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From: levy@ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Teeth.
Message-ID: <586@ttrdc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 18-Nov-85 19:46:07 EST
Article-I.D.: ttrdc.586
Posted: Mon Nov 18 19:46:07 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 19-Nov-85 05:52:31 EST
References: <4417@alice.UUCP> <2302@ukma.UUCP> <1973@aecom.UUCP> <2336@ukma.UUCP> <565@ttrdc.UUCP> <2381@ukma.UUCP>
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In article <2381@ukma.UUCP>, wws@ukma.UUCP (Bill Stoll) writes:
>Dear Stanley,
>
>The references you are interested in about the enamel and microtubules
>have been done at Loma Linda University. The first studies were done
>n the 1960's by a Dr. Ralph Steinmann.
>To the "knee-jerk scoffers": if the body metabolism has no effect on
>the "inert enamel once deposited" why does the incidence of caries
>suddenly decrease dramatically at about the age of 20 years?  Also,
>why does the incidence of caries increase dramatically during
>pregnancy unless sufficient calcium is ingested?  Perhaps sugar
>intake, and dental hygeine habits, are suddenly altered at those
>times?  "Come on, gimmee a break!"
>To the question about the fluoride: I don't know the mechanism but the
>holistic paradigm fits what is observed more easily than the 19th
>century "facts" some people feel more comfortable with.
>--
>cbosgd!ukma!wws(Walt Stoll)                       YOU
>Walt Stoll, MD, ABFP

Gee, I had always heard that acid-forming bacteria in the mouth were the
reason (or at least a necessary factor) for tooth decay, and had also
heard it theorized that the growth of these bacteria were inhibited somehow
in people who suddenly have a much lower rate of tooth decay when reaching
adulthood.  This would obviously be a reason for a lowering/raising of
tooth decay rates.  Can anyone name someone who has tested this (the
tooth-decay bacterial presence in the mouth during times of high cavity
vulnerability and of low cavity vulnerability)?  These bacteria supposedly
live on food particles in the mouth, not on munched up tooth enamel, which
is destroyed as a side effect only, and it would be plausible to suggest
that certain substances in saliva might discourage their growth.  There was
talk about a "tooth decay vaccine" on this principle, but it apparently has
not yet come very far.

I'm SURPRISED that you have little to say on fluoride.  (Or do you discourage
fluoride use as possibly harmful and thus don't consider much of its
effect on tooth decay?  There is some debate on this matter, I
hear--too much can be harmful to the nervous system, etc., etc.)  I really
expected to get a DEEP point of view from the holistic side on this one (and
have heard zilch from the conventional-medicine people--where ARE you???
Speak up and be heard, for perchance the holistics rave with over abandon!).
-- 
 -------------------------------    Disclaimer:  The views contained herein are
|       dan levy | yvel nad      |  my own and are not at all those of my em-
|         an engihacker @        |  ployer or the administrator of any computer
| at&t computer systems division |  upon which I may hack.
|        skokie, illinois        |
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