8 Months In.

It has been 8 months since we decided to try to reverse my daughter's tooth decay. We had an appointment to get caps and thank God we canceled it. I am so happy we have made it this far and have full faith that we will make it many more. This is no easy process, but being a mother isn't easy. It isn't always about what's most convenient or cheapest. When it comes to my child's future, I will do whatever it takes to make it as glorious as I've always envisioned it.

That being said, I do feel like my mind is a constant hamster wheel. It never stops. The anxiety is overwhelming. Vacations are stressful and I end up crying after every family visit or holiday. To constantly have to monitor every single piece of food that enters her body AND mine is the most difficult obstacle I've ever had to cross. The money for supplements and farm fresh food completely depletes our savings.To do this, to make this promise to yourself and your child, is not for the faint of heart. Difficult is an understatement. Without my friends going through this that I met from Cure Tooth Decay and Instagram, I would be a weeping mess.

Anyway, I have decided to switch up our routine a bit. Since working with Dr. Sunshine, I have really discovered how bad her candida overgrowth is. It is no secret that candida is a huge culprit behind tooth decay. So instead of focusing on the diet in Cure Tooth Decay, I'm focusing on the candida and hoping that will help her absorb nutrients and digest food better.

Supplements

• Bio-dent (standard process)
• Catalyn (standard process)
• Genestra HMF natogen probiotics
• Bifido (living streams)
• Zinc (from local health food store 15mg)
• Candistat
• diatomaceous earth in yogurt
• vitamin d3
• FCLO/BO

I take biotin, raw glandulars, kelp, vitamineral green (not consistently)

We have stopped with cell salts and a custom tincture we had made for her teeth with comfrey, nettle, turmeric & ginger because they tested as not beneficial for her specific case. This just clarifies to me that the candida is the issue.

Staples in our diet are bone broth, farm fresh eggs and meats and plenty of vegetables. Limited fruits, mostly berries. Lots of plain yogurt. Kombucha and kefir. Her favorites are sweet potatoes sliced and cooked in coconut oil and kale chips. We have these almost daily.

It is getting easier everyday and every month that passes is another month closer to them falling out on their own. Play dates are getting easier, I bring a cooler with me or we eat beforehand.The teeth do not bother her at all. She eats great, brushes great ( with holistic dental health store powder, diatomaceous earth & coconut oil). I also put a few drops of melaleuca on her stomach and feet before bed occasionally.

For constant pictures and updates follow me on Instagram @permissiveparent 

Glandular Supplement

A big part of the Cure Tooth Decay diet is trying to eat organ meats a few times a week. Well, my two year old is NOT a fan. I buy beef liver from Kroger and sometimes I can get her to eat it with a little garlic salt and ketchup but not often. She won't eat chili or meatloaf either so forget putting some heart or liver in there either. This is one part we were struggling with so I was very thankful when Rami suggested Swanson's glandulars for women in the Cure Tooth Decay group.

Well I went to get them off Swansons and kept them in my cart for a few weeks until we had a little more cash on hand. Two weeks later I was finally ready to check out and imagine my delight that they were buy one get one free! VICTORY! 

I also had to get some #2 cell salts because the ones we got from BestMade don't include Calc phos. Only Calc Fluor, Mag Phos and Ferr phos. So I've been using those as well as #12 (silica) and now #2. 

Excited for all the advances we're making! Also, Dr. Sunshine confirmed that the dairy was activating the candida. So he worked his magic and apparently she is cured. This could mean SO MUCH. This could change everything. It could be that her body wasn't healing because it was rejecting our milk, butter and cheese. We get more milk tomorrow and I'm excited to see results.  

Hiatus.

I've been absent for awhile, to be honest I needed a break. I started feeling like a failure. I needed some time to sort things out myself, turn off my Facebook notifications and really reflect on bringing some joy back into my life. Truthfully, since we noticed the tooth problems progressing, I haven't truly felt happy. Sure some days are better than others, but for the most part I have a constant pity party and the phrase "why me" is always floating around my mind.

