Toothpaste...What's one less?

Somewhere along the way, DH heard/read or otherwise came in touch with information that fluoride may not be good for your teeth or your health.  Not being one to jump on any bandwagon without a fair amount of research as well as research on the research methods, DH started his investigation.  A couple of things that he shared with me really shocked me.   Did you know fluoride is a by-product from the aluminum industry?   Check out this link from Dr. Mercola for more info about what it can and can't do.

So needless to say, after much reading, we have decided to minimize fluoride in our house.  There is a filter on the cold tap water.  We keep glass jugs of bottled water in the fridge.  We use filtered water for drinking and cooking.  We use rain water for watering our gardens because tap water won't do.  BTW- Chamomile is a sponge for fluoride so I will growing my own tea leaves next year.

The one thing for sure is that if we didn't consume so much sugar, we wouldn't need all of the dentists.  A thought occurred to me after my last dental check up.  When we go to the doctor for a check up they don't use radiation annually to see if anything has changed or is wrong.  The X-ray when symptoms call for it.  So why should I expose myself or my kids to any more radiation that necessary.  Lord knows that I have had more than my share of it.

Then there is the toothpaste.  In case you were wondering there are tons of quality non-fluoride toothpastes out there.  Contrary to popular belief, most Tom's of Maine products are not fluoride free.  That caught me off guard.  Most fo the products on the market use Xylitol. 

 

That is what we started with.  We ordered a bunch of different ones from Amazon after looking at all of the ingredients.  We found a few that we liked, and we are using them now.  Some were quite tasty. But is Xylitol better than fluoride?  I am not sure.  So now I am looking into homemade stuff but who knows where we will end up.

Of course this whole discovery led me to listening (while it was free) to an online HealThy Mouth Summit. Okay, a bit terrifying, a bit helpful but at least gives me a broader picture of modern dentistry and the dangers and benefits of root canals, fillings, and fluoride.  Out of this summit has come the determination that my children will not have cavities...if I can help it.   

I have concluded on the fluoride matter that the answer for my family is somewhere between the two extremes but leaning more natural and whole body.  After all, our bodies are bombarded daily with so many chemicals.  This might make you think, "What's one more? but the way I think is "What's one less?  One more day of life?  Less autistic issues in the family?  Less moodiness for the family? More happiness?"  What we eat and put into our mouth is either hurting or healing our bodies including our teeth.  Choose wisely and think, "What's one less gonna do for your family?"

Some other links of interest:

Alzheimers associated with aluminum and low dose fluoride 

how fluoride is made and why we shouldn't be dumping it in our water