Teeth - From Black to White

Through decades of high carb, high sugar, vegetarianism, I have noticed people's teeth.

I admire the beautiful whites I see around me. All ages, races, genders, and sizes.

Even dogs (when they're young), have healthy-looking teeth.

But over time, teeth yellow, plaque builds up, they crack, and cavity fillings fall out.

My own choppers aren't as white as they used to be. They've lost their density and now have a translucent quality. My smile still lights up, just not as brightly.

I've considered bleaching treatments and those whitening strips, but I'm not a fan.

What have people done to keep youthful-looking teeth -- naturally?

Diet

Of course, sugar wasn't good for my teeth, but I didn't realize how it accelerated aging so much.

I wish I knew years ago what I know now about diet -- my kids could've benefited.

A low carb, high fat diet with tons of fresh vegetables and a little bit of animal protein, would have kept our yellowing at bay. Certainly more than the soy and wheat-based alternatives with bad fats that we fed our younglings. (French fries? That's a vegetable, right?)

Bones, gut, teeth, hair, nails, and skin all exude youthful health from a diet that includes some - not a lot - animal fats and protein.

Another bonus with my new dietary clean-up: I've even noticed no more bad breath!

Drugs

Seems whatever our mom's did while pregnant with us had an enormous affect.

And children given prescriptions -- their unsuspecting teeth have often suffered the consequences.

My husband's smile is forever discolored because of tetracycline drugs he was given as a teen to help acne.

Deliberate Hygiene

Regular dental checkups, gum stimulation, flossing properly - they all matter.

These days, there's lots of talk about health care in the US, yet almost no discussion of dental care. So much can be done to prevent and treat oral health issues for a fraction of the cost -- and pain -- that they require later.

But, that's another story...

Darn Stains

Red wine. 🍷
Coffee. ☕
No need to ab-stain. (See what I did there?!)

I went to the dentist recently. It's always a little worrisome because you might get a bad report. Or need thousands of dollars for a root canal or something.

A year earlier, my dental hygienist noticed some staining - I couldn't hide the fact that I had become - gasp! - a coffee drinker.

But this last checkup was remarkable.

The hygienist ASKED ME what I had been doing because my teeth were so white!

This is my secret:

Daring Dip - Magical Black Powder

Every other week, or daily leading up to special occasions, I dip a special toothbrush into black powder and brush.

Activated charcoal is great. Often used to filter toxic substances and heavy metals from our drinking water, charcoal is an excellent choice to whiten those pearls in your mouth.

It's messy for sure, but oh how clean your teeth feel!

(Can be used at Halloween as well!)

Different Strokes

Some people swear by oil pulling, and others use hydrogen peroxide for their mouths and teeth.

I'm intrigued enough to try those options, but haven't yet.

For now, I'm sticking with the black stuff - it wowed my hygienist, after all!

---

Images @mhrose