Dental hygiene

[Wayne]

I've just ordered a Panasonic flosser, after reading umpteen reviews. Review highlights:

"This is a brilliant little squirter"
"Really illuminates your morning breath"

Hi Calathea, I'm a big believer in irrigating regularly. What got me started was a recommendation I read to floss daily with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide in the water. The author said that if you start on this regimen, you'll likely experience bleeding gums in the beginning, but should mostly disappear by the second week. Turned out to be the case for me. BTW, I use small amonts of 35% good grade hydrogen peroxide instead of the commercial kind. -- I hope you enjoy your new flosser.

 

[Calathea]

I am definitely enjoying it! And not having bleeding gums, or those nasty moments where my mouth smells! That's down to that plus the new electric toothbrush, and I think the Vitamin K is probably doing something useful too. Well, my teeth are smoother, and my gums look better (possibly the recession is improving), although the plaque hasn't budged, and the nasty brown bits will no doubt have to be dealt with by the dentist. I'm not sure I can be bothered taking the water flosser up to my partner's flat for half the week, though, as there isn't really anywhere to keep it in his unbelievably tiny bathroom, so I may just be irrigating for half the week. Mind you, another one of those suction pad toothbrush holders might do the trick. They're always fun when they fall down loudly at 3 a.m.

I started off irrigating with water with a dash of my mouthwash, a Weleda herbal one that I have been fond of for years (though I preferred the taste of the previous one, it was more clovey). I'm now messing around with baking soda rinses too, after buying a big tub of it to get rid of the smell from my new shower stool.

Hydrogen peroxide is one of those things that everyone uses in the US but not in the UK. I can't find anything stronger than 12%, and googling 35% brings up "No longer available due to changes in regulations". From a quick google, it seems pretty toxic stuff, including being bad for your tooth pulp.

 

[eafw]

I can't find anything stronger than 12%, and googling 35% brings up "No longer available due to changes in regulations".

You would have to dilute it anyway, even 12% would be far too strong. Commercial peroxide based mouthwashes are about 1.5% w/v. Be careful with it.

 

[Wayne]

Hydrogen peroxide is one of those things that everyone uses in the US but not in the UK. I can't find anything stronger than 12%, and googling 35% brings up "No longer available due to changes in regulations". From a quick google, it seems pretty toxic stuff, including being bad for your tooth pulp.

Hey @Calathea, happy to hear you're enjoying your flosser. I wouldn't be without mine. When I use the hydrogen peroxide, I definitely dilute it--a couple dropperfuls per full container of flossing water.

Another trick that works really well for me is something called "oil pulling", where you hold a tablespoon or so of oil in your mouth for about 10-20 minutes [I prefer coconut]. Since I started doing it, my dental hygienist has commented on how little plaque I have, even though I only go in every 3-4 years or so.

Oil pulling is also supposed to be good for other kinds of things, apparently because of its ability to detoxify the body in addition to the mouth. Anyway, just a thought. -- BTW, I thought I had a small bathroom, but it sounds like I may have to re-evaluate after hearing about your partner's. I guess it's all about perspective, right?

 

[MeSci]

I was already on Vitamin D, but I have added in Vitamin A too, as I'm vegan and won't have been getting any of these. Hopefully they will do something useful before I get to the dentist.

This page lists several vegan foods as containing Vitamin A. Not sure if they mean beta-carotene, but you can search separately on the site for foods containing that.

 

[Calathea]

I was talking about Vitamin A rather than beta carotene, as I will be getting loads of beta carotene already. But apparently not everyone converts it well.

I was reading up on oil pulling just the other day, interestingly, and decided it sounded pretty dodgy. Apparently the sheer friction will improve your dental health, and that has a knock-on effect on your general health, but there are plenty of other ways you can improve your dental health, too. The "toxins" nonsense was thoroughly off-putting. I'm trying to think of any occasion when "toxin" or "detox" is used, bar actual detox such as coming off heroin, when it's not total quackery. (Er, that isn't a request, I'm really not interested in discussing it! I'm pretty exhausted right now and being kept busy enough researching liposomal Vitamin C and the like.)

