-Lemonburst-Mints-Sugar-Free-240-pieces/5317?at=0

[7.5 c/g]
Cinnamon [estrogenic!!!]
http://www.iherb.com/Xlear-Inc-Xclear-Spry-Cinnamon-Gum-Sugar-Free-600-Pieces-22-85-oz-648-g/24166?at=0

Fresh fruit
http://www.iherb.com/Xlear-Inc-Xclear-Spry-Fresh-Fruit-Gum-Sugar-Free-600-Pieces-22-85-oz-648-g/24168?at=0

Peppermint [estrogenic!!!]
http://www.iherb.com/Xlear-Inc-Xclear-Spry-Peppermint-Gum-Sugar-Free-600-Pieces-22-85-oz-648-g/24169?at=0

Spearmint [estrogenic!!!]
http://www.iherb.com/Xlear-Inc-Xclear-Spry-Spearmint-Gum-Sugar-Free-600-Pieces-22-85-oz-648-g/24170?at=0


[9.04 c/g]
Green tea
http://www.iherb.com/Xlear-Inc-Xclear-Spry-Green-Tea-Gum-Sugar-Free-3-81-oz-108-g-100-Pieces/13778?at=0

Peppermint [estrogenic!!!]
http://www.iherb.com/Xlear-Inc-Xclear-Spry-Peppermint-Gum-Sugar-Free-100-Pieces/5314?at=0

Spearmint [estrogenic!!!]
http://www.iherb.com/Xlear-Inc-Xclear-Spry-Sugar-Free-Spearmint-Gum-100-Pieces-3-81-oz-108-g/5311?at=0


[13.8 c/g]
Licorice [estrogenic!!! but good against cavities!!!]
http://www.iherb.com/Xylichew-Gum-Sugar-Free-Chewing-Gum-Licorice-100-Pcs/18105?at=1