Why Raw-Foodists Have Such Bad Teeth and What to Do About It

[painofsalvation]

I got this post regarding bad teeth and raw foods from a private forum and it made a lot of sense to me. So I thought I could share it with the row fooders in this forum.

Why Raw-Foodists Have Such Bad Teeth and What to Do About It
*An Important Message From Frederic Patenaude*

Aloha Crow,

What I'll share with you in this article may come as a shock to you, but there are some things that need to be said about the real *weak link* of the raw food diet. I'm talking about the poor dental health of raw-foodists.

I have over 10 years of experience in the raw food movement. I've written several books on the subject, I've had one of the very first raw food websites on the Internet, and I've been in touch with tens of thousands of people following this diet over the years.

I've met most of the raw-food leaders personally, and I've even worked with many of them. I've even personally coached hundreds of people to succeed with a raw food lifestyle.

And after all of these years, I've come to the conclusion that raw-foodists have the worst dental health of any other "health group" in the world.

What I have observed is:

* I high incidence of dental decay among raw-foodists, after they switch to the diet
* A high incidence of gum recession and enamel erosion among raw-foodists
* Sudden, drastic & dramatic dental problems that occur typically 1 to 3 years after a person has switched to the raw food diet, and tend to persist overtime.

A study done in Germany (which can be found here) found that when subjects switched to a raw-food diet, they experienced a higher incidence of enamel erosion.

I have gone through a series of dental problems myself as a direct result of following the raw-food diet incorrectly (and I'm not even talking about eating a lot of dates here), and I have met at least several hundred people who
have gone through similar issues.

I know several leaders of the raw-food movement who have experience an increasing number of dental problems on the raw food diet, and still won't come clean about it and explain to their followers why this happens.

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The "weak link" of the raw diet
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There's a lot of positive aspects to the raw food diet. But the issue of dental health is the real weak link. A person can experience lots of wonderful beneficial effects on the raw food diet, but notice their dental health go downhill.

In my experience, it's also the number one reason why people quit on the diet after being successful with it for many years.

It doesn't happen to every raw-foodist. It probably happens to the large majority however, and there is a direct correlation between the switch to the raw diet and the development of dental problems.

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The Two Culprits
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At this point, if you have the least interest in eating raw foods, you should start reading very, very closely.

Dental decay is not caused by eating the wrong diet. That's right. Dental decay is actually a *transmittable disease*. Dental decay is the result of the proliferation of certain types of bacteria in the oral environment. The bacteria
eliminate acid waste that eat into your teeth and cause decay.

There are only TWO reasons why raw-foodists experience more problems when they moved to the diet. But before we look at them, let's take a look at what is NOT the cause of these problems. So raw-foodists DON'T have problems with their teeth because...

- They don't eat enough greens
- They don't get the proper ratio of calcium/phosphorus
- They are not consuming "super nutrition"
- They are not consuming enough calories
- They eat too many acid forming foods like nuts and seeds

All of the reasons above are NOT why raw-foodists get problems with their teeth. The only two reasons why raw-foodists get problems with their teeth are:

- Underlying issues (the bacteria count)
- Sugar

Once you understand this simple concept, you'll be able to eradicate decay for life.

What happens is that when people move into the raw-food diet, they are basically a time-bomb as far as their dental health is concerned. Their bacteria count is a little too high, but not high enough to cause major problems.

Suddently, they dump a bunch of sugar into their mouths. This sugar creates a giant feast for the bacteria who feed on them.

So in that sense, the introduction of a higher quantity of natural sugar is the determining factor. This sugar can be in various forms... it doesn't matter for the bacteria who feed on them! There is no difference between white sugar and banana sugar when it comes to increasing the bacteria count in the mouth!

And this sugar is plentiful in the raw food diet. We're talking about:

- Fresh fruits (bananas, mangoes, etc.)
- Fruit juices
- Dried fruits
- Nuts and seeds (which stick to the teeth)
- Raw food "bars" and dehydrated treats
- Dates
- Smoothies (that's right)
- Green smoothies (that's right)
- Coconut water

Now... here's where it gets interesting. Sugar is food for the bacteria.

Normally, you want your bacteria count to be as low as possible. You want to avoid bacteria forming in to *colonies* and creating their own little civilization in your mouth.

If your oral environment is really clean... it doesn't really matter if you eat dates all day. If the bacteria count is low, you can do that without problems.

So although the *precipitating* factor that creates problem for raw-foodists is the introduction of more sugar, the *real* problem are the underlying issues, so the bacteria count!

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The Only Solution
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The only way to prevent dental decay for life and reverse a bad situation is to take active control of your oral environment. Just controlling your diet does not address the root of the problem.

