Notes for Sunday – April 02, 2017

This is the birthday of Émile François Zola, a novelist and essayist. He is most often remembered as the author of “J’accuse” (I Accuse!), his lengthy open letter to president Félix Faure, which accused the French government of anti-Semitism.

Round 69 Non-Fiction Writing Contest Winners Announced!

Any article submitted but not published will automatically be rolled over to Round 70. Without further ado, here are the winners:

First Prize goes to J.R. for “Vinegar As An Essential Multi-Purpose Tool for TEOTWAWKI – Part 1”, and “Part 2” published on March 14th and 15th, 2017. He will receive the following prizes:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. An infrared sensor/imaging camouflage shelter from Snakebite Tactical in Eureka, Montana (A $350+ value),
  6. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  7. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize goes to N.M. for “Every Day Carry for Today’s World – Part 1”, “Part 2”, “Part 3”, and “Part 4” published on March 28th, 29th, 30th, and 31st, 2017. He will receive the following prizes:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $2,400 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. A selection of canned meats containing a 10 pack of 28oz cans of Premium Beef and a 5 pack of 28oz cans of Premium Pork from Wertz’s Farm Market (a $300 value),
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize goes to R.M. for “Equestrian Survival For Bugging Out, Recon, Rescue, Projection of Force, or Hunting – Part 1”, “Part 2”, “Part 3”, and “Part 4” published on March 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, 2017. He will receive the following prizes:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A custom made Sage Grouse model utility/field knife from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  4. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  5. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  6. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  7. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a $125 Montie gear Gift certificate.,
  9. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value), and
  10. Fifteen LifeStraws from SafeCastle (a $300 value).
  11. A $250 gift certificate to Tober’s Traditions, makers of all natural (organic if possible) personal care products, such as soap, tooth powder, deodorant, sunscreen, lotion, and more.

Honorable mention prizes ($30 Amazon.com gift certificates via e-mail) have been awarded to the writers of these fine articles:

Household Basics in TEOTWAWKI- Part 9, by Sarah Latimer

1

Last week, I began this part of the series on the subject of oil in TEOTWAWKI. I rejected the GMO oils, namely corn and canola oil, for health reasons. I spoke about my favorite oils– coconut and olive, for their many uses and health benefits, and I explained my inevitable problem with their inaccessibility or short supply. I also shared that we own a Piteba nut and seed oil expeller, which is designed to produce consumable oils from many types of seed, nut, and bean sources.

Health and Storage Issues With Lard

Now that you are caught up, let me address another type of oil that I have rejected but need to explain, because it may be your choice for oil. Years ago, I read an article (which I can no longer locate online) suggesting that there are some health benefits as well as flavor and texture reasons to cause a person to consider using lard (rendered pork fat) for cooking. This article somewhat shocked me, as I thought animal fats were well known to be taboo because of their health risks, but I read the article just the same to see what was said. I am willing to make changes when I receive information that convinces me to do so, even if this information goes against what I have heard growing up, such as thinking that solid, animals fats are unhealthy for our hearts and arteries. I dug into the facts a bit and tried to set aside the memories of how my mother would keep some rendered fat in the refrigerator for seasoning beans but use it meagerly, especially after my father’s health conditions became a concern for our family. Lard, of course, has plenty of fats, fatty acids, and cholesterol, but it also has a small amount of Vitamin D, Zinc, Selenium, and something called Choline, which is a mineral that plays a role in the B-Vitamin complex and is important for cell health. I initially wondered if this article had a valid point about lard being “healthier” than I thought. I recognized that there were some benefits to saturated fats and that the hydrogenated polyunsaturated fats that have been marketed as healthy actually are not. However, not all saturated fats are alike. Lard has omega fats, which I knew about, recognize need to be in balance, and can source through other plants/oils. Lard also had this choline stuff, which was new to me. I discovered that though our bodies naturally synthesize choline, many people find their bodies require additional intake of this mineral, especially postmenopausal women, pregnant and nursing women, as well as some aging men and women, too. In a published medical paper on choline by Dr. Steven Zeisel, M.D. states that the adequate intake (AI) for women over 19 is 425mg and for men over 19 is 550mg. One cup of lard has approximately 102mg of choline and beef fat (tallow) has approximately 164mg, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database information. However, just one slice of pan-fried beef liver provides a whopping 338mg of choline, one cup of roasted chicken breast meat provides 119 mg, a cup of 2% milk has 40mg, a cup of cauliflower and a cup of cooked black beans each have 60mg of choline, and even a 1.63-ounce bag of peanut M&Ms has 17mg. Choline is in many things. In addition to the vitamins and minerals I discovered are in lard, tallow also had Vitamin E, but it had a higher level of cholesterol than lard. I knew that not all cholesterol is bad, yet I still was not convinced it was the best way for us to cook. I have grown plants/seeds that contain these same vitamins and minerals with what I believe to be less risk to our heart and arteries.

