Taking Care of Your Teeth in a World With No Dentist
I can say with confidence that for most of us Covid-19 was a huge wakeup call. The pandemic revealed to us just how fragile our lives really are. Even staying on top of maintaining our oral health became more of a challenge.
That’s because nearly every dentist’s office across the country was shut down for an unfortunate and uncomfortable amount of time. As bad as it may have seemed, it could have been so much worse. What would a world with no dentist look like?
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Prepare Your Family For Survival by Linda Loosli
What would you do if something far more sinister than the coronavirus were to show up, no longer leaving you the option to head to the dentist for your 6 month cleaning? Your dentist office may be forced into a position to close their doors for an indefinite amount of time.
You’d be left having to fend for yourself when comes to proper dental preventive care, which would be a very bad thing for many people, considering some of their poor teeth cleaning habits. Fortunately for you, I have a few tips that you might find useful. Here’s how to take care of your teeth in a world with no dentist.
This one may seem like a no-brainer. Afterall, we’ve been taught this ever since we were kids, but you’d be surprised how many people hop into bed without doing it. The most important time of the day to brush your teeth happens to be at night.
That’s because you’ve had a full day of eating foods that have formed plaque in your mouth, which can cause bad breath and bacteria to lurk in the mouth and between the teeth. Going to bed without brushing would be an incredibly poor decision on your part.
You should also consider the practice of brushing your teeth at least 2 times a day, and don’t forget to brush your tongue. Toothbrushes are a great item to stock up on as well. Toothbrushes
There are those who are pretty good about brushing their teeth at least two times a day on a regular basis, but fail desperately when it comes to the practice of flossing their teeth. Believe it or not, flossing is just as important as brushing your teeth, because it’s critical to clear out the food that’s stuck in between your teeth.
Flossing your teeth also helps stimulate your gums, while lowering inflammation. It also helps to reduce plaque and prevent cavities from building up in between your teeth.
Fluoride has received a lot of scrutiny over the past few years because of the other health concerns that it is known to cause, but fluoride is still considered to be the best preventative chemical defense against tooth decay.
This type of toothpaste does a wonderful job of fighting germs and bacteria that can cause decay, but it also creates a protective barrier around your teeth.
That’s why fluoride toothpaste may be the number one toothpaste of choice when you no longer have a dentist who can help you keep your teeth healthy. Be sure to have a stockpile of it, because you’ll never know how important it is until it’s too late.
Sue suggested, “I always dip my toothbrush in peroxide then baking soda then top with a natural toothpaste”.
In a world without dentists, more and more people’s mouths are going to start smelling more fowl than ever before. It may be a good idea for you to stock up on minty fresh mouthwash so that you’re not one of them.
But mouthwash is more than just about freshening your breath, it also reduces the acid in your mouth and helps clean areas in the back of your mouth that’s hard to get to with a toothbrush. Mouthwash also provides another benefit of remineralizing your teeth, keeping them healthier and stronger.
Chewing sugar-free gum can also help freshen your breath and remove bits of food that are stuck in between your teeth. It gets your saliva working in overdrive, which helps remove bacteria from your teeth even easier.
You may be wondering how drinking more water has anything to do with the health of your teeth, but it does. Water is the number one fluid that your body needs for good overall health, but also for your oral health. Water helps to wash out acids and some of the stickiness off of our teeth caused by drinking beverages and certain acidic foods.
Sugar may taste wonderfully sweet to our taste buds, but it’s harmful and can do a lot of damage to our teeth and gums. Our saliva glands do a wonderful job washing down most foods from our teeth, but sugar is too sticky. When sugar sits in our mouths, it converts into an acid that begins to eat away at the enamel on our teeth.
Eventually, cavities will start to form, and there’s also a greater risk for gum disease to take root. The best thing that you can do in a world without dentists, is to watch and limit the amount of acidic and sugary foods that you are consuming. So try your best to cut down on the soda pop, sweets, and processed foods.
I know I’m going to offend a number of people on this one, but it’s my job to inform you. Smoking only increases the risk of you having gum disease, or even oral cancer later on down the road.
Tobacco even makes your teeth turn an unappealing shade of yellow. This goes for all tobacco products, including chew, cigars, pipes, snuff, and of course cigarettes.
Taking care of your teeth is more than just about brushing and flossing them regularly. Your gums and tongue also play a huge role in the overall health of your mouth, so don’t forget to brush there as well. A world with no dentist isn’t a fun one!