Well a break is what I needed and now I know "why me" and have answers. Real life answers. A lot has gone on the past few weeks so bear with me as I tackle our trip to the chiropractor and kinesiologist, added supplements, holidays out of town and finally discover the BIG issue we're battling...candida!

This little superstar turned two right before Christmas. Originally we were going to get sedation and crowns when she was twenty months, then told to pull instead. So it is now February and things are going great! She is thriving, meal time is beyond easy, she never complains of tooth pain and eats like a horse. Originally I had too high of hopes. When we started this journey both teeth were cracked and chipped/chipping. I had a friend tell me that her daughters teeth grew so I was hoping for a miracle. Well, the last bit of loose enamel has chipped off and I'm so glad. Every single time she ate/brushed I worried about that tooth. You could literally push half of it back, there was no fixing that. So now the goal is keeping the baby teeth until they fall out on their own or at least until she can sit without sedation with Dr. Gardner. We got the funds together and finally saw a naturopath and chiropractor! What a blessing! 

Dr. Sunshine was referred to me by my farmer and raw milk co op. He is in Knoxville and has cured allergies and offers kinesiology. He is Christian as well so I was very excited to visit him! At our first visit I explained what our issues were and got muscle testing done. Mold allergy? Dairy intolerance? Leaky gut? Celiac? No no no. I was getting frustrated. Something was wrong with my baby and I needed answers! Then her little arms held the vial against her belly and my arm was stuff as a board. "It's candida", he said. And just like that...I knew. 

He started us on Prostatin and I took it upon myself to start GAPS as closely as possible. One thing I made sure we kept up with was dairy. Rami and Dr. Price really push butter and raw milk for tooth decay so I made sure I put it in EVERYTHING. I even started hoping to wean and offer her milk when she asked to nurse. She ate butter by the spoonfuls as well. But the candida wouldn't go away and her face rah was as prevalent as ever. Constant red pimple like dots all over her face! I put derma on them, clay, coconut oil...I started putting coconut oil on my nipples before nursing. Still there. Then we got stranded in a snow storm without our milk. I was so stressed out. Here I am trying to wean and we had no milk for three days! Well, guess what? The bumps went away. Praise God I have an answer!

Testing concluded no dairy allergy and her face is very mild when she has her kefir, so I think the dairy aggravates the candida too much. I have read from a few moms in the tooth decay group that killing the candida also cured the intolerance. So for now I will cook with coconut oil and ghee instead of the massive amounts of butter. I'm skipping my milk share for the next couple weeks too. We see Dr. Sunshine again Tuesday morning and I can't wait to talk it over with him. If you can't seem to find the root issue of your child's rash/tooth problems I highly suggest finding a chiropractor that also offers naturopath services and kinesiology. So we are now dairy, gluten & sugar free and it feels AWESOME!

Updated routine.

Approximately 10am- nurses, gets up. I make my morning coffee and C drinks her raw milk sippy, takes half a dropper of Living Stream probiotics, cell salts 1,2,8 and Bioplasma. (3 of each). First thing every morning. 

11am - breakfast. 2 farm fresh free range eggs and AppleGate bacon cooked in butter. Our farm doesn't sell her bacon. :(

After this C takes half a dropper of her Living Streams alfalfa and bifido. She will also have one of her gelatin gummies and a teaspoon of fermented cod liver and butter oil. Then I brush her teeth with coconut oil and Earthpaste. Followed by spraying the front four with Living Minerals probiotic spray. Coat them with MI paste. Xylitol candy to end the routine. 

Nap around 1-2:30 then lunch at 3. Typical lunch includes an AppleGate hotdog and zucchini or a ham, raw cheese and kale spinach wrap. Washed down by water or raw milk. Xylitol candy after. Also another batch of cell salts. 

