I read a long description of the book and it sounds really great. However, as I was going to bed last night, I thought to myself, "if poor nutrition makes your teeth rot, why only my molars?" There must be something about food contact that causes teeth to decay, or I would think my front teeth just as well as my molars would be full of cavities. Does the book address the issue of why molars can rot while the front teeth are fine? Does it address the issue of why some people with horribly poor nutrition can have wonderful teeth with zero cavities? If not, there is no way I am going to buy the book, because it all seems too good to be true.
The best way to prevent tooth decay is proper nutrition, good oral hygiene like brushing at least twice a day, flossing once a day and seeing your dentist regularly. Most insurance companies cover cleanings and exams twice a year.
It seems that now-a-days, everybody is trying to reinvent the wheel. This is the first time I've heard it for dental health, but how many new "healthier ways to eat and loose weight" have we seen in the last 5 or 10 years?
Honestly, I would say it comes down to proper nutrition, hygene, and the genetic lottery. The same kind of proper nutrition that is good for your body overall - plenty of fruits, veggies, and whole grains, moderate amounts of meat and dairy (calcium is good for teeth and bones), and sparingly on the sweets - is good for your teeth. Brushing and flossing enough, as well as cleaning your teeth after meals and especially after sugary treets, also go a long way, as does regular dental visits. And then there's the genetics. My daughter is like me, no cavities at all (I didn't get any till I was an adult); my sons are taking after their dad's side - both of them have had multiple cavities. All the kids brush their teeth together and go to the dentist at the same time, it's just the genetics.
Well, one other issue - soda is bad for your teeth. Even diet soda. It's the carbonic acid (CO2 dissolved in water, the carbonation, also creates the acid) and phosphoric acid that occur in soda. They can eat through your teeth. So drink soda sparingly, and don't stretch it out over the whole day.
I have fillings in all my molars and nowhere else. Molars are usually very deep with ruts that can catch food where it's hard to brush out. Front teeth are smooth and food doesn't get trapped "in" them like in molars. That's how my dentist explained it to me years ago.
All I know is that there are salivary glands around the molars that leads to more decay in that area.
I have NOT read the book, however I am a CDA--I should say I was a certified dental assistant before I had my daughter, Anyway--You cannot "cure" tooth decay, just like you cannot cure gangrene, rotten food or any other type of decay. It is a gimmick and you should not waste your time on it--The only way is through prevention and proper oral hygiene. Now, some people are more prone to decay than others, this is due to several things such as, genetics, diet, water (bottled, city or well water) and lifestyle. I have seen people with terrible, I mean TERRIBLE gum disease but not a single cavity, I have seen people with rampant decay and perfect gums and perfect hygiene. It just depends person to person. Like everything else in life, there is no overnight, magic cure--or anything! Good luck with your teeth, I hope you can find a good dentist to help you with whatever the issue is--Do you grind your teeth at night?? That could be thinning the enamel and letting bacteria in causing the decay--and stomach problems? excessive acid?
Have you read the reviews on Amazon?
I think there is some validity to his claims - I have traveled to remote parts of Africa where they have never seen a tooothbrush, and they have beautiful cavity free teeth, no dentist, and no doctors. At the same time, they don't grow commercial crops, and have no access to processed foods AT ALL. Probably good advice in the book, about your diet, if you are willing to change it and can find what he wants you to eat. He claims "special" foods... what does that mean? HOW "special"? Like are they so special you only find them in NY or San Francisco and they aren't paletable?
See if a library has the book!!
I have not read the book, but I do know one of the answers to your questions...just like with any other "germs", some people have them and some don't. We have things in our mouths called caries and some people don't have many and some have lots and the more you have, the more susceptible you are to cavities (consequently called dental caries). We did this experiment in college where my entire microbiology class spit into containers to see how many caries we each grew. It was really neat. My results came back that it did not grow anything (which my teacher said was a first and she didn't think I spit enough, but we repeated it and got the same results again) which probably explains why growing up, even though I rarely brushed my teeth, I never had a cavity. My poor hubby on the other hand brushes, flosses right after all meals, uses a water pik, uses mouth wash, eats well and sees the dentist twice a year...and he has a ton of cavities! Maybe that will help you too!
I do second the other posts though...there is no way to reverse it once you have it...you can just stop it from progressing so far by eating well, brushing and flossing regularly and seeing your dentist. And as far as Africa, they don't have Americanized tooth brushes, but they often chew on things (like branches) that help get the gunk off their tooth.
Oh, and I hear chewing gum after a meal helps get the gunk off your teeth too (and it is preferable to get sugar-free, but my dentist told me sugared gum is better than nothing as long as you chew it until there is no flavor left because then the sugar is gone and the saliva you produce helps was your teeth as well either way)! Maybe that's another reason I don't get cavities LOL!