Biblical Issues With Lard

Even more significant than the health factors associated with lard is the fact that in our home we do not consider pork products to be “food”. Because our God– the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob– says that pork is not considered food for His people (in Leviticus 11 and Deteronomy 14), our family does not consume any kind of pork or pork byproduct. I know that many people eat things that the LORD says are unclean (not food) for His people, and they choose to do so. There are people who eat roaches, rats, cats, horses, and dogs, but we don’t choose to eat these things or any of the things the LORD God says are unclean. You probably don’t eat the things I listed above either, yet I don’t have the authority to tell anyone else what they can or cannot eat. That’s between each person and God. I didn’t make this earth and all that is within it, so I don’t make the rules. I recognize that God made all things, and He did not make all things for people to consume. Some things are for the consumption of plants and animals, according to their position in the food chain, which differs from mankind’s. Our God has an order to things, and I choose to respect it. I love horses, but I don’t eat them. My extended family and I have had many kinds of pets, including pet pigs, but we didn’t put them on the barbecue. I acknowledge that others eat what they choose. Some will argue that we can eat anything. They may even cite Peter’s dream with the sheet coming down with unclean food on it, but if they will read this in context, they may realize this vision was to show Peter that he needed to accept “unclean” people, specifically the Roman named Cornelius, with whom he would normally refuse to dine or enter his home. Peter’s willingness and obedience to go to Cornelius’ home, accepting his invitation to stay with him, was very significant. The obedience of these men to go outside what was familiar to them paved the way for expanded knowledge of Jesus and the redemptive story to be spread to the Gentiles. The vision was not about food but something much greater. None of us is clean without the forgiveness and mercy of our Lord and Savior! For me though, eating what my LORD instructs is about obedience, and as a follower of Jesus I want to do what my perfect Messiah did. He didn’t eat pork or lard, so it is not an option for me to eat it either. I will choose to honor him by keeping my table “clean”, where He could comfortably dine with me and also to teach me to adjust my tastes for His tables, which I am sure will not have any pork products. His Father and He are one, and they clearly said not to eat of it, so I will not intentionally disobey my Master. Therefore, lard is not an option!

Tallow

We can eat beef, venison, and mutton, and so tallow (rendered fat) from these animals might be an option, but it would be low on the list of oil preferences for health reasons. In TEOTWAWKI, we will need added calories, but we will still want our arteries, heart, and brain to function optimally. My family members who most enjoyed eating highly fatty meats are the very ones who struggled with heart conditions, clogged arteries, and alzheimer-type symptoms. This is circumstantial evidence, I know, but it supports what my doctors tells me too. I won’t say that I would not ever consider using venison, mutton or possibly beef suet for an oil option, but my preferred options will remain vegetable oil. Some pastries will require either tallow or butter, but one factor that concerns me regarding animal-based fats is the requirement for refrigeration. I don’t want to be required to refrigerate or freeze my oils, and animals fats are usually produced in bulk and then require refrigeration for storage beyond a month. Tallow is a good thing to render for many homestead purposes other than for cooking, so we need to know how to do it. It is easy!