7 or so we start dinner. If she starts getting antsy or hungry while I'm cooking I will heat up some broth and she will sip on that or some cheese. We currently buy organic valley raw cheese. That's the best option we have, our farm is running low for the winter. Anyway, typical dinner is a meat (chops, steak, ground beef steak, grilled chicken), with steamed vegetables cooked in water/beef broth, and stewed potatoes. I try to fill her up on the Others before the potatoes but they're my husbands favorite and he's really suffering from our diets. Lol! To make these I just chop up organic potatoes, boil them in beef broth and Real Salt for about 20 minutes, then add 3 teaspoons raw butter. 

After this she gets her bath. Warm water and about a cup of magnesium flakes. I really think she's low in magnesium. I also try to spray her with the magnesium oil often throughout the day. Sometimes it burns her so we really rely on the flakes at bath time.  Another round of cell salts.

BED TIME! We night weaned at 16 months after the dentist scared us into it. Clearly it didn't change anything, but Ido enjoy my night time alone when her daddy is putting her to sleep. He really cherishes this time as well. Anyway, this is hard because she is typically very tired and fights the brushing. So I start a Mickey Mouse movie, pause it after a few minutes, and say "let's brush our teeth then we can watch Mickey!" That usually does the trick. First I put some peroxide on a qtip and blot the problem areas. Then I load up her brush with coconut oil and Earthpaste and brush them to the best of my ability. After I'm sure I've gotten all the good spots, I spray the Living Streams Mineral Spray on them 4 or so times. Then I typically give her MORE coconut oil to really make sure that bacteria is gone. She likes to help smear it. Sometimes I will also put a drop or two of black walnut extract on her tongue too, depending on her mood. Then I coat the front 4 with MI Paste (she calls it paint because we "paint" the front 4 teeth with it) and give her a xylitol candy. She happily screams DONE DADDY and he comes in our room and lays with her until she's asleep. 

Sounds tedious at first but we have been doing this for around two months now, adding supplements along the way, and the change in her mood has been spectacular. She is so much happier, so full of life, talking in complete sentences, more outgoing, sleeping better, eating more and willing to try new things. Her teeth are STRONG. They are chipped but they are very strong. She has no sensitivity anymore at all. After her frenectomy Tuesday I really can't wait to see how the healing is going to progress. I do not expect God to miraculously make them pearly white again, but I pray every night he guides me, gives me wisdom and puts the right people in my path to help me on this journey. I do feel like there's a bigger picture, I do feel like I can change the world. 

Victory.

It has only been a month and 13 days since I felt so deeply saddened by our tooth decay situation that I was on my hands and knees praying for guidance, wisdom and hope. This past month has been so inspirational and life changing for our family. The way we are eating and feeling has done a complete 360. My daughter no longer asks for tea and refers to it as "shew shews". She signs for more fermented cod liver and butter oil. She eats squash, broccoli, kale and bone marrow. She drinks a whole cup of broth from a mason jar. Her body knows what it needs. Her body is thanking me. --Her hair is growing and glowing.

-Her nails have to be cut constantly.

-Her teeth and hard and she is biting into things with them!

-Her vocabulary has blossomed, she is speaking in full sentences at 22 months old!

-Her appetite is fulfilled by healthy fats and vegetables. She never asks for bread or biscuits and only one or two fruits a week!

I have a side by side picture of the difference a month of strict diet change and supplements has made but I'm hesitant to share it. Not many people believe in the power of nutrition and I have no tolerance for ignorance. I can share that I posted it in a private group called Cure Tooth Decay and my inbox has blown up with questions and praise from people who I have given hope to. So today I feel whole and hopeful. I prayed for this peace while having a breakdown Sunday and my God does not disappoint. 

I need to write another post with what we're doing step by step but I just don't have the time. Here is a comment I shared with a stressed out mom in the same place I was emotionally when I started this blog.

The gelatin gummies have been a HIT and I'm so excited about them. I got the recipe from WellnessMama but it's so easy! Just 8 teaspoons Great Lakes Gelatin and 1/2 cup of juice. I used beet kvass and fresh squeezed lemon. Added a tiny bit of raw honey, heated it just enough to solidify the gelatin, popped it in the freezer for ten minutes and then cut it into ugly little squares. Note to self:get a mold. I also whisked in the living streams probiotics before putting it in the freezer. She has eaten them all in 2 days! 

