Gluten Intolerant? You need to know this before seeing your dentist [Video]

Video: Gluten Intolerant? You need to know this before seeing your dentist

Dr. Vicki Peterson discusses the importance of avoiding fluoride and gluten for dental health, particularly for those who are gluten sensitive. She highlights the negative effects of fluoride, such as bone brittleness and fluorosis in children, and recommends using non-fluoridated toothpaste and drinking bottled water. Peterson also warns about gluten in tooth-cleaning polish, which can affect those with gluten sensitivity for up to three months. She advises asking dentists for gluten-free polish to maintain overall health.

Transcript of the video

Hello, Dr. Vicki Peterson here. I wanted to speak with you today about your teeth and how you can prevent injury to your bones, including your teeth, especially if you’re gluten sensitive. Here are some precautions you can take when you go to the dentist.

Let’s start with fluoride, which is in our water in most states and in most toothpaste. We were led to believe that fluoride is beneficial, especially for children, because it prevents cavities. Personally, that never made sense to me. I was cautious about it because fluoride is a known toxin and detrimental to bones. Since the 1930s, it’s been known that fluoride affects bone turnover. Bones are living substances, constantly removing old bone and depositing new bone to maintain their health. Fluoride worsens this process, making bones more brittle.

Currently, in the US, it’s estimated that 32% of our children have over-fluoridation, called fluorosis. You can see this in children who have white specks on their teeth. Sometimes, it discolors teeth, turning them yellow, orange, or even brown, which is not only unaesthetic but also indicates deeper issues in the body. I caution you against drinking fluoridated water. Bottled water is a better choice, and I recommend not using toothpaste with fluoride. Fluoride is also known to lower IQ in children and affect the thyroid gland, among other negative effects.

On a slightly different note but still related to teeth, I recently went to the dentist for my 6-month cleaning. My dentist, who knows I’m gluten intolerant and is more holistic in nature, alerted me that the tooth-cleaning polish they use contains gluten. The awareness of this issue is not as high as it should be. When you’re exposed to gluten, it can affect your system for up to three months. If you’re getting your teeth cleaned every six months, you could be affected for half the year by the gluten in the polish.

Fortunately, there are gluten-free tooth polishes available. Make sure to inform your dentist and ensure they get it for you. Most of us only go to the dentist twice a year, so give them some warning. The gluten-free polish works the same way but without gluten. This is important because even a little bit of gluten can upset the balance of our health. My dentist was astute and informed me about this, but I wouldn’t have thought to ask if the polish contained gluten.

I hope this information is helpful for you. The fluoride issue is slightly different but equally important because it’s a toxin we don’t need, and now we’re seeing its negative effects. I hope this was helpful, and until next time, I wish you very good health.

Additional resources