I’ve been guest blogging lately for
a couple of sites and I’ve found myself speaking about teeth a lot hence the
prompt to write down our Vital Moms thoughts on teeth in a health alert.
I have been mostly writing about a child’s transition from their physical body
to their chemical body at around the age of 7 and the changes that take place
in their world as a result. Certainly a physical indication that this
transition is underway is the “wibbling” (as our kids call it) of a baby tooth.
At no other time in a child’s life will they grow and develop as fast as they
do from 0-7.
When I was young losing teeth
resembled growing up and the tooth fairy. I would hear adults around me saying
“congratulations you’re a big girl now!” and yet I was still a child. I like
other children around the world would place my tooth in a clear glass, fill it
with water and place it purposefully on the kitchen window ledge so the fairy
could see it from outside. As a mother watching my children loose teeth for the
first time sparked for us a different conversation and celebration. Each child
had their favourite organic cake baked and was educated on the changes that
were afoot. A very different conversation to “you’re a big girl now.”
Well you might be thinking it’s
just a tooth that’s fallen out. And yes you’re correct the simplicity is
that a tooth has fallen out and another tooth will likely take its place however
I too feel that it is an exciting time as the body sets about undertaking the
vast number of changes required for this to take place. The importance of this
transition and acknowledging the “work” the baby teeth have done to contribute
to a person’s future health I don’t feel is something that can be glossed over
with the simplicity of it’s just a tooth.
When my kids where young I read many
educational philosophy books including Steiner who speaks about the first seven
years of life being about the physical body. I remember some time ago now
(actually a decade!) before nodding off to sleep I asked a simple question “what
comes next… after the physical body?” I drifted off with an open and
curious mind and woke in what seemed like minutes later. I sat upright,
reached for my paper and pen, switched on my bedside table light and began
writing down everything being said over and over again in my head. When I
stopped writing, I immediately drifted back to sleep to awake in the morning
with a few “Arhas!”
I had written that night about three
“cycles” (as a vital mom called it!) – physical, chemical and emotional.
I too used to wonder why they, physical, chemical and emotional, ran off
my tongue so well in that order until I noticed that indeed there was an
order. I’ve always imagined the physical, chemical and emotional selves like
the points of a triangle. As we journey through the course of life the triangle
rotates so a different aspect of our self is pointing forward. The other two
are still present percolating in the back ground and doing there “thing.”
Every seven years we “see” the
triangle rotate, transitioning from one to another.
Here’s a snippet of what I wrote that night:
- 0-7 = physical (growth and neuronal development)
- 7-14 = chemical (puberty)
- 14-21 = emotional (the dependent vs. independent tussle)
- 21-28 = physical (back to the gym to get buffed and shined to catch a mate!)
There is more however that’s a whole
other conversation for another day. After looking at what I wrote the next
question I asked was what signifies these changes. Of course as a
chiropractor and mum I looked to the body for those answers. And I certainly
wasn’t disappointed!
Dr Ben Olstein, DDS a functional
bio-compatible holistic dentist of over 43+ years and who is my personal
dentist says…
“At birth the baby teeth
are like pioneering plants they provide the right positioning for the
permanent teeth and they too provide the framework for the bone and muscles to
be balanced. The transition to the adult (aka permanent) teeth is important
because the baby teeth vibrate at a higher frequency than adult teeth and as
such are better equipped from a meridian frequency perspective to balance out
AND create a pathway for the organs they are related to. The transition
from small to big also allows for the natural growth of the jaw in relation to
the whole face.”
Wow! Okay let’s pause here and look
at it this way…
What if we considered each
individual tooth as an organ? Would going to the dentist take on a new meaning?
Would looking after your child’s teeth take on a new meaning? Would making sure
your child had good nutrition (organic, non-processed food) take on a new
meaning? I believe it would. Every tooth in your body and in your child’s body
in fact has its own nerve supply, blood supply, cellular composition and their
own vibrational energy. It would be wise to consider each tooth as an organ in
their own right!
Clear neurological (nerve system)
communication between your child’s brain, teeth and the organs the teeth are
associated with should be one of your highest priorities as a parent. Just as every organ is mapped to an emotion so too is
every tooth mapped to an organ (itself and other). Interference to the master
communicating super highway – the nerve system – has the potential than to
challenge the way a child expresses health later in life. So would it be
wise for your child (and yourself) to get checked by a qualified chiropractor
who LOVES checking kids? YES!
Question… Have you noticed the adult
teeth coming through are yellower in colour?
Let me put a myth to rest here. It
is not because you’re an irresponsible parent and not having them brush enough!
Contrary to that thought the yellow colour comes from dentine. The teeth look
yellower because of the younger pearly whites against them, making a stark difference.
The adult teeth are in fact denser and have more dentine substructure and thus
look yellower because the dentine is darker. I can hear you saying “that makes
sense!”
This raises a good point – brushing
teeth, what’s necessary?
