The practice of adding fluoride to public drinking water has long been hailed as a triumph of public health, credited with reducing tooth decay in communities worldwide. Yet, this one-size-fits-all approach raises serious ethical questions that deserve scrutiny. While fluoride may benefit children’s developing teeth, its universal application to entire populations—regardless of age, health status, or individual needs—violates fundamental medical principles. By assuming everyone requires the same treatment, water fluoridation bypasses the doctor-patient relationship, ignores proper dosing, and risks harm to those who gain no benefit. This post explores why mass fluoridation is a flawed approach, using the analogy of adding aspirin to water to highlight its absurdity, and argues for a return to individualized care through physician-prescribed fluoride when necessary.
Read MoreAs a dental health advocate, I've seen firsthand how our modern diet has shifted dramatically from the diets of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, leading to widespread dental issues. Because of this well-established connection, which is not taught in dental schools, I always educate my new patients and colleagues about it. I get a more receptive audience from my patients, not my colleagues, whose livelihood depends on their ignorance. In this post, we'll explore how our oral health has deteriorated since the adoption of agriculture and what we can do about it. Here's a look at six critical areas where our dietary changes have had significant impacts.
Read MoreImagine a world where losing teeth no longer means being condemned to rely on dentures or implants for the rest of your life. That world may be closer than we think, thanks to groundbreaking research from Japan. Having seen the personal impact of tooth loss in my own family, the news of a new drug that can regrow teeth feels like science fiction becoming a reality.
Read MoreUnderstanding the difference between bacterial colonization and infection is crucial for appreciating the dynamics of our body's interaction with microbes, particularly in the context of oral health. Bacterial colonization refers to the presence of bacteria on a surface without causing disease or harm. These bacteria exist in a balanced relationship with their host, contributing to various physiological processes. Infection, on the other hand, occurs when bacteria invade tissues, multiply, and trigger an immune response, leading to symptoms of illness. This post will discuss how healthy colonization can turn into an infection and the ways to avoid it.
Read MoreThe Tukisenta tribe, residing in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, presents a fascinating case study in nutrition and health. Despite deriving 90% of their traditional diet from sweet potatoes, the Tukisenta people exhibit none of the chronic diseases that plague modern societies, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure. This fact would not have been surprising because, since the '90s, high carb-low fat diets have been most popularly recommended. However, this intriguing paradox challenges the newly prevailing "low carb" diet trend and raises important questions about the true culprits behind these health issues. In this post, I will cover their diet and a few other “extreme” traditional diets and discuss the real culprits behind the ever-increasing amount of chronic illnesses.
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