How Do You Handle Your Dental Issues?

[Persephone]

One reason that I'm on this forum is that I'm a Worrier and lately I'm anxiety-filled about my teeth and my son's teeth. Ask my husband who has had so many dental problems throughout his life and lost so many teeth. I am obsessing about teeth and driving him crazy. I'm beating myself up over past mistakes with my teeth (such as childhood candy indulging) and investing a lot of time worrying about the future of my teeth and my son's teeth (such as 10 years from now when our fillings need to be replaced).

Admittedly, I'm going crazy.

Problems with teeth obviously have tremendous effects: physically, psychologically, financially.

How do you deal with your teeth issues and stay positive about the situation?

Do you ever deny yourself certain foods because you're worried about your teeth?
For example, my son has had major cavities filled. I was determined to keep him totally off sugar. He is such a good kid and he eats a pretty healthy diet (milk, water, chicken, oranges, apples, broccoli, corn). He cleans his plate at every meal and drinks tons of water. For dessert, he likes to have two Stella Doro cookies. He has severe autism and these two cookies bring him sheer joy. We brush his teeth asap, but he still ends up with cavities. Should I deny him the sweet flavors of life?

Should I deny myself? Or try some nutritional regimen? I noticed that a lot of folks are trying different foods in the hopes of rebuilding their teeth: bone broth, cod liver oil, coconut oil pulling, alkaline foods only, no carbs, organ meats

Should I deny myself peanut butter and pickles and choke down cod liver oil and liver in an effort to save my receding gums and filled teeth?

How do you handle these issues which affect the teeth, but are much bigger in scope?

 

[Sevena]

You can't avoid every food that is bad for your teeth, because a lot of food is! Less sugar is of course great, not just for teeth but for overall health, but we are all allowed our treats. The best thing to do is to clean and floss routinely, and go for regular check-ups with the dentists.

Unfortunately, some people who clean and floss meticulously and eat a good diet will still end up with cavities. Other people who are more lax and brush less and eat more sugar will have next to no cavities. It's unfair - which is why it's best not to obsess over every little thing and just be responsible and proactive about dental care.

I mean, sure change your diet for the betterment of your teeth if you want to - but don't go overboard. Don't give up every single thing you love. It will be much harder to stick to the changes if you do too much at once.

Teeth are a part of your body, and as hard as it is to accept, sometimes your health is beyond your control. By taking care of yourself you can minimise the damage - but no one goes through life without ever getting sick, do they?

It sounds like you're giving your son a good healthy diet. You should focus on keeping that up and worrying less.

 

[shibboleth]

Pretty much the only dietary change I made to help my teeth was to almost completely swear off soft drinks. They're what destroyed my teeth in the first place, and I really don't need the caffeine anymore anyway, since I got my degree and can get more than 3 hours of sleep per night.

The way I see it, I would rather live a joyous life full of foods and flavors I love, a life where I'm not the stick in the mud searching menus for a healthy option or having to eat different food than my friends and family or not eat at all when we're together. Teeth can be cleaned and mended and even replaced, but time not spent living life to the fullest is lost forever.

So, I'll give up my beloved Pepsi, but I'm not about to start drinking the liquid disgust that is milk, and you'll have to pry the fruit juice and sweets and indulgences out of my cold, dead hands. It's the same reason I'll never diet- I would rather live a short, fat, happy life than a long grueling bleak one, even if I have to spend a fair bit of money on dental/medical care because of it!

 

[JJones86]

Hi.

I agree with what the others have said here. You can have some treats and sweets, just don't over do it and keep up good oral hygiene.

Try to keep the phrase in mind 'everything in moderation'. This phrase is helpful in many parts of our lives.

Me, I've always had bad teeth, but I've also had poor oral hygiene for many years. Now I'm trying to make up for it, but some of the damage can't be reversed.

There are some things that affect this like genetics. I'm pretty sure I have genetically bad teeth. I'm adopted so I don't know for sure, but that's my theory. I do know that my ethnicity puts me at risk and a dentist told me recently that my molars have very soft enamel. I didn't know this soon enough to prevent some of my problems, but now I know, so I can try to prevent further problems. A lot of my major dental work has been on my molars.

If you do decide to change your diet, do it in stages or it'll be hard to stick to.

I got forced into a stricter diet due to other health problems. I can't eat corn, nuts, seeds, etc., due to digestive issues. I'm also trying to cut down of sweets and sodas to help my teeth.

JJ