When our children were young I
didn’t often brush their teeth, certainly not every day. I relied on their
saliva to do its work. I understood the role saliva plays in providing the
protection they required. I had the confidence that I was providing the correct
nutrition for the body to do what it was designed to do – grow, heal and
regenerate. The saliva is the immune system of the mouth “put together”
specifically and uniquely for the person. It lubricates like an oil (I love
that visual) so a person can use all the muscles and soft tissues.
Dr Ben says…
“saliva houses a balanced bacterial
colony to fight all potential infections. Contrary to the common data that
tonsils are the first line of defense it is actually a person’s saliva. The saliva alone can contribute to healing the teeth
through remineralisation right through life. Saliva is affected by everything
throughout the body e.g. hormones, stress and so forth so it’s a good marker
for health. Hence it is important for the mouth to have an alkaline base for
the saliva to carry out its function. In other words good nutrition is of
utmost importance”
For us when our kids were of teeth
cleaning age we did so USING OUR FINGERS after meals so there are no
sugars left on teeth. Dr Ben of course concurs with this!
So now your child has hit the all
important transition age, a time of great celebration as the body undertakes
yet again another set of challenges. At the age of 6.5yrs to 7.5yrs children
are beginning to lose their baby teeth. Prior to these changes the adult tooth
undertakes a tremendous amount of scissoring – up and down – as it begins to
slowly but purposefully push its way up and push the baby tooth out. This is
the same scissoring action used when a baby tooth is scissoring up and down and
pushing through for the first time. As the teeth begin their scissoring action
generally over the months prior there are changes in the cranium. The teeth
coming through are bigger and require more space. As the cranium expands
perfectly for the new “bigger” teeth to fit there is an impact internally on
the pituitary gland, the master hormone gland of the body which of course
instigates the beginning of the next stage – chemicals and puberty… beautiful!
This too reiterates the importance
of making sure a child’s nerve system is clear of neurological interference in
other words you want to make sure there are no road blocks on their highway! This is because your child’s cranium (and your own!) houses
the brain and coming off of the brain is the spinal cord and together they form
the central nerve system which is of utmost importance for the child’s future
growth, development and expression of health.
As the cranium makes room for the
adult teeth to settle in to their new found home it too marks a significant
transition in how the child sees and interacts with their world. The child
subtly begins to seek more of an understanding about the “self”. Their
mind slowly but surely becomes more abstract seeing themselves for the first
time as separate to others. Caution begins to be demonstrated and fear can
start to limit certain behaviour. You too will notice children sitting for
longer periods of time; more pensive in thought. What a well guided body! We
found with our children that they began to ask “how” questions as opposed to
“why” questions. We had questions asked about how rain forms, how did the
plants get here, how do the trees grow, how did humans develop as well as many
other wonderful “how” questions. These were purposefully thought out questions;
fascinating to witness. You could almost see the cognitive wheels going round
in their head!
Personally as each of our children
has transitioned into their adult teeth we have observed changes in their gait
(walk). There is a direct relationship between the cranium, the hips, knees,
ankles and gait. Changes in the cranium will lead to changes in posture and
therefore how a child walks. Ankles become unstable and the hips “lock” in an
attempt to give the body support and stability. We noticed both our boys
altered the way they ran when they were in the 7-9 year age bracket. Once great
runners they, almost overnight, became labored in running style. It was really
interesting to observe. However more importantly we had them note their changes
so they could be empowered by its progress.
I feel as children transition from
the 0-7 year age group to the 7-14 year age group we need to pause as parents,
as adults and celebrate. So many wonderful changes are occurring that if we
don’t stop to “see” and observe them we miss it in a time frame that feels as
quick as missing that first step. This is such an important age as their teeth
set the stage for future organ health.
To support your child’s changes it’s
wise I feel to have health advocates who support you in the choices you are
making for your children e.g. a chiropractor, a functional dentist and the Vital Moms club!
Create a quiver for your child within which is a qualified chiropractor,
functional dentistry, organic non-processed food, sunlight, fresh air and of
course exercise… if you do YOU WILL be giving them a wonderful start to life! Setting
them up well when they are young will set them up well for their future.
If you would like assistance with
finding a chiropractor in your area please go to our online Vital Health
Professional Directory or email Lotika my PA at support@vitalmoms.com
and we will assist you with finding one.
If you live in Melbourne, Australia
and would like to see Dr Ben Olstein (my personal dentist) call +61 (3) 9510
1644 to schedule your Vital Moms appointment. Please note: I
am not paid by Dr Ben Olstein to recommend him; I simply love who he is and
what he does!
If you would like to find a
functional and environmental dentist go to the Australasian College of Nutritional & Environmental
Medicine.
References:
Dr Ben Olstein – my personal dentist
____________________________________________________________________________________
GOOD TO SHARE? You’re welcome to reprint this article when it is properly
attributed to Dr Sarah Farrant with a link to www.VitalMoms.com
It must include the following: Sarah Farrant has become the ‘tell it like it
is’, no fluff, mentor to moms. She is dedicated to helping individuals and
families step away from the allopathic merry-go-round by giving them a new way
to approach their own health and the health of their children. Today she
supports, mentors, and educates parents globally
- See more at:
http://vitalmoms.com/the-significance-of-the-wibbly-tooth
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