As for bathrooms, there's a shower which I reckon is 700 x 700 (28" x 28"), and then there is a slightly wider section which is perhaps 1000 x 700 (39" x 28"), including a tiny basin, and then there's the door, which opens inwards. There is a single shelf fairly low under the basin, and the floor under that, and that's the only storage apart from the various hooks and hanging baskets which we've installed. Before that there wasn't even a place to put a toothbrush.

 

[SOC]

Got me thinking, have you tried other combinations as well, teatree, ginger, fennel, sage and maybe peppermint or spearmint for flavour? Don't these oils have an issue mixing well with water as well? Anyway such a great idea to use these as a spray.

PWME should keep in mind that some of the ingredients in the natural remedies suggested in this thread are fairly potent vasodilators. Applying them in the nose and mouth areas (as well as other places in the sensitive) could cause a serious drop in BP due to vasodilation -- something which will make many of us significantly worse.

OTOH, there are some PWME who think vasodilation is beneficial to them. In that case, using eucalyptus, tea tree oil, and other vasodilators might be beneficial.

I'm one who can't even be in the same room with tea tree oil or eucalyptus oil without a severe drop in BP -- dizziness, nausea, severe headache, the whole shebang. I'd never put that stuff anywhere near my mouth. I'm particularly sensitive however, so I wouldn't expect most PWME to have quite that strong a reaction.

 

[SOC]

I've just ordered a Panasonic flosser, after reading umpteen reviews. Review highlights:

"This is a brilliant little squirter"
"Really illuminates your morning breath"

Which one in particular? There seem to be several. If you're happy with yours, I think I'll purchase that model.

 

[Calathea]

It was this one, Panasonic recommended it when I rang.

 

[MeSci]

The idea of illuminated breath intrigues me - I wonder if it's bright enough to enable you to switch the light off.

 

[WoolPippi]

Who believes their dental hygiene affects their ME/CFS?

I experience it every day without fail: when I forget to brush my teeth in the morning I will get extra tired and cranky by 1 o'clock midday. This gets worse and worse if I postphone brushing.
I think the plaque on teeth serves bacteria which start releasing things that burden my body, by that time.

Mind, I don't eat sugary foods or fruit on a regular basis and seldom before the afternoon.
If I do eat fruit a couple of days in a row òr when I'm under stress, this one molar will get sensitive to temperature and to sweets and starts hurting.

To me it feels like things that bother my teeth bother my daily energy level and the state of my immune system. I try to avoid taxing my teeth (with sugar, stress, forgetting to brush my teeth before noon)

 

[Wayne]

To me it feels like things that bother my teeth bother my daily energy level and the state of my immune system. I try to avoid taxing my teeth (with sugar, stress, forgetting to brush my teeth before noon)

Wow, @WoolPipp, some interesting observations you've made. Interestingly, I've been making some similar observations recently about how my eyes affect how I feel. I'm very much in the initial phases of experimenting, but I've noticed that when I do a saline eyewash, I will start feeling better within an hour, and it can last for several hours afterwards.

I believe the eyewash is cleaning my eyes, but I think what's having a greater effect on me is that my eyes are being stimulated while they are being cleaned--which in turn is also stimulating my brain. The whites of our eyes are actually an extension of the dura mater (Latin for tough mother) that surrounds our brain and spinal cord. So in a sense, are eyes are almost an appendage of our brains.

The saline solution I'm using: -- 1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt to 16 ounces (1 pint) of purified water. Pour a small amount into an eyewash glass and expose each eye for up to 30 seconds or so. I was surprised how soothing it felt. No burning like getting ocean water in your eyes, which has about 4 times the density as the saline solution I make. Works well for computer screen strain, and eye infections of any kind. I'm hoping for better eyesight eventually as well.