Tooth Decay Treatment for Kids: Can You Heal Cavities?

I don't know about you, but I'm totally dreading taking my 3 year old to the dentist for his yearly check-up next month. My husband and I struggle daily to get him to sit still long enough to brush out all his "sugar bugs". A friend of mine took her 3 year old son to the dentist last month and they found 7 cavities in his teeth! 7 cavities! This kid eats way healthier than my son and his parents are very nutrition conscious. So why does HE have 7 cavities in his teeth? And why do a lot of kids in third world countries have cavity-free teeth? Most third world kids don't even have tooth brushes!

What most people don't realize is that tooth decay is not just caused by lack of brushing and flossing, and not just by consuming foods high in sugar. What causes tooth decay is specific germs, spread easily within families. Tooth decay in young kids is lifelong and it's more common in young kids than asthma and diabetes.

Did you know that 4 million preschoolers suffer from tooth decay? That's more than a half a million increase of kids with tooth decay in the past decade! Kids are getting exposed to sugar much younger than before and the water we (and our kids) are consuming lacks fluoride, which is essential for strong teeth.We are just beginning to see only part of the picture of what causes tooth decay and now there's evidence that suggests how to heal cavities.

Tooth decay begins with a group of germs called mutans streptococcus. The sugar consumed by your child is feed on by this bacteria that eats away at the teeth structure by depleting calcium. The bacteria also causes plaque, the yellowish film that sits on the surface of teeth. Plaque contains even more acid, which breaks down tooth enamel and once an area without sufficient calcium becomes large enough, the tooth collapses and that's a cavity.

Babies aren't born with this harmful, cavity-causing bacteria and studies have proven that mothers typically infect their children before the age of 2. It's as simple as sharing a spoon with your baby, or letting your little one use your toothbrush on their teeth, or sharing the same water glass. So if you've had many cavities yourself, guess what causes tooth decay? It could be you. That means if your saliva gets into your child, they will get your cavity-inducing germs. The key role that bacteria plays in tooth decay explains why some kids who eat a ton of candy and don't brush their teeth manage to be cavity-free.

So what if the dentist does find cavities in your toddler's teeth? A lot of conventional dentist will recommend getting those cavities out pronto! Dentists will most likely suggest drilling and filling those cavities in your little one's mouth to stop the tooth decay from spreading. Sounds like a logical diagnosis, right? Why would you want to risk increasing the bacteria in your child's teeth?

You could try a natural approach, and stop giving your kids sugar altogether. We all know that tooth decay happens when the sugars we eat are consumed by bacteria in our mouths. So why risk it? Let's cut out processed snacks, cookies, bread or even milk. And let's find out how to heal cavities naturally, if we can.

There are many practising holistic dentists that firmly believe that extracting cavities is not necessarily the best solution to the problem of tooth decay. In fact, simply removing cavities is only a temporary fix to the overall problem of tooth decay. We need to look at the big picture: how can we live a healthier life and what sorts of foods should we be consuming(whole grains, vegetables, ect) and avoiding (foods high in sugar) and can we heal cavities?

• Your child/children should avoid sugary foods, especially processed foods and stick to whole grains, meats, veggies and fruit.
• Be sure to brush/allow your child/children to brush teeth with fluorinated toothpaste twice a day-once in the morning and once at night.
• Floss your kids teeth!
• Have your child/children take at least 6.5 grams of Xylitol throughout the day-mints, gum, Z water or mix granular Xylitol in your child's drinks. This will help to re-calcify your child's teeth.
• Have your child/children take a spoonful of Cod liver oil once a day for added heath and dental benefits.

Cod Liver Oil may seem, well...gross to you and probably to your kids, but this type of fish oil was the go to supplement for better oral heath 80 years ago. Many supplement nay sayers hail Cod Liver Oil as a product they would recommend using in the home because of it's various heath and dental benefits. Here are 3 major benefits of Cod Liver Oil:

• It contains high amounts of EPA and DHA (both key players in the family of Omega-3 fatty acids)
• High levels of a natural form of vitamin A are found in Cod Liver Oil, which is essential for pregnant women and growing children, especially. Although, not enough is known about the use of cod liver oil during pregnancy and breast feeding, so pregnant and nursing mothers may want to avoid consuming cod liver oil to be on the safe side.
• Abounding in vitamin D, a nutrient that most North American people are deficient in, especially those living in cloudier climates with less sunshine (which puts myself, my family and the rest of my Vancouverite neighbours at risk for not getting enough vitamin D). Recent studies have shown a clear connection of vitamin D to the immune system and autoimmune diseases.

Butter Oil (found in combination with Cod Liver Oil), is a key ingredient to re-enameling teeth because it contains certain fats and activating substances that help bond the nutrients in the body to the bones. The butter must come from cows or goats eating rapidly growing green grasses.

*Don't buy regular cod liver oil from the store as it has synthetic vitamins and is likely toxic. It is recommended you/your offspring daily ingest Butter Oil mixed with High Vitamin Cod Liver Oil

The recommended dosage for the high-vitamin fermented cod liver oil is provided as follows:
Children age 3 months to 12 years: 1/2 teaspoon or 2.5 mL, providing 4650 IU vitamin A and 975 IU vitamin D.
Children over 12 years and adults: 1 teaspoon or 10 capsules, providing 9500 IU vitamin A and 1950 IU vitamin D.
Pregnant and nursing women: 2 teaspoon or 20 capsules, providing 19,000 IU vitamin A and 3900 IU vitamin D.

*It's important to strictly follow the recommended doses of Cod Liver Oil as it is possible to overdose.

How can I get my kids to take cod liver oil?

• Mix the oil in with your child's juice
• Find the best flavour your family likes: cinnamon, mint, lemon, just to name a few flavour choices.
• Try emulsified oil, such as Emulsified Mint. It may help it go down easier.
• After taking in the oil, have your child take a drink of water and eat something with a strong flavour such as cheese, raisins or even chocolate chips.

Xlitol is a natural sweetener derived from fibrous parts of plants. When consumed, xylitol doesn't break down, like sugar, and it actually helps keep a health pH level in the mouth. By ingesting xylitol, you are actually reducing the number of acid producing bacteria (by up to 90%) because the pH of saliva and plaque does not fall.

It's recommended that users take xylitol 6 to 7 times a day (for adults). The dosage of Xylitol for kids is at least 6.5 grams per day. You can take Xylitol in a variety of ways:

• Liquid form ("Z" water) by allowing your child to swish around their mouth
• Granular Xylitol can be sprinkled on cereal, mixed in drinks/sippy cup or fruit or eaten by the spoonful (one packet of granular Xylitol is 4 grams)
• Xylitol toothpaste
• Xylitol mouthwash
• Xylitol dental floss
• Xylitol kids gum (each piece of gum is 1 gram)
• Xylitol kids mints (each mint is half a gram)