Most people alive today would probably agree that organic, pesticide-free, whole wheat, grain-based diets, low in animal-based foods, richer in plant proteins from lentils and beans, and consisting mainly of vegetables are ideal diets. The ancient Egyptians ate this way. To repeat, it was organic, pesticide-free, and whole-grain. Ask the folks who made the food pyramid (My Plate) and the Eat Lancet Diet, and they will love it. Does it sound amazing to you? Well, not to me. My Plate has adult men eating around ten slices of bread per day, or the equivalent of 47 teaspoons of table sugar! I wrote about how the Eat Lancet Diet causes malnutrition on January 1, which is a similar diet to My Plate. If you are interested in their recommendations—the Lancet's diet causes protein deficiency, among other things. Let’s see how the ancient Egyptians who ate the same way fared.
Read MoreA few weeks ago, I was interviewed on The Carnivore Cast, which is a podcast focused on the carnivore diet and lifestyle with practical advice from successful carnivores, citizen scientists, and top researchers answering your burning questions and meaty topics. The episode is now out. On it, we talk about my previous health problems, how I got into Paleo, functional medicine and dentistry, and finally, the carnivore diet. I also talk about why we don’t really need toothpaste and why we all have crooked teeth.
The site is the brainchild of Scott Myslinski, a really cool guy promoting optimal health through proper movement and, of course, the carnivore diet. He has tons of really good podcast guests, so check them out. Enjoy!
Read MoreI spend lots of time trying to relieve patients from painful teeth. Of course, there are numerous causes of tooth pain, but today, I want to focus on a prevalent and typically easy-to-treat one that has to do with the forces we place on our teeth called hyperocclusion. Hyperocclusion is when we generate forces that exceed the ability of our teeth and supporting structures. As I always say, teeth should glide together, not collide together. This post will discuss how it happens and what your dentist can do about it.
Read MoreI had written about how teeth are supposed to fit together on February 10th, 2020. The three classifications dentists use are classes I, II, and III. My colleague Dr. Kevin Boyd has proposed adding a class IV classification. Most orthodontic cases today should be classified in this new way. Because it involves both the upper and lower jaws being too small, breathing is often compromised in patients with it. With poor breathing, especially at night, comes a host of other physical ailments. Read on to find out how your dentist can recognize and treat this condition.
Read MoreTooth wear is considered a bad thing in the modern era. It can be painful and unsightly. Furthermore, a 2019 analysis of 706 studies involving tooth wear associated it with sleep disorders, oro-facial pain, oral dryness, GERD, and sleep bruxism (tooth grinding). However, several lines of research conclude that tooth wear, even in childhood, may be an evolutionary survival strategy. Especially as it pertains to proper jaw growth. The story is a little complicated, so I want to give you a little background and then explain how tooth wear may have been beneficial during our evolution.
Read MoreI want to share a shocking brief digital simulation showing how our faces have been drastically shrinking over several hundred years. I got it from Dr. Michael Gelb DDS in NYC, who got it from best-selling author James Nestor. Please concentrate on the lower face; you will see how the jaws are shrinking and moving back toward the throat. This causes the tongue to partially or fully occlude the airway, especially when we sleep. You should also notice how the face is less attractive now. In fact, it is rare to see someone who has realized their potential for full facial development. People with properly developed faces will always have straight teeth, room for their wisdom teeth, superior beauty, and better health. Whatever they do for a living, they appear to be actors and models. Since most of us have underdeveloped faces, this epidemic has gone primarily unnoticed by us, including most physicians and dentists. This needs to change because, as you will see in this post, it is one of the major contributing factors for many, if not most, of our modern health problems.
Read MoreIn the recent past, we have spent too much time looking at our genes as the cause of many of our health issues. It has not been nearly as fruitful as we had hoped when we initially mapped the human genome. Newer work is focusing on the events in life that, as it turns out, have a much more dramatic effect on our health. As much as 90% of disease comes from our experiences, not our genes. The name for everything that happens to us in life is called the exposome. This post will unravel some of the environmental influences on the growth of our faces. I call it the Craniofacial exposome. Hopefully, you will learn how to grow a better face!
Read MoreOrthodontic treatment is a great option to get that perfect smile you always wanted. To many of us, the need for orthodontics is obvious when the teeth are crowded and misaligned. Sometimes, the teeth can appear straight, but other more subtle problems may be going on. There are many reasons why moving the teeth may be a good option. Today, I will discuss some of the things dentists look at to determine whether orthodontic tooth movement is an option, and the risk factors involved if treatment is delayed.
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