The term “homeopathy” is derived from the Greek words meaning “like” and “suffering.” Homeopathic practitioners claim that homeopathy dates all the way back to 400 B.C. when Hypocrates prescribed very small doses of mandrake root to cure mania knowing very well that large doses of mandrake root actually cause mania.
Sounds a bit ludicrous, right? Well, if you think so, you’re not alone. Homeopathy has been scrutinized since its inception. It’s been called quackery and nothing more than a placebo effect.
However, thousands of people across many cultures swear by it and use it regularly to heal their bodies, minds, and teeth.
What is homeopathy?
In the practice of homeopathy, very diluted amounts of a substance is given to heal precisely what a larger dose may exacerbate—as in the mandrake example.
Homeopathic remedies are made by diluting a substance in alcohol or distilled water until there are actually very few or no molecules of that initial substance remaining.
This diluted solution is then given, generally in tablet form that is held under the tongue, to heal a specific malady.
This thousands-year-old practice was revitalized by Samuel Hahnemann in the early 1800’s. He postulated his theory that “like cures like” when noticing that a medicine designed to cure a disease in an infected person often causes a healthy individual similar symptom to that very disease.
During the time that Hahnemann was developing his homeopathic ideas and formulating remedies, popular medical practice consisted of mixtures containing long lists of harmful drugs and chemicals, such as opium and viper’s blood.
Bloodletting and purging were common as well. Hahnemann believed these somewhat barbaric yet popular medical practices to be harmful rather than healing—in fact, a lot of people died after receiving painful medical treatment during that time.
This is likely the reason that some people started turning to Hahnemann’s homeopathic methods, which focused on low doses of single “medications” or remedies as an alternative to the almost barbaric practices that often lead to a worsening of symptoms or even death.
Hahnemann believed that diseases also had a nontangible, spiritual quality that could be addressed with his homeopathic remedies.
The second principle separating homeopathic methodology from modern medical practice is the belief that the lower the dosage of a remedy, the more effective. This is why the original substance is so extremely diluted that often times it’s merely the “essence” of that substance remaining in the solution.
Since Hahnemann published his book of 65 homeopathic remedies, Materia Medica Pura, in 1810, homeopathy has spread throughout the world as an alternative to mainstream medicine.
Homeopathy’s holistic view of the body is consistent with our plan of treating our teeth as a part of the entire being, rather than a separate entity requiring an entirely different medical practice and approach.
How To Whiten Your Teeth At Home
Calc Fluor and Calc Phos for Tooth Remineralization
Calc fluor and calc phos are the common homeopathic names for calcium fluoride and calcium phosphorus. These are two of the twelve basic cell salts, minerals that make up the building blocks of the body and provide a foundation for enzyme activity.
Calcium Fluoride (Calc fluor): Calcium is absolutely essential for building strong bones and teeth but unfortunately this vital mineral is lacking in the modern diet of sugars and starches.
When the body is deficient in calcium, it will actually leach minerals from the bones to supply the rest of the body. Calcium Fluoride (not to be confused with its potentially harmful cousins Fluorosilicic Acid and Sodium Fluorosilicate found in most tap water), is a naturally occurring mineral that binds with your tooth enamel, strengthening teeth against harmful bacteria.
It can be an effective treatment for preventing tooth decay. Calcium fluoride is responsible for elasticity, flexibility, toning, strength and resilience in muscular and connective tissues, bones, tooth enamel, and blood vessel walls.
Calcium Phosphorus (Calc phos): As we have already discussed, our modern diets are often starving us of vital nutrients. We are mineral deficient, and most importantly for tooth health, we lack the necessary calcium and phosphorus to remineralize our teeth and protect them from decay.
The tissue salt calc phos contributes to: the building of cells; is an essential component of blood, connective tissues, teeth, and bones; provides general maintenance for body function, support for recuperation, growth, and development.
85% of our body’s phosphorus can be found in the bones and teeth. However, those concentrations are greatly depleted when the body is deficient of phosphorus elsewhere.
Calc phos is a homeopathic low-dose of calcium and phosphorus designed to help replenish those essential minerals.
If you are maintaining the diet rich in raw milk, fermented cod liver oil, bone broth and grass-fed meats with no grains or sugar, you should be able to maintain a healthy level of calcium, phosphorous, and fluoride to uphold the integrity of your teeth.
Once the decayed teeth have been restored, you can ease off of the homeopathic cell salts as recommended by your homeopath.
The calc fluor and calc phos homeopathic remedies come in the form of tiny white tablets that taste a little bit sweet when held under the tongue, making them perfect for small children.
The gums and tongue are highly absorbent, which means these mineral salts rush straight into the blood stream and get right to work rebuilding the teeth.
Supplementing with homeopathic remedies is especially good in cases where you are noticing brown or gray spots on the teeth of very young children that are already consuming a tooth-healthy diet.
Homeopathic remedies are not intended as a replacement for the diet. You cannot continue to feed your child with a diet full of sugar and starch, lacking vital nutrients, and then expect to heal them with homeopathic remedies.
Eliminating Toxic Toothpaste
When you stand at the grocery store and look at the wall of toothpastes, you’ll see lots of claims that this one will whiten teeth or that one will strengthen enamel.
What all of that clever packaging doesn’t share is the laundry list of toxic chemicals filling the tube.
Even though you’re brushing, rinsing, and spitting the toothpaste out, those toxins get absorbed through your gums almost the moment they make contact.
Below are a few of the toxic chemicals found in many of the commercial toothpastes. Are you surprised? If you’ve ever read a toothpaste label, you’d know that it states clearly: Do NOT swallow.
