Tooth Troubles: A look at fluoride, and natural cavity protection.

A reader suggested we discuss the use of fluoride (or, rather, not using it!) and ways to prevent and possibly eliminate cavities.  I consulted my “Crunchy Mamas” group for some input.  I was given a lot of suggestions, many I hadn’t even heard of!

Regarding fluoride, Anne, who has worked for a pediatric dentist, shares, “Fluoride is needed, but not until the child can correctly brush and spit, clearing their mouth of additional toothpaste. Unfortunately, the child products for toothpaste taste good to children, which causes them to want to eat or swallow the toothpaste. Until then they need to use fluoride free toothpaste. If a child receives too much fluoride, permanent spotting of their adult teeth, called fluorosis, is very common. Other minor risks are possible, including upset stomach.”

I had all the fluoride treatments as a child, and still use fluoridated toothpaste with no ill effects; the city I grew up in, and still live in today, does not fluoridate their water.  My four-and-a-half year old also uses fluoridated toothpaste, and has for about two years.  However, I refuse to give him the fluoride drops that his dentist prescribed and will never advocate for the use of them.  “I’ll just give him a half a dose than what I normally prescribe, since I know you’re uncomfortable with it,” he said to me.  Oh ok, so then I’d just be giving him a little more of an unnecessary chemical, not a lot more…um, thanks?  Now, you won’t often hear me saying positive things about the FDA (because they are a little too cozy with the drug companies, in my opinion), but I’ll note that the FDA has never approved any fluoride product as being safe for ingestion, nor has it listed fluoride as effective.  AND, oddly enough, the same organization that endorses fluoride for the rest of the population (the ADA) says that fluoride is NOT safe for children under one year of age.  Ironic, then, how nursery water is specially fluoridated, and packaged and marketed for mixing infant formula.  Also, shouldn’t this fact be stated by pediatricians to parents who formula feed?  Mine never said such a thing to me (my first son was supplemented with formula), not to mention maybe a disclaimer on my water bill with this warning, as it is as pertinent as any other substance containing a potentially harmful ingredient for my infant!  *hmph!*

If you’re not sure what the hype about fluoride is, check out the Fluoride Action Network.

As far as reversing an already formed cavity, I have yet to find a solution.  I have heard of some natural remedies for stopping further decay and preventing future decay.  They are:

Whole foods diets – “Many Native American societies never had tooth decay until they were introduced to sugared, preservitized foods,” Kiri says.   Therese adds, “Here is a link to the book ‘Nutrition and Physical Degeneration’, where you can click on the pictures of people from around the world who have perfectly straight teeth with no cavities and most of them don't even brush their teeth. Their nutrient-dense diets built their nice teeth.”  A whole foods diet is made up of unprocessed, unrefined grains, beans, nuts/seeds, fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, etc.   Besides the benefits to our teeth, and entire body, eating raw foods eliminates the other questionable additives in our food and their possible adverse effects; like BPA-coatings in canned foods, food colorings, and the like.

Neem – This is a widely-used medicinal herb in many countries and is a strong, natural analgesic.  There are neem oils, neem bark, and neem leaves, all beneficial.  Researchers have found that neem (especially bark) provides the positive effects of fluoride toothpaste, without the chemicals.

Erythritol and Xylitol –  These are sugar alcohols found naturally in fermented foods and fruits.  They are often found in gum, foods labeled as “diet” foods, and are often hidden in foods containing mixed ingredients.  These foods generally go against the whole foods diet I was preaching above, but erythritol and xylitol are pricey and harder to find on their own.   They don’t affect blood sugar levels, so foods containing them are often suggested for diabetic individuals.  If consumed in large quantities or in sensitive individuals, xylitol (and sometimes erythritol) may cause stomach upset and/or digestive issues.  Because of their molecular construction, the decay causing bacteria cannot break them down like they can sugar.  For dental use, you can find xylitol and erythritol gums, toothpastes, lozenges, and rinses.

As I always say, do what your mommy gut says to do for your children and family!   I just want to make sure I am spreading information and awareness of CHOICE!  Do your homework, don’t let your doctor (or dentist!) do it for you! ;)

Sources:

http://www.fluoridealert.org

http://www.fluoridealert.org/50-reasons.htm

http://www.discoverneem.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol

Birth Plans : YES, you need one!

