Ok, so maybe I didn't wear my retainers enough...but my teeth shifted so fast they didn't fit any more!
And now, you all know I've been suffering with TMJ for several years. Probably something to do with all the orthodontics, or the fact that my bite doesn't line up. Or both.
The last thing I want my boys to go through is orthodontics and oral problems. That's why the book, "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" by Weston A Price is so fascinating to me. In his travel and study through out the world, he found that cultures that still ate their native diets {no processed foods} had no cavities, STRAIGHT, white teeth, strong jaws, and healthy wide arches in their nose and mouths.
Hm. Well it's obviously just genetics. Right? WRONG. He has documented proof that people from the same tribe/village/culture would move and eat a western "modern" diet and the children from those adults were born with narrow jaws and faces, cleft palates, severely crocked teeth, and teeth ridden with cavities. Also the adults would began to lose their teeth to decay.
Here are some photos.
So CAN we avoid braces for our kids? If so then HOW?
1. Starts before conception- This means in MOM and DAD. Toxic substances from both mother and father preconception affect the baby. Source.
2. Getting enough Folate, B Vitamins and SAM-e during early pregnancy. Source
3. Avoid Soy {very harmful for pregnant, breastfeeding moms, and couples trying to conceive} and other high phytic acid foods. Source.http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert
4. Getting enough fat soluble vitamins {vitamins A D E K are found in fat} from animal fats. We can almost only get these vitamins from animal fats. It's ingrained in us that we should eat low fat dairy and lean meats. This is extremely unhealthy for us, especially a growing unborn baby! Source.
Well I already had braces, my kids have cavities, and braces too. NOW what?
This is most of us. Good news though....
It's not too late! With the proper above actions certain genetic traits can be turned off. Even though it may be too late for dental formation and braces, tooth decay and other deficiencies can be reversed. Source.
Straight from Weston A. Price's book, 27 school age children were given one nutritious meal a day, and didn't even take out all the other processed foods they ate at home or school. It reversed their cavities and prevented new ones from forming.
" About four ounces of tomato juice or orange juice and a teaspoonful of a mixture of equal parts of a very high vitamin natural cod liver oil and an especially high vitamin butter was given at the beginning of the meal. They then received a bowl containing approximately a pint of a very rich vegetable and meat stew, made largely from bone marrow and fine cuts of tender meat: the meat was usually broiled separately to retain its juice and then chopped very fine and added to the bone marrow meat soup which always contained finally chopped vegetables and plenty of very yellow carrots. For the next course they had cooked fruit, with very little sweetening, and rolls made from freshly ground whole wheat, which were spread with the high-vitamin butter. The wheat for the rolls was ground fresh every day in a motor driven coffee mill. Each child was also given two glasses of fresh whole milk. The menu was varied from day to say, and fresh fish chowder or animal organs substituted the meat stew."
Other things that cause a need for braces are, pacifiers, thumb sucking, and bottle feeding. According to a study, "The authors believe this might affect the development of the muscles of the mouth and palate in some way, which in turn could affect how the teeth and jaw align." Source.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4017283.stm
In my own children, I breastfed my first son for only 9 months, and supplemented him with formula due to the schedule I was trying to get him on inspired by the book, "Babywise". I now know that was a huge mistake and has directly affected him even to this day and he is 5 years old. Although he is very healthy, he is the only one out of all 3 that has a slight under bite. He was breast and bottle fed and he had a pacifier until he was 22 months old.
I breast fed my second son until he was 21 months old, and he never ever took a bottle {wised up and realized feeding on demand is the way to go}, and he never took a pacifier, and his teeth are perfect {Lord willing they will stay like that!}. Perfect bite, plenty of space between each tooth for his adult teeth.
The baby is 15 months old, and is still breastfeeding. He also has a seemingly perfect bite with plenty of room between each tooth {so far}. His pediatrician also mentioned this and said he if I'm lucky he won't need braces because his teeth have nice wide gaps. He never took a bottle or pacifier either. But, he does have a couple white spots on his teeth which I think is result of not eating fat while pregnant with him due to my gallbladder, and after he was born eating a mainly vegetarian diet for a while. Trying to make up for that now by taking Fermented Cod Live Oil.
I'm not saying breastfeeding alone will prevent the need for braces. Also not saying bottle fed babies will definitely need braces. My dad was bottle fed and didn't need braces. But like it says in the above link, some genes can be turned on by deficiencies or events in lifestyle.
Did you have braces? Do your kids?