A healthier diet that contains less sugar, along with drinking more water, is another great way to improve your teeth. If we are ever put in a position again where you’re not able to visit your dentist, these simple practices will keep your mouth healthier and better protected against cavities and other oral health problems. May God Bless this world, Linda
Copyright Images: Dentist Room and Chair Deposit photos_27616635_s-2019
Please don’t forget that baking soda is a great alternative to toothpaste-helps with plaque, freshens breath. I always dip my toothbrush in peroxide them baking soda then top with a natural toothpaste.
Hi Sue, thank you for the reminder, I’m adding your suggestion right now. Thank you!!!! Linda
I’ve used coconut oil to swirl around my mouth for 20 minutes. It lifts toxis out of the tongue, kills bacteria between teeth and in the gums. Spit it out at the end.
Hi Dave, so you use this to “brush” your teeth? I really want to know. I love learning new stuff. Thank you, Linda
Have found a WaterPik to be very helpful in cleaning and rinsing between teeth. Still need to floss as that helps remove plaque with the friction of the floss. [Slightly warm water is most comfortable I’ve found.]
Start the WaterPik at the lowest power setting to learn how to use and not damage your tender gums. Use just once a day or once every other day to start. Slowly build to learn your individual tolerance and technique. You may not need to increase power or very little.
I use the WaterPik for rinsing and cleaning around and between teeth not as a flossing replacement.
Your dentist may tell you a different way but I WaterPik first, then floss, then brush. -Then Spit, wipe, no swallow. Do not rinse mouth as this washes out the toothpaste you want to sit around the base of tooth and gum to further protect. Ideally do not eat, drink for 20-30 min after brushing.
Recommend call your dentist to see if they agree with my personal method.
I Am Not A Dentist.
Hi Lee, I’m not a dentist either. I LOVE your idea! I have a WaterPik and I love it! Great reminder, Linda
Lee, thank you for your tip on using the Waterpik first before flossing, then brushing!
If you want whiter teeth use 50-50 Hydrogen Peroxide and water. Swish around in your mouth for about one minute then spit out and rinse. SO NOT SWALLOW. This mixture will foam up in your mouth. If you do this once a day you will notice whiter teeth in just a few days.
Hi Annie, oh my, I am going to try this!!! Thank you for sharing!! Linda
I’ve also found that ‘swishing coconut oil’ daily helps sensitive teeth become less sensitive.
Hi Connie, oh my gosh, thanks for sharing this tip. I had a filling replaced and now that tooth is sensitive. Thank you! Linda
I’m sorry. I was relating something about dental care. The toxin “pull” is related, but having the oil remnants in your mouth after spitting, not rinsing, makes attachment of calculous to the teeth more difficult. My oldest brother was a dentist and he related how mouth bacteria work. The dead cells accumulate like a coral reef – mostly an accumulation of dead cells. If you want to get ahead of plaque deposits, but only brush once a day, the whole spectrum of life cycles are dislodged but the short-lived ones remain. Brush twice, and you reduce longer-lived bacteria. Three times, and you’ve reduced them again. And, of course, plaque imbeds between the gum and teeth, open the space until gums recede and roots and their thin enamel compromise the teeth and even affect digestive bacteria.
Hi Dave, thank you for this comment, I love stuff like this. It teaches everyone! Linda
I was fortunate in that I have been able to see my dentist. They were closed for a few months except for emergency dental work but as soon as they opened up again, I was able to get in for a cleaning and then for a repair. I asked my dentist what to do if I could not get in for the repair – he said: brushing, flossing and watch the sweet things – not just sugar sugar but also other high carb foods that turn to “sugar” in the mouth. He said NO to white bread/flour as that is one that is more likely to turn to “sugar” than whole wheat bread/flour. He told me to eat apples rather than other fruits – especially no bananas, peaches, pears as they tend to “stick” to the teeth more than other fruits and to watch how many berries I eat as they can also “stick” to the teeth.
I like the idea of a Water Pik but it is not in my budget right now. I use a fluoride toothpaste recommended by my dentist. I have also used a natural toothpaste. One thing that you can do with baking soda is to add peppermint essential oil to it to help make it more palatable in the mouth.
Something else that I would suggest is soaking your toothbrushes in Listerine or the equivalent. Listerine kills some of the germs/bacteria that stay on the brush. This will cut down on not only the germs/bacteria but also if there is a cold or sore throat, you lessen the risk of keeping it going for the long term. If I get a cold or sore throat, my toothbrush soaks all day in the solution as well as overnight otherwise, I soak my toothbrush a couple of times a week. I know there are sanitizing tools but they are out of my budget – the inexpensive ones don’t have such good reviews on Amazon!!