Birth plans are important.  They are your voice when you cannot speak.  What if, God forbid, something happens to you, and/or your baby, where you or your significant other will not be able to say "no" to procedures or typical protocol, such as whisking your baby away to the nursery and giving him formula without your consent, therefore jeopardizing your entire breastfeeding relationship?  *Imagine me talking very fast, saying this with an angry face* - If you can't tell, I know from experience!  You can never be too careful, in my opinion.  Write your birth plan with your significant other, making sure to include him in your decision making and explaining anything to him that he might not understand.  If it comes down to it and interventions need to be discussed during your labor, the doctors and nurses are really good at asking you questions while you are at your peak pain threshold, when you will be screaming, "DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO GET THIS THING OUT OF ME"...and your husband will be screaming, "YOU HEARD THE WOMAN, GET THAT THING OUT OF HER!"  At least with a birth plan, he'll be reminded that although you are in extreme discomfort and might say that's what you want, you had specific wants and wishes for this birth, and for good reason. ;)

I am going to share with you my birth plans.  With my first son, I was young, naive, and gullible.  Later this week, I'll share my birth stories with you; both extremely different!  You'll see major differences between my two plans; you live and you learn, right?

Here's Carter's, my four-and-a-half year old:

Our Birth Plan

About Us:  Hello!  Our names are Kristin and *Anonymous*.  We are here today to give birth to, and witness the birth of, our son, Carter.  This is our first baby and a new experience for all three of us! ☺  Thank you for your help and support in advance, we appreciate all that you do! 

A couple of notes regarding my health and body:

♥  I am allergic to penicillin and latex.  Please be sure that all catheters, etc. that will be used are non-latex for both baby and I!

♥  Just in case it may be needed, my blood type is A+.

♥  I have an anxiety disorder and can experience hyperventilation when an anxiety attack comes on.  I am not currently on any medication to control these attacks, so please help to calm me (non-medically) however you can if one should come about.

We are looking forward to this spectacular event and hope to make it as enjoyable of

an experience as possible for everyone involved.  We understand that circumstances

may arise that may require us to alter our original plan, but we have put together our

thoughts for an ideal birth and have explained them below.

Our Wishes:

♥  For each action you will be performing on myself and/or the baby, please explain it fully to both *Anonymous* and I before performing the task.

♥  I am undecided as to how I feel about anyone besides *Anonymous* being in the room with us.  Please check with us periodically to make sure we are comfortable with who is and isn’t in the room.

♥  I am a HUGE wimp and am very open to the idea of using pain relief measures.  However, I would like to avoid the use of any narcotics initially and would prefer to receive just an epidural instead, preferably when I am around 4cm or 5cm dilated, so that I can enjoy as much of my birth experience as possible!

♥  I understand that a bladder catheter will be required once I receive my epidural.  To be completely honest, I am more nervous about the catheterization than I am the epidural!  Please make sure that my epidural is in effect to the fullest extent before inserting the catheter!  This also goes for removing the catheter.

♥  Please be open to us trying different comfort techniques, providing the circumstances allow them to be utilized.  If you have any suggestions for what may make me comfortable in a certain situation, let us know!

♥  I would like to avoid an episiotomy unless it is COMPLETELY necessary!  However, if there are any other suggested techniques that may help avoid perineal tearing (such as massage, warm compresses), please suggest them to me if they are optionally performed.

♥  I know that most of the time, when it comes time to push, the epidural medication

is worn down so that I can feel the sensation to push as it arises.  In the event that I

may tear while giving birth, I ask that the medication be re-administered once the baby is out so that I will not feel the stitching and/or removal of the bladder catheter!  I am probably worried about this because I have heard from others that the stitching and catheter removal hurt more than giving birth to the baby!  I understand that everyone is different and this may not be the case for me, but I would like to avoid any unnecessary pain and/or anxiety attacks at all costs!

♥  We would like to avoid the use of the vacuum extractor, forceps, or C-Section unless all other non-invasive techniques have been performed to no success.

♥  *Anonymous* would like to cut the cord once the baby is born.

♥  In the event of a C-Section delivery, I would like *Anonymous* to be able to be with me in the operating room unless there are EXTREME circumstances (please explain) that

would not allow him to be a part of the birth.  I would like to remain alert during the

delivery, again, unless medically impossible.  Providing the baby is healthy, I would like for the baby to come to the recovery room with me.  If I am not healthy but the baby is ok, please allow *Anonymous* to be with the baby so they can wait for me to recover together.

♥  Please allow us to use our digital and/or video camera before and after the birth.  We understand it is not allowed during the actual delivery of the baby.

We appreciate you taking the time to read all of our requests!  Thank you for taking our wishes into consideration and utilizing them to the full extent!  We are very excited to meet our son and are glad that you are able to experience his birthday with us and our family!  Again, thank you for everything!  Enjoy your cookies!  ☺

Sincerely,

Kristin, *Anonymous*, and Carter

Here is Levi's, my 8 month old:

 

Our Birth Plan

Mother: Kristin  Father: David

Big Brother: Carter (not present for the birth)

Arriving: Levi

We are very excited for the birth of our second son and are honored that you are here to share it with us!  We thank you for your wonderful care throughout the pregnancy! Although much of this goes without saying here at the birth center, we wanted to cover all our bases in case of an emergency, or non-emergency, hospital transfer, where many of our wishes may not be honored unless we clearly state them.