To make tallow, cut all the meat and blood out of the fat/suet. Then, finely chopped or cut it into small cubes (less than one inch in size) and put it in a crock pot on low or in a heavy pan on the stove over a very low heat to slowly raise the suet temperature to 180-200 degrees and then simmer it for about six to eight hours until the moisture has evaporated and the impurities separated. The solid impurities, called crackle, will form and may rise to the surface. After the simmering time is complete, put on protective gloves, as the rendered fat will be very hot and can cause serious burns. Carefully, strain the rendered fat through cheesecloth in a colander. It is important to remove all of the crackle solids, no matter how small, so it is a good idea to run it through cheesecloth a second time or even to pour the hot rendered oil through a coffee filter, switching out the coffee filter if it gets clogged with solids. Once all of the solids are removed, pour the hot tallow into a clean, dry storage jar and keep it in a cool, dark place for up to a month or in the refrigerator for up to six months.

Hand-pressed Vegetable Oils

Vegetable oils are the healthiest options, and the Piteba expeller will be the means by which I process my vegetable oil– my main oil in TEOTWAWKI. Let’s look at vegetable oil production.

The Piteba site provides valuable information, including information on obtaining oil from each type of vegetable product. For example, it indicates an extraction efficiency rate for each seed/bean/nut type that range from the soya bean at only 67% to pistachio nuts at 87% efficiency. Their website also provides the estimated ounces of oil per pound of raw seed/bean/nut used. Obviously, to make any quantity of oil, many pounds of the seed, bean, or nut are required. While some of these seeds and nuts could be stored long term, waiting to be pressed into oil, we would still end up with an exhausted supply eventually. I am looking for a renewable, long-term source in the event that other oils are not produced and/or made available in my area after TEOTWAWKI occurs. Whatever raw material I use to make oil, I need to be able to grow it on our property or obtain it locally. It’s our preference to have control of the supply by growing it ourselves.

Letter Re: Online OPSEC

Jim/Hugh,

When I wrote the “Building an 80% Firearm” series for SB I briefly touched on how to keep a similar low profile. I would add the following : Face-to-face (FTF) using cash is certainly king and the most likely to allow anonymity. Buying the the remaining parts for an 80% or conventional build at a gun show or using BackPage or Armslist is reasonably easy. Buying your 80% lower the same way is also best if available but the finding 80% lowers through any of those three sources is still sparse. Many gun shows do not have an 80% vendor. However here are two ways to get most if not all of the desired OpSec when buying your 80% lower. I have done both and the FTF method is more secure. I would always wear non-descript clothing complete with hat and glasses for any transactions and park a little ways away as many retail sources or parking lots where you meet a private seller have some type of camera surveillance.

FTF (face-to-face method) If a FTF at a gun show/BackPage/Armslist is not a possibility, then find an 80% manufacturer or distributor that you can drive to. I listed 17 manufacturers of AR lowers in my article and they are spread out in the U.S. Many of them will let you know if they have a distributor in your area. If their distributor stocks or will do a prepaid cash order for you, just pay cash and call it a day with your OpSec preserved. If you have to drive very far combine it with a vacation or day trip for further OpSec. We took the kids to Disneyland and stopped by 80Percent Arms in Santa Ana-literally 5 miles down Harbor Blvd. from Disneyland – and made the retail cash purchase. I saw two vehicles in their parking lot with their license plats all but invisible as well.

Low profile mail order I contacted Blitzkreig Tactical in San Diego and after conferring with the owner, they agreed to allow me to do a prepaid anonymous money order as long as I clearly spelled out what I was ordering and where it was to ship. I squared away the details with their CS rep over the phone and sent out the order via snail-mail. I work for a medium-size company where the receiving clerk is also a good friend and fellow prepper. I had it sent to the company address to Att: Receiving and he alerted me when it arrived. Any potential for a paper trail is very thin since 250 people work here. All he will say is that the box arrived but was gone from the shelf the next day. I’m sure you can think of an equally creative way to keep things on the very down-low.

