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5
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BRUXISM (Teeth Grinding)
SYMPTOMS—Unconscious grinding of the teeth together, often while asleep.
CAUSES—Bruxism can wear down the teeth, loosen them, and even contribute to receding gums; so it is a condition you want to stop.
The experts tell us it is caused by stress, anxiety, anger, sensitivity of the teeth to heat and cold, and fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
TREATMENT—
• You may find that the solution is simply to stop chewing during the day when you do not need to. Do not chew gum. Do not chew bits of food after the meal is ended. When you are not eating to swallow food, do not chew. This simple rule has totally eliminated the bruxism problem for many people. It can do it for you also.
If you will carefully think about it, you will find that chewing, as a leisure time activity, is not relaxing; it actually makes one nervous. Once you fix the habit of unnecessarily chewing during the day, it can easily be repeated at night.
• Throughout the day, keep your mouth relaxed. Do not clamp your teeth together; do not grind. If you control yourself during the day, you will soon automatically be doing it at night also.
• Hypoglycemia can be a factor. When a person has low blood sugar, he is more likely to clench and grind his teeth.
• Some people find it necessary to wear a splint while sleeping.
• Do not drink alcoholic beverages. They contribute to tooth grinding.
—See "Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome." If bruxism is not eliminated, it can lead to TMJ, and you do not want that to happen!
ENCOURAGEMENT—With the trusting faith of a little child, we can come to our heavenly Father, and tell Him of all our needs. He will not turn us away, but will hear and help.
CALCULUS (Tartar; Stained Teeth)
SYMPTOMS—The teeth are darker and more yellow than they should be.
CAUSES—The actual color of teeth is not white, but light yellow. But, as one ages, his teeth tend to become somewhat darker and more yellow.
Coffee and cigarettes are a primary cause of tooth staining. Stop using them both and you will look much prettier. You will feel better too.
TREATMENT—
• Brush with fresh strawberries. Place a strawberry on the toothbrush and brush as usual.
• Brush with charcoal powder.
• Clean your teeth after every meal.
• Polish them with baking soda. Many of the stains are acid in nature, and the soda neutralizes and removes them.
• Rinse the food from your mouth after each meal.
• An electric toothbrush removes more plaque than regular brushing.
• Keep in mind that hard brushing can scratch your tooth enamel. The super-whitening tooth abrasives take off even more. Be careful. You want white teeth, but you also want teeth.
• Since we are on the subject of ruining your teeth, an excellent way to melt your teeth is to drink cola drinks. They contain phosphoric acid, which has a double whammy effect on your poor teeth! The acid melts your alkaline teeth; and the phosphorous immediately locks into the calcium melted off, and carries it away. Place a tooth in Coca Cola, and it will be gone in a short time.
ENCOURAGEMENT—We need to come into the audience chamber of the Most High, and ask forgiveness for our sins. He will hear, He will forgiven, and He will give us enabling strength to resist sin. It all depends on our choice. But we must not waver in our loyalty to Him.
TOOTH DECAY (Dental Caries; Toothache)
SYMPTOMS—A cavity or hole develops in a tooth, but may not be noticed until it begins to be painful.
CAUSES—The outer part of the tooth (the very hard enamel) erodes, and then the body of the tooth beneath it (the dentin) begins eroding also. This is called tooth decay.
It is thought that plaque buildup (a sticky mass on the surface of the tooth) provides a place for bacteria to grow and feed on sugars in the mouth. The acid they produce digs holes in the teeth. If not stopped, the erosion enters the lower, center part of the tooth, called the pulp, where the nerve is. Then the pain begins. We call it a toothache.
However, certain things help produce tooth decay. These include sugary foods, sticky foods, and acid foods.
Cola drinks do an excellent job of melting teeth. Coca Cola, and similar cola beverages, contain phosphoric acid and lots of sugar. Frankly, the fluid is so terribly acid that it would be intolerable without lots of sugar to mask the acidity. Acid, sugar, and phosphorous are very dangerous when combined. The powerful acid melts part of the teeth, and the phosphorous chemically locks with the melted calcium, and quickly carries it off. All that sugar does its part to ruin the teeth also. It helps the bacteria to jump in and start still more trouble. Drop a tooth into a glass of Coke; then time the number of hours before the tooth totally disappears.
TREATMENT—
• Do not drink cola drinks. Do not eat sticky foods. Do not eat white sugar products.
• Rinse out your mouth after eating or finish a fruit meal by eating an apple.
• Goldenseal extract, that is alcohol-free, can be used as a antibacterial mouthwash.
• To reduce infection in a tooth, put a few drops of goldenseal extract on a piece of cotton and apply it to the swollen area at night. For 3 consecutive nights, do this.
• Eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables.
• Do not chew up vitamin C tablets! The acid in them will melt your teeth.
