This may sound a bit gross, but I pretty much don't brush more than a couple times a week--and then just out of a sense of guilt. I went to the dentist for the first time in about a year and a half and, of course, no tooth decay. I had a bit of plaque in between them, so maybe I ought to start flossing.

My dad told me about when he lived in Africa and the people there used sticks to clean their teeth.

I can't say that I've tried long-term raw meat eating, though I've eaten my share of raw meat. I'd probably throw in the need to obviously get quality meat and not trust the standard fare at the supermarket. When I lived in Germany, we eat a lot of raw meat. No problems at all.

I believe I read in a reliable source that we have evidence of cooking going back 2 million years. Hard to believe we are not adapted to cooked meat.

@Beefboy

My gums and teeth improved tremendously from eating Paleo. I also supplement with Butter Oil and Cod Liver Oil too, which I think have made a difference.

X-Factor Gold High Vitamin Butter Oil 8 oz (237 ml)

Eating Paleo certainly has its advantages for dental hygiene, but getting enough Vitamin D3 is critical for preventing tooth decay. See Stephans blog http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/03/preventing-tooth-decay.html regarding the discoverer of Vit D3 Sir Edward Mellanby and his wife May.

Also Dr Weston Price found that paleo eating benefits dental hygiene.

Does anyone know if eating SAD and supplementating with Vit D3 results in the same tooth decay prevention that paleo eaters find?

I would be cautious about eating raw meat, only because of our current (American) poor meat handling practices. Just watched Food, Inc last night, and it was made clear the conditions that most cows are treated to, how they live in their own feces, how the antibiotics they are given contribute to e coli, and how easily the meat gets contaminated.

However, if you know where your meat comes from, and are certain the animals are treated ethically and hygienically, I would say that eating raw meat may be more of an option. I do think that raw meat was in our diets, even if it was supplemented with cooked meat.

Anyone know of a way to "cook" raw meat with lemon & lime juice, like they "cook" fish for ceviche?

I think I'd rather go to the dentist once in awhile than eat much raw meat. I am glad we discovered fire!

Dumb double post!

I have had huge periodontal issues over the years. I will begin a program called Perio Protect shortly. But I can definitely see an improvement already since cutting out sugar/grains. I don't think that raw meat is the answer. Ingesting Probiotics can help, but mouth bacteria is fairly unique. Cutting sugar cuts its food source, so that must be the key to dental health, not raw or cooked food. IMO, of course. I'm not a dentist.

For Periodontal disease, I take 200 mg. of COQ10, Vitamin K2 (can't afford butter oil right now) Vitamin C, and Concentrace Trace Minerals. (I also take Vitamin D3 for general health.) I brush with Eco Dent Tooth Powder instead of toothpaste. I get all of that on iherb.com. Once I start Perio Protect, I won't have to take all those extra supplements for much longer. (I'll always take Vitamin D though) Hope this helps.

Listen to these f*** people! Oils n smidges of toothpaste, raw meat = good bacteria = no plaque?? Are u kidding me, are u all honestly that retarded??

For one, plaque is the white stuff that u can skim off with ur finger nail. Plaque turns into TARTER, which needs to be scraped off, usually with the metal pick at the dentists office. Bacteria feed on the tarter and other stuff in ur mouth until eventually, the acid the bacteria produce as a waste product eats through ur tooth enamel. Then other bacteria come along n colonize on the exposed dentin of your tooth and cause tooth decay aka a cavitiy.

FLOSS UR TEETH AND U CANT DEVELOPE TARTER!! WE'VE KNOWN THIS FOR DECADES IF NOT LONGER. Doesnt matter WTF you eat, u wont get tarter buildup if u floss every other day or so. If you dont floss,, again, it doesnt matter WTF you eat, you'll eventually develope tarter buildup. Brushing ur teeth only clears the visible tooth surfaces of plaque, not the areas between teeth and down within where the gumline meets each individual tooth. Proper flossing clears these areas of plaque and bits of food that would otherwise just stay stuck there and cause plaque to develope. Toothpaste has flouride in it which fills in the microscopic scratches and imperfections in the tooth enamel. This is beneficial because these grooves can be perfect places for tarter, then bacteria, then finally a cavity, to develope because they offer an viable area for the bacteria yet one too small for the bristles of ur toothbrush to get to. Toothpaste, indeed, also has "chemicals" that aid in breaking plaque up so it is removed easier and more completely from your teeth, and so when u rinse ur mouth out after brushing, most of the removed plaque is spat out with the toothpaste and rinse water.

FLOSS ur teeth. Its disgusting smelling the mouth of someone who does not floss. U have ROTTING food in ur mouth, and have become insensitive to its smell, but other people around you havent.