Hi Leanne, wow, I like the Listerine tip! I was lucky to get in and have my teeth cleaned as well a couple of weeks ago. Our dental health is critical to our health. Great comment as always! Linda
I absolutely cringe at the thought of not having dental work on my teeth. I’m one of those weird people who really likes going in for cleanings every 6 mos. I have “soft” teeth and have had more than my fair share of dental work over the years. One of the best moves we ever made was to switch to electric toothbrushes. I floss every day but also use toothpicks after meals out. Not a pretty sight but it gets the gunk out of my teeth. Sensodyne has been a lifesaver, too. We have “pods” to put over our toothbrushes to keep them clean but I’m definitely going to use these tips for cleaning them.
Hi Robbie, I go every six months as well. The interesting thing is, even when we didn’t have dental insurance we had them cleaned every six months and X-rayed once a year. If you don’t have dental insurance find a good dentist who charges you less because you are paying upfront rather than waiting for an insurance company who may take six months to pay. We have seen people suffer because they didn’t go to the dentist either because they were too lazy to make an appointment or did not have insurance. We paid about 20% of what the insurance cost would have been. It really works, you just to make a phone call to find out. We have been going to the same dentist now for 12 years, what a blessing he has been to us. If your teeth are healthy you may stay healthy. Linda
Ah yes, insurance…or lack thereof! We don’t have dental insurance so we pay cash for everything. My husband has two dental implants and omg, that is EXPENSIVE! In all instances, we’ve been lucky to get a percentage off for paying in full at the time of service. It’s usually only 10% but every little bit helps. We finally found a good dentist (ours passed away many years ago from cancer) and we adore him. He’s so willing to help us…we have his cell number and he’ll come in on weekends, etc. He’s amazing. I have a terrible phobia of dental work from way back when I was 5 yrs old and got slapped by the dentist. To this day, I still shake and sweat and have terrible anxiety. But our current dentist is amazing at helping me with all that. Luckily I haven’t had too many problems.
I so agree with you how important dental health care is. Most people don’t recognize or understand it. I sure hope in the zombie apocalypse (or Covid) that there will be dentists!
HI Robbie, I sure hope we will have dentists!! I’m so sorry to hear your dentist slapped you! Yikes! They wouldn’t get away with that these days! Stay well, Linda
There is a lot of great advice in your article and in the comments! One thing that wasn’t brought up is the difference between town ‘fluoridated’ water and well water. I’d heard how fluoride can be ‘bad’ when ingested but I did ask both my physician and dentist years ago for their opinions. Both said the amt of fluoride put in most cities drinking water is negligible as to potential harm but was enough to help people’s teeth, especially children’s. Zoom up a few years to ’03…I moved rural so have my own well. My youngest son was 5 and my grandson was 3. My grandson had been sensitive to milk so used special formula as a baby, and to this day (he’s 19), does Not drink milk, nor even eat dry cereal as it tastes like milk. It was always hard to get enough calcium in that kid for good teeth! So, I was then without fluoride in our water. Talked to my dentist about this for both my ‘little boys’ : Fluoride toothpaste at least 3 times a day. Zoom ahead a lot…the boys are now men. My son who guzzles milk has never had a single cavity. My grandson has had 5 crowns. So, maybe we need to also look at the amt of calcium a person gets? 2 yrs ago I bought each of them their own Waterpik with electric toothbrush for Xmas (lol). Pricey little suckers. Worth Every Dollar! I had bad teeth my entire life from no fluoride, no dental visits, crooked teeth and got top dentures finally at age 49. Then had to have half one side pulled due to an abscess on my last wisdom tooth before I could have open-heart surgery. I had no pain from the abscess but that wisdom tooth had also grown under my other teeth. So, this is yet another area I’m urging my adult kids to have checked. What’s a bit amusing is that since I had bad teeth, I put a lot of money into my kids mouths so maybe theirs will be better.
Wendy, wow, thanks for sharing with us. Oh my gosh, you had an abscess and no pain. I had a neighbor die from an abscessed tooth. She felt like she had the flu, the autopsy showed she died from the abscessed tooth. My granddaughter was living with me this last year and got an abscessed tooth, and I got her into a dentist ASAP. BUT, she had horrific pain. It was drained and she was loaded up with antibiotics. Scary! BUT, you had no pain, oh my gosh. THEN you had open-heart surgery, oh my gosh, Wendy!! Wow! I’m sure glad you’re okay. Great comment on your son and grandson. It’s critical we take care of our teeth. Stay well, Linda
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I’m Linda Loosli. I’m the owner and editor of Food Storage Moms. I’m so happy you’ve found us. Our goal at Food Storage Moms is to help “one family at a time.”
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Taking Care of Your Teeth in a World With No Dentist
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