• Avoid all toothpastes and powders. Detergents in them are harmful to teeth and gums.
• It is vital that you take calcium supplement, in order to maintain good tooth and bone structure. As you get older, you need even more calcium.
• Massage gums with your finger once a day.
TO STOP A TOOTHACHE—Until you can see a dentist, here are several suggestions:
• Swish warm salt water in your mouth, and spit it out. Do this after every meal and before retiring at night. Stir 1 tsp. of salt into a glassful of water, at body temperature.
• Somewhat warm salt water, held in the mouth will bring relief.
• Apply 1-2 drops of oil of cloves to the affected tooth with a cotton swab. If the oil seems too strong, dilute it with olive oil.
• Rinse your mouth vigorously with a mouthful of lukewarm water. If the pain is from food caught between the teeth, this may flush it out.
• Try flossing gently between the teeth.
• Put a charcoal tablet in your mouth and, with your tongue or cheek, press it against the swollen gum at the base of the problem tooth.
• Drink 1-2 cups of mullein tea or chew catnip herb.
• Mash up the root of plantain and put it on the cheek near the tooth.
• With your fingers rub an ice cube until one side is shaped into a V-shape. Then press it gently against the tender place, and push it back and forth over the area for 5-7 minutes. The effect of rubbing tends to cancel out the pain signal, which must travel along the same nerve route.
• Keep heat away from the tooth and nearby cheek. If it is an infection, the heat will draw the infection to the outside of the jaw and make the situation worse.
• Put ice on the nearby cheek for 15 minutes, 3-4 times a day.
• Avoid biting on that area of the teeth.
• Some individuals have found that, when a toothache begins, they quickly skip a meal, rest, take vitamin C, and conduct themselves very carefully over the next several days—and the infection in the tooth is overcome by the body.
DENTAL FILLINGS—Many books have been written on this subject in recent years. When you go to the dentist, he drills out the decayed part, and then fills the cavity with something hard which, hopefully, will last awhile.
The most common substance used for this filling is amalgam. This is a mixture of several metals, of which about 50% is always an extremely toxic chemical, called mercury. Mercury tends to evaporate slowly over a period of time. This influx of mercury, swallowed with your food day after day, is not the best for your health.
Alternatives are ceramic-based materials, gold, or platinum-type metals. They are more expensive, but less harmful. They do not gradually melt away, as does mercury in amalgam.
FLUORIDE TREATMENTS—Even more books have been written about fluoride! This deadly poison should be avoided at all costs. If it is added to your public drinking water supply, then you should buy bottled water (or buy a home distiller, to process your faucet water). If your dentist offers to give you fluoride treatments, you would do well to politely decline the opportunity.
AIR ABRASION TECHNOLOGY—Air abrasion dental work is the latest hi-tech method of drilling teeth. It is said to painlessly remove tooth decay without drilling; it permits dentists to make smaller fillings and save a large percentage of the tooth. In addition, it does not require pain-killing anesthetics.
ENCOURAGEMENT—In the Bible, the will of God is revealed. He who makes these truths a part of his life becomes, in every sense, a new creature. God can do for you what you never could do for yourself. But it requires total submission and obedience to His Written Word.
GINGIVITIS (Receding Gums, Bleeding Gums)
SYMPTOMS—The gums swell and get red. Cleaning the teeth makes them bleed.
CAUSES—The gums pull away from the teeth. This is an early sign of periodontal disease (which see).
TREATMENT—
• Begin taking more calcium. Get more sunshine or take supplemental vitamin D. Building the bones from within is the best way. If your teeth are having trouble, the other bones in your body, although hidden, probably are also. You do not want a fractured hip later.
• Eat a nourishing diet. Include raw fruit and vegetables. They help exercise your teeth and gums. They also help clean your teeth.
• Stop using nicotine and alcohol. They remove vitamins and minerals from your body.
• Fill an ear syringe (a rubber bulb with a long nose) with water and hose out your mouth.
Massage the gums at least once a day; better yet, massage after every meal when you brush your teeth.
• Massage the gumline with a little baking soda on your finger, dipped in water.
• Brush the teeth carefully after each meal. Use a soft toothbrush and do it gently. Otherwise you will make scratches on the enamel.
Alternate between two toothbrushes, so each one can dry out before it is used again.
• Soak the toothbrushes in hydrogen peroxide once a week. This kills bacteria buildup.
• Brush carefully at the gumline.
• An electric toothbrush is said to eliminate 98% of the plaque; whereas a regular toothbrush is said to remove only 48%.
• Floss your teeth faithfully as needed.
ENCOURAGEMENT—Thousands have drawn from the well of life, yet there is no diminishing supply. In the Bible will be found the help you need, day by day.
PYORRHEA (Periodontal Disease, Gum Disease)
SYMPTOMS—The gums become inflamed, extend to the ligaments and bones that hold the teeth in place, and eventually the teeth loosen and fall out.