Hope this helps, – Wontogo

Economics and Investing:

The World’s First Pension Crisis – DSV

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Multiple Bubbles Are Going to Bring America to Its Knees: “The Warning Signs Are There” – B.B.

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Without Obama, once-booming gun industry poised to shrink. Excerpt: “Founder Marty Daniel, who employs about 310 workers and is more than doubling his manufacturing facility’s square footage, said he was prepared for the dips in sales and anticipates those will last through the year. But he considers the downturn part of a natural business cycle, like those that hit the housing market.” – T.J.

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Is Gasoline Demand On The Rise? Recent drops in gasoline inventories indicate that, despite increases in fuel efficiency, the United States has not yet lost its appetite for gasoline.

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

The post-Election decline in the U.S. firearms market presents us with some great opportunities to round out our family gun batteries at bargain prices. As some smaller makers with heavy debt burdens go under (a la Colt Competition) in the next six months, the market will be flooded with guns, gun parts, and gun accessories. Just be very selective about what you buy and do PLENTY of comparison pricing research before you buy. (In the Internet Age, it is easy to be a smart shopper.) Presently, the biggest opportunity seems to be in buying or building AR-15 family rifles. AR-15 stripped lowers are selling for as little as $39 each! Buy several (preferably “private party” if your State law allows it) and then bide your time. Watch for blow-out prices on lower parts kits (“LPKs”) and complete uppers. But, as always, buy quality—not junk! – JWR

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Some very useful advice from Jeremiah Johnson, posted at Ready Nutrition: A Prepper’s DIY: Building Your Own Cleaning Kits for Firearms

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WND reports: Obama spying looks even worse than Trump claimed

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SurvivalBlog reader DSV sent in the link to Spaceweather.com where the readers can find information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras and near-earth asteroids.

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Tensions Flare on the Korean Peninsula – D.B.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Romans 8:12-13 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – April 01, 2017

April 1st is both April Fool’s Day and (unofficially) Molly Ivins Day. The latter refers to this key verse: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1 KJV)

April 1st, 1886 was the birthday of Arthur W. Pink, who died 15 July 1952 and was an English Christian evangelist and excellent Reformed Biblical scholar. It was his meticulously referenced arguments in his book, The Sovereignty of God, that first convinced JWR of the truth of the doctrine of Election.

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Ten Cent Challenge subscribers, consulting clients, and anyone else sending USPS mail, please be advised that I am no longer using my old Newcastle, Wyoming address. Please address all snail mail to my forwarding address in Idaho: James Rawles, P.O. Box 303, Moyie Springs, Idaho 83845

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Today, we present the first entry for Round 70 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. An infrared sensor/imaging camouflage shelter from Snakebite Tactical in Eureka, Montana (A $350+ value),
  6. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  7. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $2,400 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. A selection of canned meats containing a 10 pack of 28oz cans of Premium Beef and a 5 pack of 28oz cans of Premium Pork from Wertz’s Farm Market (a $300 value),
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A custom made Sage Grouse model utility/field knife from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  4. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  5. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  6. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  7. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a $125 Montie gear Gift certificate.,
  9. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value), and
  10. Fifteen LifeStraws from SafeCastle (a $300 value).
  11. A $250 gift certificate to Tober’s Traditions, makers of all natural (organic if possible) personal care products, such as soap, tooth powder, deodorant, sunscreen, lotion, and more.

Round 70 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Austere Dentistry and Temporary Fillings, by J.D., DMD

I am a general dentist, who has been at it for 26 years working part-time in private practice in a small, working class town and part-time on the dental staff in a state prison. I am also the dental director of a small non-profit organization that provides dental and medical care to the rural poor patients in Honduras. One of my main professional interests is low tech, austere dentistry.

