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Copyright © 2001 Patrick A. Fleege, D.D.S, INC,PS
Office Hours:
M - Th: 8am - 5pm
Fridays: by appointment only
(206) 622-6696
Fax: (206) 292-8090
Patrick A. Fleege, D.D.S, INC, PS
Dentistry for Children and Teens
509 Olive Way, Suite 1024
Medical Dental Building
Seattle, Washington 98101
FOOD INTAKE AS RELATED TO FUNCTION AND ORAL ECOLOGY

Scientifically it has been proven that muscle and bone will develop to their limits provided there is function. As an example, a child runs and plays to develop his or her muscles and bones to the limits proportional for that individual. Controlling the child's environment as one does means that one can control the growth and development of the muscles, bones and teeth in his jaws, as one can determine what the child will receive in food intake. Utilization of coarse calories as soon as possible when the teeth begin to erupt will result in the proper function of all structures in the oral cavity with normal growth and development. Coarse calories mean such things as fresh fruits, vegetables, hard rolls, bread sticks, and other hard, chewy foods. A survey was once done with fifty children, in which they were fed an average meal: 50% of the children were given an orange cut into four pieces; the other 50% brushed their teeth. Researchers discovered that the children who had eaten the orange had teeth 35% cleaner than those who had used a toothbrush. Thus the indication is that there is less pollution to the oral ecology of the mouth through the use of coarse calories rather than soft calories. As an observation: we all know children have very poor manual dexterity, so coarse calories do a better job than a toothbrush.

In cultures such as the Eskimos, Australian aborigines, and Mexicans, they utilize practically no liquid calories and hence begin vigorous chewing of coarse calories early in life. Consequently, they have beautifully formed arches, beautiful teeth and bones. The Eskimo child chews before he has teeth. The black man in the old South, with its poverty, is another example where there was little intake of liquid calories. As a consequence he chewed very coarse calories and developed beautiful arches and teeth. Now that the black man is in the white culture and is utilizing a lot of liquid calories as the white man odes, we are seeing crooked teeth, flabby lips and soft faces, with decay.

Recent research on sectioning the jaws of infant children has revealed that they have chewing pads before the teeth erupt, indicating infants are capable of chewing. The muscles, bones and teeth in the jaws of our culture would also develop, but because of the prodigious intake of calories such as milk, fruit juices and other semi-liquids, a child's lower face today never grows to its proper proportions because of a lack of function; hence, crooked teeth, flabby lips and soft faces. The muscles, bones and teeth in not functioning do not have good muscle tone. As an example, a child's arm when placed in a sling for three months and not used will atrophy or "wither" from lack of function. Washing the arm three times a day will keep it clean, but will not contribute to its development.

Medicine has done a complete turnaround on milk as a food, finding that it cause such things as allergies, anemia (there is no iron in milk), constipation, and contributes to atherosclerosis. It is also tied up with acne in the teens, as milk has a lot of hormones. Milk is a liquid calorie as well as your fruit juices and therefore contributes not one bit to function of the bones, muscles and teeth.

What we are saying here is, for proper growth and development of the face, remove all milk and all fruit juices from the child's eating habit patterns. Instead of giving the child some orange juice, give the child an orange. In place of some apple juice, give him an apple, and the child can have all the water he wants. There is no nutrition in water; consequently the child is hungry and will have to eat. If you give the child liquid calories, this replaces coarse calories, and the child will not chew, as you have killed his appetite. You also can't put 200 pounds into a 100-pound sack.

In our office we have a monkey whose name is "Rudy". We have had Rudy for the last year, and a half. He came to us as a baby, with his baby, or "practice teeth", which he has since lost, and has had his permanent teeth for some time. We control Rudy's environment - he receives no milk, fruit juices or cereals (I wouldn't think of giving them to him). He receives water and coarse calories. Examination of his mouth reveals beautiful, straight, clean teeth, no cavities, and beautiful gums. We all love Rudy and Rudy loves us, and we wouldn't think of giving him something that would give him a problem. Our dogs at home receive a fine brand of dog food (it is coarse) and all the water they want. They receive no milk or fruit juice. Your dogs probably receive the same and as a result have beautiful teeth, will never need an orthodontist, have no cavities, and their general health is probably excellent. If you can do this with your dogs, why not your children? People feed their dogs objectively, their children by rote (habit) and subjectively - in other words, not what is good for them, but what they like. Too many times people use sugar and soft calories as an indication of their love, when a book, toy or something of that nature would be much better for them. You wouldn't think of giving your child a knife or a gun to play with, as this is too dramatic. Why give them sugar, which is not dramatic, but very insidious and can cause very serious problems the child cannot understand. "Children are like golf and golf doesn't care who plays it."

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