That’s because swallowing this product which is intended to put in the mouth, remember could be dangerous.
Diethanolamine (DEA) is a foaming agent found in a large number of personal care products, from shampoo to hand soap, shave cream to (yep) toothpaste.
Apparently, we like things that foam. While those bubbles might help you feel like you’re getting a better clean, the chemical DEA is hugely detrimental to your health and counteracts the intention of using toothpaste in the first place—it’s ultimately not good for tooth health.
Why? Because DEA disrupts normal kidney and liver function. Proper kidney function is integral to processing the minerals necessary to send nutrients to the teeth. Injure kidney function and the teeth will not properly remineralize.
Triclosan is an antibacterial agent found in many toothpaste brands. While its toxicity isn’t aimed specifically at disturbing functions that relate directly to tooth health, we now understand that healthy teeth are just one part of a whole healthy body.
When the rest of the immune system is attacked or suppressed, teeth will often be the first to show signs of disease.
Triclosan is a pesticide, and the Unites States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates that ingestion or exposure to this harmful chemical is threatening to human health.
Furthermore, triclosan is part of a class of chemicals known as chorophenols, which are suspected of causing cancer.
Sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate seem to be in almost everything you scrub, rub, or squeeze onto or into your body these days.
Be careful when checking labels, because this toxin could be hiding behind a very benign-sounding name: sodium salt. Propylene Glycol is often used as a toothpaste surfactant and it’s also used in antifreeze.
Not only is propylene glycol a skin irritant, according to its Material Safety Data Sheet, it’s a potential neurotoxin and could cause damage to target organs.
Brushing Your Teeth with Clay
We are not suggesting that you scoop up a clump of your children’s modeling clay and start scrubbing your teeth with it. That would be disgusting, and of little use.
There are many different types of clay, and the type we are referring to when discussing tooth care is Calcium Bentonite Clay Powder, a food-grade clay that can be purchased at most health food stores or, of course, ordered online.
The health benefits of calcium bentonite clay have been understood and utilized among many cultures for centuries only to be replaced by synthetic chemicals in the most recent of our civilized history.
Since clay is essentially a mixture of minerals, metal oxides, and organic matter, it is full of health benefits for not only the teeth, but the digestive system as well.
The dental health benefits of calcium bentonite clay include:
- Absorption and elimination of toxins
- Remineralization of teeth
- Tooth polishing properties
Clay Toothpaste Recipe
Store this natural toothpaste in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid.
Avoid plastic bags or containers as the clay is very absorbent and could suck up leaching toxins from the plastics.
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons Calcium Bentonite Clay Powder
- 4 tablespoons filtered water
- 2 – 4 drops mint extract, or other essential oil (optional)
- 2 -4 tablespoons birch xylitol, to taste
Gently mix all ingredients together until a smooth paste forms, adjusting water and clay as necessary to reach your preferred consistency.
You can easily double or triple this recipe. Try it out with just a small amount of essential oils and xylitol, tasting as you go.
If you don’t want to use xylitol, or don’t have access to it, use a small amount of pure liquid stevia or crushed dried stevia leaf to sweeten the paste.
To use the clay toothpaste, scoop up a small amount onto the end of your wet toothbrush. Brush your teeth with the paste using gentle circular motion, making sure to specifically address areas of concern and along the gum line.
Swish with filtered water and spit. This step is actually optional, because all of the ingredients are completely edible and actually beneficial to your digestive and immune systems.
Brushing With Tooth Soap
You probably think of “soap in the mouth” as a punishment for saying something naughty. Definitely not a pleasant experience.
However, using homemade tooth soap cannot only be a pleasant experience, it can help keep your teeth strong and healthy.
In his book Good Teeth, Birth to Death Dr. Gerald Judd, PhD recommends using bar soap to clean teeth and gum and the idea is catching on.
His rationale behind using soap over toothpaste is that most toothpastes contain glycerin, which can potentially form a coating on the teeth that takes more than twenty rinses to remove.
If the tooth is covered in a tough-to-remove coating, it won’t be able to absorb the necessary phosphate and calcium necessary for remineralization.
According to Dr. Judd, tooth soap removes the coating from the teeth while disinfecting the gums and killing any clinging bacteria. While you can purchase premade tooth soap, it can be quite expensive.
For most people choosing to use this alternative form of tooth cleanser, it’s more efficient and economic to make it at home.
Here’s a basic recipe that makes enough to last your whole family at least a couple of weeks.
Basic Tooth Soap Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 teaspoons unscented liquid castile soap (such as Dr. Bronner’s)
- 1/2 cup melted cold-pressed virgin coconut oil
- 1 to 2 tsp granulated birch xylitol or pure stevia extract to taste
- 25 to 30 drops antimicrobial essential oil, such as: peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon, or clove
Directions: Place 2 tablespoons of boiling water into the pitcher of your blender. Add the soap, oil, sweetener, and essential oils. Blend until light and frothy.
Transfer the tooth soap to a clean pump dispenser in one of two ways: Place a funnel into the top of the dispenser and press the soap in; or, pour the soap into a large plastic bag or icing bag, cut open one small corner of the bag and essentially “pipe” the soap into the container.
To Use Tooth Soap: Squirt just a small amount of tooth soap on to your moistened brush and use as you would tooth paste.
If you don’t have access to liquid castile soap, or you prefer to use castile bar soap, just make sure that you do not use handmade soap because the glycerin generally has not been removed from the handmade soaps.
While it may take a little bit of time to get used to the taste and texture of tooth soap, you’ll be inspired to stick with it once you realize that your teeth are whiter and healthier.