The purpose of this article is two fold. First, I want to give the reader some insider, professional advice on how to get their dental needs squared away and met while we still have a functioning economy, and secondly i hope to educate the reader on dental procedures that a lay person could have a good chance of performing in a time or place when the health care system is severely degraded or non–existent.

This information is in no way a substitute for professional dental care, and the views presented are my own and not the views of any of the alphabet dental associations. I am not your dentist, and there is no doctor-patient relationship. If you remember nothing else after reading this piece, remember this before attempting any DIY dental or medical procedures: Do no harm. In other words, don’t make things worse.

Attending to Dental Needs

Don’t be part of the problem. Getting your teeth and the teeth of those in your circle of concern fixed up is mentioned in every prepper article about dentistry that I have read. Modern dentistry is very dependent on supply chain and the grid. Getting dental care without supplies, anesthetics, and electricity is very ugly. Go to YouTube and search “street dentistry”; you will get the idea real quick. One thing about these street dentists is that they are actually good operators. They work quickly and smoothly with purpose and little wasted movement. I can only imagine how miserable it would be for an unskilled operator in a similar environment.

Get your teeth fixed before the collapse. However, this simple advice is surprisingly nuanced. What is fixed? How fixed?

Some background on the economics of dentistry in the U.S. is in order. Large segments of the population have tremendous dental needs and are unable or unwilling to spend the money to get dental care. Organized dentistry calls this the “access to care” problem.

At the same time, large numbers of dentists have a “busyness” problem, open time in their schedules, coupled with high overhead. Raising fees is a common method to compensate for fewer patients. It’s called the target income theory and is in contrast to supply and demand theory. As the supply of dentists in an area rises, each dentist overall sees fewer patients, but all dentists have similar costs, so they raise the fees to compensate for seeing fewer patients. More dentists actually increases cost for patients. When dentists compete, it’s usually over service not price.

Many dental students graduate with over $350,000 of debt that must be serviced before they can even pay office overhead. The end result is that a number of my colleagues are engaging in “creative diagnosis”, which is unnecessary treatment, and doing so at high fees. Even dentists who are (or would like to be) honest are under heavy financial pressure to potentially over-treat dental problems. Dental magazines are a buzz with articles on selling dental procedures, right down to the firm hand shake and confident gaze. Over treatment even has a new euphemism; it’s called “creating optimum health”.

Okay, so what is a person to do? The standard bit of wisdom is to find a dentist you trust or has a good reputation. This is a good place to start, but be aware of whether you are perceiving or projecting. In other words, do you perceive that the dentist is actually honest, or are you so hopeful that he or she is honest that you project that attribute on someone who isn’t.

Here are some guidelines that may help you out in getting appropriate dental care while it’s available. Again, these are my personal opinions:

  • Hopeless, broken teeth that aren’t hurting you. Get them removed. They may already have a low grade infection. They will flare up if your nutritional status goes down or if you are burdened by other diseases. Maybe they will act up just because it’s the worst possible time. Have them removed while it can be done safely and comfortably. This would include partially impacted wisdom teeth in younger people. Fully impacted wisdom teeth are a case by case situation.
  • Fillings, silver or white. Get your cavities fixed. Both types of fillings can be good. Silver fillings may leach out some mercury while being placed and removed. Very little mercury is released when they are in your mouth. The health risks for mercury are on the dentist, not the patient.
  • Gum treatment. This is a very common area for over treatment but also a concern as gum disease is a leading cause of tooth loss in the USA. Ask yourself if your gums bleed easily. Are they receding, loose, shifting around in your mouth? If so you may have gum disease that if left untreated will result in tooth loss and potentially affect your overall health. The blood that flows around the diseased gum travels throughout your body. People who smoke and are unwilling or unable to spend the time and effort to floss and brush consistently often have poor outcomes even after expensive, professional gum treatment. If you are one of those people, maybe save yourself the expense and have no treatment or have them removed instead.
  • Dental implants. These can be quite expensive. If well done will probably last many years and are unlikely to cause problems.
  • Crowns. These are very profitable for the dentist and costly the patient, and crowns are often an area of over treatment, it’s difficult to make a generalization. If you have a very large filling that is intact without decay and not bothering you, it may be you don’t need that crown. If you have a sharp pain when biting that goes away almost instantly when you bring your teeth apart, a crown may be a good treatment option. Consider a metal crown instead of a tooth colored. Metal crowns are sturdier and wear better.
  • Cosmetic dentistry. We all want to look nice, but tread carefully here. This is a big revenue source for dentists. Any procedure that removes healthy tooth structure and replaces it with synthetic material can weaken your tooth. Orthodontics can move your teeth so that they look nice, but this also moves them out from where the balance of force has placed them. The end result for many cosmetic procedures is teeth that appear attractive but are weakened and unstable. This is often a manageable problem when the grid is up, but it’s an unnecessary liability when society is in crisis. Not all cosmetic dentistry is bad, but it has the potential to give patients a worse set of dental problems.
  • Mouth guards. For many people who grind, a professional made mouth guards is a good investment. They fit and protect better than over-the-counter mouth guards. They also last longer. In stressful situations, people who grind tend to do it with more intensity and can damage their teeth and jaw joints. If the situation persists for a long time, intense grinding can cause disabling pain in both teeth and jaw joints. Some of the most affected by grinding are tough people who don’t complain.

    I have some limited experience with very stressful situations, both with recently incarcerated inmates and medical volunteers on their first mission in Honduras. When individuals used to a comfortable first world lifestyle suddenly moved into a very different environment, sort of a mini TEOTWAWKI, the grinding/clenching picks up. Alteration in sleep seems to be a key factor in intensity of grinding, and the teeth that seem to cause the most problems are the ones that have had cosmetic procedures.

  • Root canals. Root canaled teeth tend to fracture and often require crowns. If the cost of a root canal is going to cause you financial stress or if the tooth is very broken down with a guarded outlook after treatment, you may well be better off having it removed.

The Real Secret

The truth is that most dental disease is optional. The real solution to limiting your need for extensive dentistry and the associated expense and hassles is to severely limit the amount of sugar in your diet, put forward the effort to keep your teeth clean, and don’t smoke. In Honduras, the poorest can’t afford much sugar, tobacco, or tooth brushes, and they don’t have that many dental problems. Those slightly better off, eat some sugar, smoke, and their teeth crumble.

I want to avoid a rant about sugar, but sugar consumption in the USA is skyrocketing and is largely responsible for the “dental access to care problem” in addition to obesity and other health problems. The worst is carbonated beverages. I have been to a number of prepper training courses and am staggered by the number of preppers drinking mountain dew and smoking. The heat and particles from tobacco smoke are very irritating to your gums, and I don’t know what the nicotine does, but I can assure you it’s nothing good.

My professional dental advice is to wean yourself off sugar and tobacco now. Stop adding sugar to your coffee and tea, and stop drinking soda. If you are too weak to totally stop, at least drink it fast, so the amount of time it’s in contact with your teeth is minimized. No amount of brushing is going to stop the damage from a high sugar diet and smoking. Sugar and tobacco will be in short supply when we collapse; you will be less miserable if you get used to not having it now.

Home care, brushing, and flossing is of course important as well. I have some concerns about the overall health effects of fluoride and Triclosan. Fluoride is an element that affects mineralization and is in most tooth pastes, Triclosan, is an insecticide that is in one popular brand. Both seem to limit dental disease but may well negatively affect your overall health. Cut out the sugar and tobacco and you’ll probably do just fine with just brushing with water and won’t have to wonder about what those chemicals are doing to you.

Dental Treatment- Temporary Fillings

I recommend the book Where There is No Dentist. However, nothing in this section is a substitute for professional dental care. I would advise you to get right with your dentist and try to recruit one for any preparedness group you might have. I do know several veterinarians, who are surprisingly good dental operators, that would work well in a pinch.

