Your Teeth

TEETH 

Your mouth, teeth, tongue, and even shape of your jaw, tell a story about your health. They provide a foundation for understanding, observing and constructing a protocol to redesign your current path. This story unfolds as we age, and as we start to gain connection with ourselves. 

Have you looked at your face? Examined the structure of your bones, your skull, your skeleton? It is truly fascinating that your body holds such history. It holds history that provides answers to questions that you may not know you have yet. They speak of your birth, your childhood, your habits, your old injuries, your courage, and your resilience. They also provide keys to your future.

The mouth is directly related to your gut microbiom and the integrity of your gut is reflected in the patterns of your mouth and bones. In simple terms, let’s start with the shape of your mouth and your Mandible (lower jaw). Why do you have the shape of jaw that you have? How should a jaw be shaped? Are there issues related to the shape of your jaw and in turn the teeth within your mouth? How does your Maxilla (upper jaw) affect sleep, taste, breathing?

To answer these questions, lets briefly explore the history of humans and the skeleton. History tells us that over 2 million years ago we developed from apes and at that time, according to studies, we did not appear to have an significant dental /jaw issues. Starting about 9000 years ago however;  many archaeological studies show that tooth decay had begun. So what changed and why has this continued into present day? 

The Agricultural Revolution followed by the Industrial revolution are good starting points. With both of these changes, we saw a significant decrease in healthy fats, introduction of convenience foods, processed foods and lack of jaw mobility from the foods that we ate. Yes, the foods we eat, how we eat our foods and the absorption of the minerals in our bodies, directly affect the shape of our jaws. They also affect our gut health, our brains, sleep, health and breathing. In turn, this will eventually effect the integrity of our teeth, the shape of our teeth, the health of our gums,  the alignment of our teeth (crooked teeth) and eventually caries (cavities). 

Today more then ever before, we see sleep apnea, gum disease, tooth decay, impacted wisdom teeth, snoring issues, malabsorption, osteoporosis and malformed jaws. So what are we missing and how are we missing these key ingredients to healthy jaws, teeth, health and sleep? To answer these questions, we look at the original questions that I asked at the top of this post. 

How does the Mandible and Maxilla affect various health concerns? 

Before the two major revolutions, we show a clear diet of healthy fats, nose to tail style eating, high Vitamin A, High Vitamin K2, High Vitamin D and high mineral dense foods on a daily basis. The jaw was worked daily and was wide, strong and structured. The teeth were well formed and not crowded and the tongue was responsive, powerful, and was supportive of the palette. This provided deep sleep, consistent absorption of nourishing minerals and a robust immune system. 

Following these changes, we saw an increase in the tongue positioning itself in the lower jaw (Mandible), instead of resting in the upper groove of the palette. This is significant as it can lead to mouth breathing instead of nasal breathing. When this happens, the growth of lower jaw becomes compromised, and can lead to sleep/snoring/apnea issues in the long term. 

Due to a poorly formed Mandible, it can also lead to forward head positioning and this directly affects the spine, teeth, neck, and the stacking of the entire skeletal system. Some will find the connection with headaches, teeth grinding, neck and shoulder tension, fatigue, sleep concerns as previously mentioned etc. A Malformed Mandible jaw and Maxilla jaw have also been linked to behavioural concerns, mental health concerns, depression and anxiety. Considering how the skeletal system functions, this is not hard to imagine or piece together. 

The connection between convenience and the fall of our skeletal system is evident and written by many well known researchers and Physicians. If you want to improve any of the concerns mentioned above, fixing your teeth from your local dentist is not the answer. This is not to say, not to attend to your dentist or follow their advice, but rather to consider whether you are correcting the root cause first or in conjunction with. A well formed plan that works from both sides, is your best bet for long term correction. 

So what can you do? Where do you start? 

As with each one of us, we all have different patterns that have formed from childhood or over the years and so in turn each person must be approached on an individual basis. This being said, there are a few things that you can do TODAY. 

*Look at your food intake! 

What are you eating? What are you fuelling your body with? 

*Healthy fats are important, but more so is the source of the fats! 

*Nutrient dense foods, foods that work the jaw and provide constructive exercise for the jaw and teeth are important. Think chewing off the bone, crunchy raw veggies. 

*Think Nose to Tail if you eat meat, not just muscle meat. The jaw is meant to be worked in various ways, not just with steak. So eating stew meat in homemade broth (nutrient dense), organ meats, ribs etc. 

*Find a great Farmer who will provide you with a variety of meats, bones and organs to experiment with. 

*Breath! Breathe while eating, before, during and after. Chew your food slowly, mindfully. Relax while eating and focus on what you are doing, rather then rushing through it. 

*Do not drink water with your meals! Water dilutes your digestive enzymes and Hydrochloric Acid (stomach acid). We want an abundant amount of these to ward off pathogens, yeasts and bacteria. When we do not have a sufficient amount, we leave the door open for overgrowth and imbalance.

*Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide-Just as our guts need balance of bacteria, so too do our mouths (the start line!). Soaking our toothbrushes in food grade hydrogen peroxide helps keep the balance we need, while also helping to ward off nasty viruses and bacteria. 

*If you are vegetarian, there are loads of options to do the same things! Nutrient dense broths, plant based fats, supplementation as needed, tissue salts (cell salts), jaw exercises. 

*Supplements like Cod Liver Oil are extremely high in naturally occurring Vitamin D and Vitamin A, as well as; high amounts of Omega 3 and Omega 6. In fact, Cod Liver Oil is the most Abundant source of natural occurring Vitamin D and Vitamin A. They provide anti-inflammatory properties, healthy fats, help bone density, support a robust immune system, prevent plaque build up in arteries, help repair damaged teeth/prevent further degeneration of teeth, increase mineralization and calcification of teeth, assists with oral mucosa, tissue regeneration, would healing, tooth development, and regulation of salivary flow. 

*Supplementation with Tissue salts (Essential Cell Salts) are a great way to provide immediate minerals to the blood stream for availability and use. Specific minerals are known to repair, prevent and support the integrity of the teeth and jaw. 

This information and the combination of suggestions I provide in this post, is not tailored to everyone. Some or all may fit with you and your current situation. If you need specific help identifying your protocol, please reach out privately, I would be happy to help.