RH: Brushing and flossing are actually just a small part of oral health. What it really comes down to is nutrition, the health of the immune system and your body’s chemistry (registered in saliva and urine pH levels). Some people who brush and floss five times a day may still have cavities, while others who less frequently brush and floss may not have cavities. Brushing and flossing daily, however, is still important to your oral health.

Acidic monster stealing minerals from bones and teeth (Lila Volkas)

Why is it important for your body to be in a balanced pH state?

RH: In a pH-balanced body, bacteria cannot grow because they need an acidic environment to grow and thrive. For most people, this means that they will need to alkalize, which usually translates in eating a less acidic diet. Stress is also acidifying to your entire bodily system, therefore finding ways to relieve stress, such as exercise, meditation, yoga, are important to your bodily function and overall well-being. When your body is too acidic over a long period of time, the endocrine system will draw minerals from your bones, including the teeth, to feed your organ systems to keep them functioning correctly. Tooth decay, bone loss, arthritis, osteoporosis, all stem from having too much acidity, or inflammation, in your body.

Acidic monster enjoying his favorite foods of caffeine, white flour and white sugar. (Lila Volkas)

What are some foods that feed acidity in the body?

RH: White sugar, white flour, caffeine, and processed foods are some of the most acidifying foods that are part of the American diet. Too much red meat, pasteurized dairy, grains (especially non-soaked), and anything deep-fried are also acidifying.

It’s not only food that can create this imbalance in our bodies, but our environment and stress are also factors when our “fight or flight” response is activated.

Alkalizing food raining on the acidic monster (Lila Volkas)

How can we create less acidity in our body?

RH: Foodwise, a diet that is rich in vegetables, both steamed and raw, salads, plus raw soaked nuts and healthy fats is alkalizing. Keeping processed foods to a minimum and limiting the amount of caffeine that you drink will also help balance your body's pH. If you must consume caffeine, drinking organic coffee and making it “bullet proof” by adding some quality fat, such as organic grass-fed butter or organic coconut oil (or MCT oil) will help ease the effect on your system. Eating an all organic diet cannot be emphasized enough as it will decrease acidity and increase vitality in your entire system.

The environment you are eating in is as important as what you are eating. So sitting down to enjoy your food in a quiet and calm space will nourish you the most.

Activating our lymphatic system, which acts as the body’s garbage disposal, through exercise, such as, walking, swimming or jumping on a trampoline, also helps to release toxins.

What are practices that can help support our oral health?

RH: Here are a few tips:

Using a water pic, or power rinsing with a sip of water, right after you eat, helps your saliva to return to a more alkaline state which reduces mineral loss.
Wait at least 40 minutes after you eat to brush your teeth.
A common misconception is that we need to brush our teeth right after we’ve eaten food. When you put something in your mouth that isn’t water your saliva becomes acidic to help digest the food. Another misconception is that we should be using toothpastes or tooth powders, on our teeth. This is not true as it contributes to gum recession and may even remove dentin from your tooth structure. It is best to brush with a non-commercial product, such as a tooth or dental soap that is rich in minerals and essential oils and is non-abrasive. Abrasives, such as baking soda on a wet Qtip, should be limited to stain removal only.
Oil pulling for 15-20 minutes first thing in the morning by swishing 1 teaspoon of sunflower, sesame or coconut oil around in your mouth without swallowing the oil will help to remove harmful bacteria or toxins.
Oil pulling originally came from Russia and then became very popular in Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine. By swishing oil in your mouth you can extract oral bacteria and toxins. Make sure you do it first thing when waking up in the morning before you eat or drink anything other than water and then rinse your mouth out 4 or 5 times with hot water.
Buy pH strips to measure your saliva (which should be around 7) and urine (which should be 5.8) to test how acidic your body is.
The acidity in your urine will tell you whether you are secreting acidic waste successfully. If your urine is too alkaline, this often indicates that your kidneys are under functioning.
Limit or eliminate white flour, refined sugar and caffeine.
My intention is not about creating fear of food, but making a link between the sensation of: “ I don’t feel good” to the source of the problem, which could be an excess of sugar, wheat or caffeine. Eliminating soothing comfort foods, heavy in white flour, sugar, etc. from your diet is definitely a challenging journey, which often requires support of like-minded people. It is ok to eat “goodies” occasionally but the goal is to eat for optimum health and nutrition.

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Touché Tooth Fairy: An Illustrated Guide to Food-Based and Holistic Oral Health