Allergies:

·       Penicillin and Latex

General Preferences:

·       We are looking forward to our birth being as intervention-free as possible.

·       We would prefer not to be induced unless it is extremely medically necessary.  If induction must occur, we would prefer to try natural methods to augment labor first, and to avoid the use of Pitocin. WE DO NOT CONSENT to the use of Cytotec.

·       We would like to be involved in all decisions pertaining to the labor, delivery, and postpartum processes.

·       We would like the freedom to walk around or change position at will throughout labor and to push in whatever position feels best to me at the time.  We are hoping for a water birth.  Dave would like to be in the tub with me and would also like to help “catch” Levi as he is arriving.

·       If it feels best for me at the time, I would prefer the lights dim, candles lit, and my choice of music playing.

·       We would prefer limited fetal monitoring and vaginal exams.

·       If labor isn’t progressing after a prolonged time, we would prefer to have the amniotic membrane ruptured before other methods are used.

·       If an IV is necessary, I prefer a Heparin (or saline) lock.

·       My biggest fear I will need to overcome during this labor is my fear of tearing.  I do not want an episiotomy, however, I did have one with my first son’s birth.  I would like EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to be done to avoid tearing.  This is to include using oils, hot compresses, massage, water birth, etc.  If I do end up tearing or needing an episiotomy (ONLY if it is required for our son’s safety), I would like to have a local anesthetic to repair it.

·       Dave would like to cut the umbilical cord, after it is done pulsating.

·       We would like to have baby with us at all times after birth, including cleaning, evaluating, administering medications, etc.  We would like to give Levi his first bath and would like to breastfeed as soon as possible after birth.  We would also like to hold off on giving him the erythromycin eye meds, Vitamin K shot, etc. for as long as possible.  We want our little guy to be able to see us and get to know us first!

·       I would like to pass my placenta naturally; please no tugging or pulling.  If something else must be done, please consult us first.

Medications (during labor):

·       We would like to avoid all medications unless absolutely necessary for the health of Levi and myself.

·       We are hoping to not need an epidural; we plan to ask if we want one.  Please don’t suggest or offer drugs.  If you need to offer medication for any reason, please give us complete information so we can make an informed decision.

Cesarean:

·       If a cesarean birth becomes necessary, we would like to be fully informed of why, and all choices available for a cesarean birth, so we can make our most informed decisions.

·       Dave would like to be present at all times if our son requires a cesarean birth.

·       If I require a bladder catheter, please insert it, empty my bladder, and then remove it.  I DO NOT want a catheter left inside for a prolonged period of time!

·       If possible, I would like to use glue to seal the incision.  My second choice would be dissolvable stitches, and third choice would be staples.

·       If Levi is not in distress, we would like him to be immediately given to Dave.

·       If for some reason Levi needs to be taken out of the room for medical reasons, Dave would like to accompany him at all times.

Postpartum:

·       NO CIRCUMCISION!

·       Unless medically necessary, we do not wish to have any bottles given to Levi, and no pacifiers or bottles of sugar water, formula, or water shall be given to him without our express prior consent.

·       We would like our family and friends to be able to visit us after I am situated (stitched, if needed, dressed, etc.), Levi has breastfed, and we are comfortable.

*We are fully aware that these are our birth preferences.  We understand that there are certain situations that call for doing the things we request not to do. This is not a solid plan, and do not expect everything to go 100% according to this plan. We understand that at the time of birth, not all of these may be necessary; these are just the preferences I have to make the birth of our second son a happy and memorable one. We also understand that there are circumstances that will prohibit us from having a birth like the one we want and we will accept that, as long as there is a real, medical need for them, and it is not just out of convenience.*

I know, my birth plans are WOOOORRRDDDYYYY.  But that's me.  I talk, a lot.  I'm also very thorough.  I always consider the worst-case scenario and want to make sure I have multiple means of communication; I was very adamant about not going through a birth experience like I had with Carter!  Look for my birth stories in an upcoming post!

Did you have a birth plan?  Why or why not?  Was it followed?  Other thoughts?

Welcome!

Hello families!  I'm so excited that our blog is up and running!  Whether you practice attachment parenting, breastfeed, leave your sons intact, co-sleep/bed-share, follow the strictest car seat recommendations, cloth diaper, wear your baby, or birth naturally using midwife, this is the blog for you!  Of course we welcome all, but those of you who believe strongly in the practices above will enjoy following us the most!  ;)  I'll also discuss healthy, organic eating and share tried and true recipes.  I love supporting our local, handmade marketplace, so I'll also feature reviews and giveaways from WAHM's and other businesses based here in Washington.  Are you a local artisan and want me to feature your product?  Maybe you're a mom looking for recommendations for a naturopathic physician for your family?  Feel free to shoot me an email with suggested topics!  As a community of like-minded parents, we'll all pull together our knowledge and experience to help you find the best solution for your family.  Happy parenting!  =D