CAUSES—Periodontal means "located around a tooth," and refers to any problems in the gums or other supporting structures of the teeth. It is also called pyorrhea, or gum disease. Gingivitis (which see) is inflammation of the gums, an early stage of periodontal disease.
The explanation given by many medical-dental professionals for periodontal disease is that plaque (sticky deposits of mucous, food particles, and bacteria) adheres to the teeth and gradually accumulates. This plaque causes the gums to become infected and swollen. That infection (called gingivitis), leads to pyorrhea (also called periodontitis) in which the bone underlying the teeth is eroded away by the infection.
The other explanation is that much of what is known as pyorrhea is primarily caused by an inadequate intake of calcium, copper, vitamins D and C; by the eating of processed, and junk, food; and by erosion of acids, placed in the mouth. Smoking, stress, and wrong diet are other crucial factors.
TREATMENT—
• It is known that inadequate nutrition, wrong foods, consumption of sugar, high phosphorous foods, smoking, drugs, excessive alcohol, chronic illness, and hormonal disorders make an individual more susceptible to periodontal disease. Smokers have twice the risk of gum disease. Laboratory animals given high sugar diets revealed a decrease in bone volume. These problems should, if possible, be corrected.
• Calcium, copper, and vitamins D and C are needed for good strong teeth. Folic acid, niacin, bioflavonoids are also needed. As a rule, take care of the teeth, and the gums will take care of themselves. Nourish the teeth with calcium and vitamin D.
• Emotional stress is known to decrease the body's ability to resist gum disease. Exercise neutralizes stress and encourages healthy gums.
• Open a capsule of vitamin E and rub the oil on inflamed gums, to aid in healing.
• A powerful aid in stopping gum infection is to brush the teeth twice a day with powdered charcoal.
• If gum inflammation is present, run very hot water over the toothbrush, to soften it up before using it.
• Put goldenseal powder in the mouth to help eliminate the infection. But do not take goldenseal internally for more than a week at a time. (Too much can harm lactobacillus in the bowel.) Do not use it during pregnancy.
• Diabetes and certain blood disorders put a person at greater risk of developing periodontal disease.
• Warm chamomile tea may be used as a soothing mouthwash after each brushing. Do not add sugar or milk to the tea.
Note: Sores under the tongue can be an early sign of mouth cancer. But if you do not smoke or chew tobacco, you are unlikely to ever have that problem.
—Also see "Gingivitis" for the other half of this periodontal problem.
ENCOURAGEMENT—The Lord is soon coming. Talk it, pray it, sing it. Tell others to get their lives ready to meet their Lord. But it is now, before probation closes, that we must, by faith in Christ, put sin away from our lives.
DENTURE TROUBLES
SYMPTOMS—Loose-fitting dentures; dentures which may hurt the gums when chewing; dentures which cause difficulty in speaking properly.
CAUSES—Dentures are false teeth. The professional explanation for the problem is that the wearers do not take proper care of them, and that the gums periodically change shape, etc.
There is another, less-known, reason: When the decision is made to extract teeth and fit an individual for dentures, the teeth are pulled out and the molds prepared for the false teeth. The entire process is done as quickly as possible, so teeth will appear to be in the mouth again as soon as possible. In addition, it is a convenience to the dentist to take the molds the same day that the extractions were done.
But when the extractions are made, the gums understandably swell! A number of sizeable wounds have been made in the mouth, and the gums are swollen and inflamed. That is not the time to take the molds.
Instead, the person should wait at least one week for the gums to heal and readjust into their normal post-dental sizes and shapes. Then those molds should be made.
If your dentist tells you that you need all your teeth pulled out, discuss the matter with him and perhaps check with another dentist or two. Very often only certain teeth need be removed and a bridge can be installed, which locks onto the teeth which remain. This is far better than wearing dentures. Do all you can to keep your teeth.
LIVING WITH DENTURES—
• Practice speaking. By yourself, read aloud from books and learn how to articulate vowels, consonants, and various combinations.
• Temporary denture adhesives may be necessary when you are first getting used to your new dentures. But you should not need to rely on adhesives all the time. The dentures should fit properly. Do not let the dentist take molds too soon.
• When you can, take out the dentures so the gums can rest.
• Begin by eating soft foods, and gradually get used to chewing with dentures.
• After each meal, scrub the dentures with soap and lukewarm water. Wash your gums gently with a soft toothbrush, to remove the plaque.
• Massage your gums every day. Place your index finger over the outside of the gums, another finger over the inside portion, and rub back and forth.
• Rinse your mouth each day with warm water mixed with a tsp. of salt.
ENCOURAGEMENT—When the servants of Christ take the shield of faith for their defense, and the sword of the Spirit for war, there is danger in the enemy's camp. Give your life fully to God, so He can use it for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom.
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