How To Avoid Dental Bills!

I Hate Toothaches!

Is there anything worse than a toothache? The only thing worse than a toothache is having a toothache and no dental insurance. So not only do you have the excruciating experience of going to the dentist you are hit with a double whammy when you get the excruciating dental bill!

I once went without dental insurance for 10 years. When I finally got dental insurance I made and appointment to go see the Dentist for a check-up and cleaning. I was pretty nervous since it had been so long, it was kind of like seeing a priest and confessing your sins after a 4 year absence!

To my great relief and surprise he told me that my teeth were the best he had ever seen and that I had no problems at all. WOO HOO I was off the hook!

Here is how I did it.

Since I didn't have insurance I was adamant about keeping my teeth clean. The last thing I wanted was a throbbing mouth and no insurance, is there anything worse?. So the very first thing I did was to buy one of those high powered sonic electric tooth brushes. The next thing I did was to buy floss. Now, previously, my flossing habits were pretty hit and miss. I would do it now and again (usually right before a hot date :) but I wasn't religious about it. But now, since I had no insurance and wanted to avoid dental bills like the plague I flossed every single day come rain or shine.

Oil Pulling is the Bomb!

I also started oil pulling. Oil pulling is a very ancient technique to keep teeth clean. It involves taking about a tablespoon of oil (I use organic coconut oil) and swishing it your mouth for at least 10 minutes and optimally for as long as you can do it. I've gone for an hour quite regularly. The longer you do it the more benefit there is. immediately after oil pulling I use a water pick to clean my teeth, then I use floss..yes I am obsessive about cleaning my teeth but hey, it works!

DO NOT SWALLOW THE OIL!

The oil pulls out all of the bad bacteria. You then spit it out. Do NOT spit it out into the sink or toilet, spit it out in a paper cup and then throw it out. It will clog your pipes if you oil pull twice a day and spit it out in the toilet or sink. I immediately gargle with warm salt water to get all of the oil out of my mouth. I then brush my teeth. Oil pulling has given me the whitest, cleanest teeth EVER! Moreover, and I don't know if this has anything to do with the oil pulling but I also have not gotten sick since doing it. Even though everyone around me was coming down with a cold I didn't get sick. I believe it was because of the oil pulling.

I also avoid sticky sugary foods and if and when I do eat them I floss and brush my teeth immediately after. I also do not drink sugary soda or seltzer water. In the beginning I just gave up soda and drank seltzer water in it's place. But, after a couple of years of drinking seltzer water my teeth started feeling on edge. I googled seltzer water and found out that it removes the enamel from your teeth. Once I gave it up I never had that sensation again.

So, this became my twice daily habit. The only thing that was a bit pricey was the high-powered electric toothbrush, everything else was very reasonable. However, the electric toothbrushes remove much more plaque than your standard manual toothbrush so I thought it worth it. The one I bought has lasted me for almost 10 years (although you must change the brush).

When raising my son I also made sure that he started this habit as a child and as a man he has continued, he has never had a cavity! Not a single one!

Teeth are like fine China:

Another tip that I have learned about the hard way is to make sure that you don't brush your teeth too hard. It wears down the enamel and will require a filling just as if you have a cavity. If you automatically brush your teeth with more strength than you should try brushing with your left hand (if you are right-handed of course). The older we get the more this becomes a problem so brush lightly. One dentist I had said that you would clean your good china with a Brillo pad would you, it's the same thing with your teeth. I must say though, that since I started oil pulling I have haven't had to use sensitive toothpaste. The sensitivity in my teeth completely went away.

The final thing I do every night is to use a tongue scraper. It removes the bacteria off of the tongue and it takes just seconds.

Even after doing all that one day I still woke up with a sharp pain in one of my teeth. Since I didn't have dental insurance I searched on the internet for a solution. I found a web-site that had quite a few people swearing by Green Black Walnut Hull tincture (long name I know). So I immediately walked down to the nearest health food store and asked them if they had that and they did. I put a few drops of this black liquid in with a few tablespoons of water and used it like a mouthwash for about one minute and afterwards swallowed the liquid (because they say it's good for you). After 3 days I no longer had any pain in that tooth and it never gave me any trouble ever again!

If You Do Need to See a Dentist

These simple habits have kept me out of the dental chair and free of dental bills for going on 10 years now!

If you do have a dental problem and have no dental insurance you can go to one of the many Dental Schools around the country and they will do dental work for a limited amount of money and sometimes for free depending on your financial situation. But, the best medicine is prevention so I hope you try these techniques and avoid having to go to the dentist altogether and avoid those terrible dental bills.