You have to move from a regular hygiene program to a *super* hygiene program.

This means:

* Increasing the time you brush
* Using an oral irrigator
* Using a tongue scraper
* And going through a daily routine that takes about 6 minutes instead of the usually two, and do it 2-3 times a day!

That's the only effective way to prevent dental decay and gum disease for life.

[Dan.Linehan]

I am not a raw foodist, but this puppy did wonders for my gum health.

Amazon.com: Panasonic EW1270AC Portable Oral Irrigator: Health & Personal Care

[sirkinm]

Oh man, my experimenting in raw foodism made my sensitive hurt bad. Now they're good though, see:

[liamona]

I have to disagree with the article's conclusion that it's just the sugar and poor oral hygiene that causes decay. If the diet has plenty of minerals and fat-soluble vitamins like A, K2 and D3, the teeth should be in excellent condition.

People on optimal diets, like those that Weston Price researched, had virtually perfect teeth, and didn't brush them or use any fancy gizmos to keep their mouths clean.

[runningbird]

That is some compelling research. I am a little worried now that I was basically raised on various refined wheat products....

It also doesn't seem like many native cultures had high sugar diets. While excellent for detox, it may turn out that raw foodism is not a good longevity strategy.

[liamona]

Originally Posted by runningbird

That is some compelling research. I am a little worried now that I was basically raised on various refined wheat products....

Me too, and I have the bad teeth to prove it!

It also doesn't seem like many native cultures had high sugar diets.

That's true; however, keep in mind that Weston Price was able to cure his patients' cavities when they ate one optimal meal a day for three to five months. The rest of the time they ate stuff like "highly sweetened strong coffee and white bread, vegetable fat, pancakes made of white flour and eaten with syrup, and doughnuts fried in vegetable fat." (from Chapter 16, "Primitive control of dental caries," Nutrition and Physical Degeneration). The patients were children, though, so who knows how long it would take for adults to cure their cavities.

While excellent for detox, it may turn out that raw foodism is not a good longevity strategy.

I think any diet could work as long as there's adequate fat and fat-soluble vitamins; but some people seem to not do so well with eating lots of raw fruit. YMMV.

[jp06]

Originally Posted by liamona

People on optimal diets, like those that Weston Price researched, had virtually perfect teeth, and didn't brush them or use any fancy gizmos to keep their mouths clean.

Excellent link!

[funchy]

You can't take a small study of an isolated group (both genetics and environment) and extrapolate to say if we eat their diet, we'll have their teeth. It can be as simple as genetics that create a risk factor for some people to have bad teeth.

I am also suspicious of claims that "all raw-diet people have bad teeth". What proof does the author have of such a thing? I live in a part of the country where some people have terrible teeth. None of then eat raw. The thing they have in common is SAD & no dentist.

I'd like to see more proof before I believe someone has (1) shown all raw foodists have dental problems and (2) buying an oral irrigator and tongue scraper will solve everything.

[liamona]

Originally Posted by funchy

You can't take a small study of an isolated group (both genetics and environment) and extrapolate to say if we eat their diet, we'll have their teeth.

Actually you can, since Price was able to reproduce the results of his research here in the States with his own patients.

There's also a lot of WAP Yahoo groups for people who've improved their health and teeth with dietary changes (for those of you who are curious to try it out).

It can be as simple as genetics that create a risk factor for some people to have bad teeth.

It's true—epigenetics proves that you are what your grandmother ate; and "bad genetics" simply is the effects of poor nutrition stretching back generations.

Even so, it's never too late to start eating well. In fact, if you have "bad genes," you need to do a lot to catch up, especially if you want to have children.

I'd like to see more proof before I believe someone has (1) shown all raw foodists have dental problems and (2) buying an oral irrigator and tongue scraper will solve everything.

I'm with you there!

[RobSmyth]

I never had any problems with me teeth before i went raw. Two months later i went to the dentist and she literally went "WTF."

[Andrew Michaels]

My take on raw foodist teeth problems is here.

Originally Posted by painofsalvation

I got this post regarding bad teeth and raw foods from a private forum and it made a lot of sense to me. So I thought I could share it with the row fooders in this forum.

[Herbivore]

Well, I read it with an open mind, since I have some tooth problems. Then again, I had tooth problems before, as most people do!

There is no difference between white sugar and banana sugar when it comes to increasing the bacteria count in the mouth!

Then why the focus on Raw-foodism?? Carbs are the most abundant thing in food. Everyone would have cavities.

But dental disease isn't natural. And carbs are natural. Therefore the theory of the article is wrong.