Breaking the Pattern

I have always had really nice teeth - straight, white. I remember my grandmother (my Giagia in Greek) telling me to always take care of my teeth because you could see every one when I laughed. (I always just thought she was saying I had a big mouth...) She had just a few teeth when I was a little girl and had the few she had left pulled later on. She couldn't get used to false teeth so she remained toothless. She actually developed the hardest gums I ever saw! She could chew a steak with no problem. She came to this country at the age of 16 and told how her mother back in Greece died from a blood infection when she attempted to pull one of her own teeth.

I really didn't think that much about dental health growing up. I had a few cavities but for the most part my mouth was pretty healthy. As I reached my teens, my mother began having more and more problems with her teeth. I remember her coming home from the dentist with blood-soaked cotten balls in her mouth. She would always say she had "too much acid" in her system and that was creating the problems with her teeth. She ended up having all her teeth pulled in her 50's.

I still did not think very much about dental health until I began having my own children. Pregnancy was hard on my mouth!! My teeth were still looking good, but I began noticing problems with my gums - bleeding, bruising, tenderness. The dentist told me that it is extremely important to be vigilant about good dental hygiene, especially during pregnancy. I became more aware and tried to be even more careful to floss and brush, but with each succeeding pregnancy, I noticed more problems.

Now I was concerned. I was not willing to be the fourth generation of women in my family to lose her teeth. Actually I was determined I would keep every single one that was still in my mouth. I went to a periodontist who informed me that I would most likely lose all my teeth eventually, but he would do the scaling and deep cleaning necessary to slow the process. Those were fighting words to me! I was determined to prove him wrong.

I went through the cleaning and scaling procedures. At about this time I was learning how important it is to keep your body's pH levels alkaline rather than acidic. It struck a chord as I remembered what my mother had said about her system. While I was "into health" and daily taking supplements and eating a clean diet, pH was something new to me. As I learned more about it I realized it could make all the difference in the results I achieved as far as my teeth were concerned.

So I began to drink several green drinks a day. To learn more about what these healthy, "multiple vitamins in a glass" are, visit http://fatherreallydoesknowbest.blogspot.com/, "Are You Smarter Than A Donkey.

The green drinks are excellent at alkalizing the body. I would drink them and as I sipped, I'd swish a mouthful at a time around my mouth before swallowing. I made sure to have several servings of fruits and vegetables daily along with my protein. The other very important alkalizing thing I did was increase my water intake. I began to drink at least half my body weight in ounces of distilled water every day.

I have not been back to the periodontist in six years. I visit my dentist three times a year for a check up and cleaning and in that time she has noticed that the pockets in my gums have shrunk and my dental health has improved dramatically. I love hearing her tell me that everything looks great! I am very careful about flossing and brushing several times a day. I still drink two green drinks a day and even test my pH periodically to be sure I'm staying in a healthy range consistently.

Just because a doctor or dentist tells you something doesn't mean it is engraved in stone. God's given our bodies the amazing ability to heal themselves if we provide the proper raw materials.

JG8D69D