Most people do not realized that their teeth are windows to their overall health.
Did you know that each tooth in your mouth represents a different part of your body? Your teeth are connected by energy pathways to different organs and glands as well is different vertebrae, muscles, joints, sinus organs and even emotions. In fact, everything in your body is interconnected.
That means that if you are having problems with your teeth, like a cavity or infection, you need to address your teeth as well as other specific parts of your body. And, vice versa. If you are having unexplainable health problems, you should also consider your teeth. Unhealthy teeth and/or improper dental work can compromise your health.
There are many aspects to consider when it comes to teeth. It is much more than running to the dentist every time you have a problem. If you know what to look for, your teeth can give you clues to your overall health and what you need to address in your body.
I learned some things the hard way. My hope is that you do not have to. Let me show you how to look at your teeth in a different way.
In this article, I will explain the close relationship between the teeth and the rest of the body. In a future article, I will discuss the pros and cons of various dental procedures and how to select a good dentist.
The Story of My Teeth
Good nutrition and a healthy, balanced diet and lifestyle that is right for your body is a must for healthy teeth. I learned this first hand in my 20s and 30s. While living on my own for the first time in New York City, my diet and lifestyle were not optimal. I even became a vegetarian for a couple of years. Although I felt better at first as I took a break from meat, over time I started feeling run down and got sick more often.
I know now that my version of a vegetarian diet was not a balanced one, lacking some key nutrients. Over time, I also learned that I felt better if I included beef and chicken in my diet and reduced processed grains like bread and crackers. Although I eventual readjusted my eating habits, my less than optimal lifestyle in my 20s caught up to me in my 30s, when I started having teeth problems.
Teeth problems do not happen over night. During the time of my less then optimal diet, my teeth had become weaker. They lost much of their mineral content and their strength. Years later, my problems started with a cracked tooth and ended with heavy metal poisoning. Eventually, that particular tooth had to be pulled.
Back then, there was little discussion of the connection between teeth and the body. We were all told that amalgam fillings were safe. And, there was no such thing as a biological or holistic dentist.
Your Teeth Are Alive
Unlike what we are taught in school, our teeth are alive. They move. They “breath.” They absorb nutrients. They can rebuild. It is a matter of finding the right diet, nutrients, and lifestyle specific to you.
If you or you child are prone to cavities or having other teeth issues, there are things you can do to make a difference.
If I had realized how much I had depleted my body of vital nutrients in my 20’s, I would have been more proactive about reestablishing these nutrients, things like Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2, calcium, and minerals. However, people were not talking about the ability to rebuild teeth back then.
How it Correlates to Your Body
If you have a particular tooth bothering you and you want to take it a step farther, use the information below to see which other parts of your body requires extra support.
Below is a chart of the teeth in your mouth with the corresponding teeth numbers. Dentists use letters for “baby” teeth and numbers for permanent teeth. Once you figure out the tooth in question, look at the next diagram to find the corresponding organ and gland.
For an even more detailed list of each tooth, you can use a comprehensive tooth chart found here. Either select (click on) the tooth in question from the diagram or find a particular organ from the drop down menu. A popup table will provide you with additional information including other possible organs that may be compromised as well as corresponding glands, vertebrae, sense organs, muscles, joints and other interconnected relationships.
Using the Information
When using the charts and diagrams above, a good place to start is to check any teeth that have a current cavity or a previous filling. You should also check any teeth that have been pulled or have had a root canal, since pulled teeth can result in pockets in the jaw and root canals can get toxic over time. (More about that in Part II.) Any gum issues around a particular tooth can also be looked up.
If you are using the interactive tooth chart and you have a chronic problem with one of your organs, you can see which tooth (or teeth) is connected to that organ. Have you had a problem with that tooth in the past? Have you had a root canal on that tooth? Maybe there is pain or an underlying infection or even possibly an amalgam (silver) filling that is leaking.
It may seem counterintuitive to work on another part of your body when you are having a problem with your teeth, however, everything is interconnected. The information you determine can help you create a better assessment of your overall health and highlight any issues you may need to address.
For example, if you find that you are having problems with a tooth that is directly tied to the liver, you may need to do a targeted liver detoxification and/or gall bladder flush which in turn will help that tooth. If you are having issues with your stomach or small intestine, you may have a food sensitivity that is causing a nutrient deficiency and resulting in a tooth problem. A problem tooth may also explain why you are having a back issue or why a chiropractic adjustment does not hold.
Steps to Take for a Healthier Mouth
When it comes to healthy teeth, you need to first learn what foods work best for your unique body, supplementing with specific nutrients when necessary.
Some of us need more Vitamin D3 than others, for example. Other eating styles may lack certain nutrients. If you are not eating meat or dairy, for instance, you will typically need to supplement with nutrients like Vitamins D3, K2, B12 and Omega 3s, since these are harder to obtain without eating some type of animal product. Someone else may need more quality fats or modify their carbohydrate intake.
On the other hand, you may have certain foods that you need to eliminate because they trigger inflammation. Gluten and dairy are the most common, but there are many other possible trigger foods.
Of course, junk foods and other processed foods should be reduced as much as possible, as well as pesticides, preservatives, food dyes, etc. You should also know that genetically modified (GM) foods can keep your body from absorbing minerals, especially corn and cotton oil, which consist of the Bt toxin. (Learn more about GM foods here and here.)
If you want a healthy mouth, you need to determine your optimal diet. You also need to make sure you are absorbing the nutrients from the quality foods you are eating. You need to have hydrochloric acid in your stomach and enough digestive enzymes to properly break down your foods. (Check out my previous article here for help.)
If there is pain or infection in the mouth or elsewhere in the body, you need to address that as well. Some practitioners believe that dental infections are the only infections that the body cannot get rid of itself. That means you need to provide additional support to your body and possibly your mouth.
There are many natural supplements that can boost your immune system (see this article) as well as directly fight infection (see this article). Neem oil and oregano oil have been shown to be especially effective when used in the mouth. There are some great homeopathic products that can also help, especially when it comes to knocking out specific microorganisms, some of which target the teeth. Other things I have used for teeth and gums include oil pulling and mud packs. (In some cases, an antibiotic may be necessary.)
In addition, there are specific nutrient dense foods and targeted nutrients that can help your body repair tooth enamel. Some key foods include bone broth, emu oil, quality cod liver oil, x-factor butter oil, and quality raw butter. Targeted nutrients include minerals, Vitamins D3 and K2, CoQ10, and probiotics among others.
When it comes to teeth, I wish I knew in my 20s what I know now. I would have done lots of things differently. My hope is that my hard lessons can help someone else. In a future article, I will talk more about how to find the right dentist and the pros and cons of various dental procedures.
You can rebuild your teeth and make them stronger. I have strengthened my teeth over time, so much so that I could slowly see the transparency go away as they remineralized.
If you need help figuring out a teeth healing program that works specifically for you, please contact me.
This article was written by Sharon Harmon, founder of Life Design for Health. As a “Health Designer” she has a passion for helping people find their way back to optimum health. Please contact her if you would like to know more. There is a great deal of health-related information in her blog articles and on her website. Including additional suggested resources (books and articles) by topic, a pantry list that is gluten-free, dairy free and GMO-free, and a healing foods list.