Remember when I said I couldn't cut out fruit from our lunch? Well I did. For weeks now we've been eating zucchini instead of grapes and it's been a welcome change. 

While I cook dinner this angel alternates from broth to raw milk. She truly is my superstar. (Look at that hair!)

People ask what we snack on constantly. Today we ate some squash and kale sautéed in butter. A little effort and gluten is a thing of the past. 

She has been much more energetic (as well as I) since adding in magnesium flakes and oil to our protocol. 

The one thing that is stressing me out is the laser frenectomy scheduled in Charlotte for November 5th. I am SO nervous about it but hopeful at the same time. I really hope that this is the last piece of this complicated puzzle I have been so lucky to endure. ❤

October Update

I have been meaning to update for awhile but we have been so busy! I started babysitting a sweet little boy so by the time he leaves I have to clean, run errands, cook dinner etc. The big news I've been meaning to share is that Dr. Gardner finally called us back and Nina Foley, a holistic dentist in Franklin,Tn has agreed to help us with Coraline! She says she can do composite fillings on all four! You have no idea how happy this makes me. Just to know that pulling isn't our only option. She also offers conscious sedation which is much safer than nitrous oxide. (Especially with the suspected MTHFR mutation.) So that's the great news. We are waiting for our insurance to get worked out and then probably this winter we will make the trip to Franklin for the consult. She is highly recommended on all Weston Price Foundation sites and every holistic dental page I've found. I am so happy she is helping us!

Coraline's decay seems to have halted. I have added cell salt 2 and quit giving Bioplasma. So she's taking 1,2 and 8 , 3 times a day. We also got cinnamon tingle FCLO which we are all happy about. Unflavored is disgusting. Our newest addition is MI Paste which is supposedly a must have. (Can you see why I started babysitting?) I suggest the simple paste and not the plus because of the fluoride in the plus. This has actually made brush time much much easier. She loves the taste and putting it on with the qtip.
Active decay feels very "squishy". While the color may not change, halted decay will harden and be more glossy. I can feel this while she's sleeping. She is also biting into her food now when before we had to cut it so she can transfer it to her molars to chew.

If you are looking for support for issues like these, although I hate to say it, Facebook is where it's at. I had mine deleted for a long time and it was wonderful, but it was a necessity that I joined the groups Natural Alternatives for Kids Teeth, Natural Healing Co-op, Magnesium Support and Wild Fermentation. The information I've found on these is priceless. I am so thankful for the friends I've acquired that share this journey with me. It is hard because I feel like my real life friends will never understand this stress. I find it so unfair my daughter can't eat bread, crackers, juice, tea, berries. Yet their kids eat goldfish and Hi-C and have a gorgeous smile. I don't want to be angry about it. I want to MOVE ON. But I can't. I almost wish I could be a normal person who'd just did the caps 4 months ago and was done with it. However, it's to come to my attention that many cases of leaky gut, lip ties and tooth decay has to do with the MTHFR mutation. An online friends homeopath thinks their case is from military vaccines altering genetic makeup. My husband comes from a military background so that's definitely something to think about!

The MTHFR mutation means your child probably reacts strongly to toxins like household cleaners, detergents, vaccines, food intolerances, and especially NITROUS OXIDE. So while it would have been easier to just do the caps and get this shit over with, it would have been the end of my world if something happened to my daughter that could have been prevented. My goal Is to keep them from getting worse or hurting her until they fall out on their own or we can pull without sedation. If Nina says the bone structure is hard and no risk of infection, we will probably just let them look bad until they fall out. If she says they need fixed, I will let them be fixed under her care. I trust her. Although, the white composite seems heaven sent. I don't even think I can imagine her with a perfect smile.

Well, it's perfect to us anyway.

