February is Dental Health Month!
I am so grateful that we receive regular dental checkups very affordably through the military.
It’s super important that we teach our kids about dental health.
Teeth are necessary for healthy digestion, and if we don’t take care of our mouths, it can lead to all sorts of other health issues.
We’ve had a great year with NO CAVITIES for our family of six. I’m happy to report that we’ve switched to all natural dental care and it’s made a huge difference.
{Have you ever read the ingredients on the back of your toothpaste or mouthwash?!}
How we maintain healthy teeth, gums, and mouths:
1. Regular Dental Care
We receive two checkups each year with X-rays, cleaning, and fluoride treatments through our insurance program.
We don’t agree with having fluoride in our water or oral care products, but twice a year, having our teeth “painted” while otherwise keeping fluoride out of our bodies otherwise is good for us.
Our kids have gone to dentists since they had their first teeth! This helps them not to be fearful.
Also, it’s really important to keep up with dental health while pregnant. My gums got very sensitive with all those hormones.
Teeth care is correlative to full body health.
2. Teaching Good Habits
We brush twice a day. We try to floss at least once a day.
When the kids are young, we supervise and help, modeling the proper way to brush and floss.
We learn about teeth and dental care in our homeschool and why it’s important to take care of even our baby teeth so we have strong, healthy adult teeth to last our whole lives.
Our kids know we value our health and they look forward to dentist visits to show off their healthy teeth.
3. Oil Pulling
Use a small spoonful of coconut oil or sesame oil with a few drops of essential oils (I like the Thieves blend). Swish for about 20 minutes. Spit (probably not in the sink since it will re-solidify and clog drains.) Rinse and brush as usual.
Keeps everything clean, bright, and healthy with lots of health benefits.
I don’t get cold sores in or around my mouth hardly ever anymore.
4. Healthy Diet
We limit our family’s sugar intake. We make sure we eat lots of fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of filtered water.
I like to provide lots of variety so our kids are exposed to lots of different flavors and textures. We work those muscles chewing and smiling!
We’re aiming for a chemical-free lifestyle, and what we ingest has to be all natural and good for us!
We’re teaching healthy habits.
Our usual snacks are fruit, cheese, nuts, yogurt, and granola.
5. What’s in Your Cabinet?
Have you read the labels on your commercial toothpaste? Why does it have a poison control warning if you put it in your mouth twice a day? Why are there unnecessary chemicals, additives, and dyes? Do you know what all those words mean?
We use natural toothpaste.
We make our own mouthwash.
We use baking soda and essential oils (I like Thieves, Peppermint, and Citrus) for quick stain and tartar removal.
For really tough stains, we use activated charcoal or turmeric!
We don’t have fluoride in our natural toothpaste or added to our water, so we don’t have to worry about ingesting it and developing health problems from too much.