The Importance of Second (and third) Opinions

We just moved states and have NO holistic connections where we are now. We don't know anyone to refer us to someone who will listen to me and understand my concerns. Thankfully on my quest to find raw milk in the area, I came across a farmer who said her dentist is very open minded to Weston Price and will listen and help me handle this naturally. It may be unethical to put their names but I think it's important for anyone who may be looking in the area. His name was Dr. Kizer and we got an appointment the day I called. They were very prompt and efficient but unfortunately NOT what I was told they were. We were there maybe ten minutes in which they told me I was not taking this seriously, she needs work under sedation, what I was quoting from Cure Tooth Decay was scientifically impossible and I needed to see a pediatric dentist right away. He called one and we went to see them an hour later.

Now this place, Children's Pediatric Dentistry of Knoxville was very kid friendly. Lots of toys and movies. It Made the long wait easy. Once we to back to the dentist though...oh Lord I will never go back. The chairs were lined like Red Cross patients. Ten kids all lined in a row as a dentist slid chair to chair cleaning/working. Finally got to us, pulled up Coraline's lip and immediately says, "they've got to go, they will get infected and go to her blood stream.  I will get her on our emergency list for extraction right away and silver crowns on all molars." He would not even acknowledge what I was trying to do. Pretty much rolled his eyes as each word crossed my lips. Apparently we could either do the extractions or watch her teeth rot out of her head. No X-rays were taken. This was maybe a ten minute process. He said to try to get state insurance so it won't cost us a thing and he would see us once we got insurance settled out. And hopped along the line to the next child. 

I burst into tears in front of everyone, cried the whole way home, and then realized...I am stronger than this! I am stronger than these people! I will NOT sit by and do whatever they say. I need someone who understands me. I need someone who won't threaten me. I need someone who has read these books and believes in me as a mother. Today was my appointment with holistic dentist Dr. Gardner and he is that person. 

I prayed the night before, I prayed the way there, and I prayed a thank you upon my return.

Not because he is going to fix her teeth. Not because he told me exactly what I wanted to hear. But because he LISTENED to me. He looked me in the eyes. He had heard of Weston Price. He had heard of miswak, xylitol, mercury toxicity, Cure Tooth Decay, acidic and alkaline PH, everything I spoke of. He told me I HAD TIME. TIME is what I need! He told me that remineralization is possible. He said Enamel growth is not, but he believes in bigger forces. He said there is no way to tell is extraction is necessary without x-rays. He believes most dentists believe their textbook theories and are not willing to learn and listen from the holistic community. His office was not equipped for a child as young as Coraline, but he said he will find someone to help me. He will call everyone he knows and call me with names Monday. He is not THE dentist to help us, but he is a huge piece of the puzzle and I am grateful. 

He said I am doing everything right. Doing more than most know how. And at least the front two if not all are salvageable. We won't know without digital X-rays. So maybe tonight I can sleep peacefully. 

I also HAVE to add that he looks exactly like Eric Northman from True Blood while he was under Marnie's  spell. Glasses, skinny, a little geeky. I mean, exactly. It was very hard not to apologize for Nora's death upon exit. 

2am

It's 2am. My sweet girl is passed out on her daddy as I lay there, numb. These words swivel around my brain. I'm scared to sleep. Scared to wake up and face another day filled with guilt and embarrassment. Resenting my friends and family who don't know this pain. Realizing how selfish that is of me. Am I a bad person for praying for an ally? I don't wish this on anyone. Silent tears hit the pillow. When she's asleep is the hardest time. When she's sleeping I can't hear her laughter. All I hear is the dentist saying "lay off the sugary juices!" "Breastmilk did this!" "Pull all of them!" Do they not know how hard I'm trying? Is anyone intelligent enough to comprehend there are options? When will I find someone who understands? When will this end? 

Maybe I'm an extremist. Maybe I'm the only one who frets so hard and cries everyday over toddler tooth decay. Maybe I'm the only one who feels like they've ruined their daughters childhood. But I'm guessing I'm not, and that is why I'm here.