Again, this information is provided for a time when the health care system is serious degraded or non-existent. I can’t recommend any of the following information be used in any other scenario.

All the procedures discussed can be done without anesthetic. Several components are needed. These are all available on e-bay for low cost.

Fillings

You are not going to be able to skillfully place a filling without training. However, I have seen a number of patients do a surprisingly good job with temporary fillings. The following section will give you some tips and guide lines.

ZOE, the temporary filling material available at pharmacies, is excellent and should be in every medical kit. The material is formulation of zinc oxide power and Eugenol liquid, abbreviated as ZOE. It is very soothing to teeth, and for a temporary material it’s pretty strong. In addition to being a filling material, it can be mixed thinner and used as cement for loose crowns as well. The Eugenol liquid can be irritating and can permanently stain some plastics, and ZOE is not always the easiest to mix.

The ZOE that dentists use can be purchased reasonably on eBay. Popular brand names are Dentsply Caulk IRM, and Temerex ZOE filling material, but there are also many generic ZOE filling options as well. Some brands of ZOE are for foreign markets, but most likely are fine for emergency purposes. The price per serving is much less than the same material in a pharmacy emergency kit.

Buy the bulk kit, not capsules. Do not use any type of temporary filling material called Cavit. Cavit is used only on root canal teeth and can harm non-root canaled teeth.

If you have the inclination, it is not a bad idea to practice mixing ZOE before you need it. As a filling, you want it dry enough not make a ball that doesn’t flake.

ZOE is indicated for lost fillings, especially if the tooth is sensitive to temperature. Dry the tooth with a very small wad of paper tower or tissue paper and apply to the tooth. I don’t recommend trying to get any decay out; just gently dry it and fill it. When it’s in the hole, have the patient gently tap their teeth before it sets, so that their bite is right.

Depending on the tooth and the skill level of the operator, ZOE fillings can last between a few hours and a few years. In a long-term situation without a dentist, you may use quite a bit of ZOE on a tooth, so consider buying a bulk kit for that reason as well as cost.

For re-cementing a loose crown with ZOE, practice placing it on the tooth without any ZOE and be sure the patient can close properly. Then mix a thin mix of ZOE and place the crown on the tooth and check the bite. If the patient can no longer close properly with the ZOE in place, get if off quickly, clean it out, mix thinner, and try again. Repeat until the bite is right, and then keep some pressure on it for about 10 minutes.

There are several ways to get in trouble with ZOE. One way is to put too much in the cavity so that it interferes with biting, so under filling slightly is better than over filling. Another way is putting it in a tooth that is badly decayed and has an abscess that is draining through the cavity. Shortly after placing the ZOE, the patient will start to swell because the drainage is clogged with ZOE. For that reason, be cautious about placing ZOE in large cavities that have been open for a long time, especially if they are not sensitive to temperature and air.

Glass Ionomer Material

Zoe has a limitation that it won’t stick to a tooth without some mechanical retention (a hole). Glass ionomer materials will stick somewhat to smooth surfaces. While not as useful as ZOE, they deserve some consideration in an expanded dental kit.

These materials are particularly useful for dentists but are not too difficult for lay people. They are not soothing and can be quite painful if placed directly over the nerve of the tooth. Their main indication is as a bandage for front teeth that have been traumatically fractured and are air or temperature sensitive but the tooth nerve has not been exposed. The cement will cover the sensitive part of the tooth.

They also can be purchased on eBay. You will want a chemical cure type, not light cure. Popular brands are GC fuji ix, Equia, or any glass ionomer cement that is chemical cure. The cost is generally quite reasonable as well. Mix according to directions, and dry the tooth as you would with ZOE. Smooth as much as possible, and be sure it does not interfere with biting. Keep it dry until is sets, usually at least five minutes.

YouTube

Be very careful about trying DIY dentistry procedures, which you can learn about on YouTube; you can cause yourself or your patient a lot of harm. That said, there are a number of useful videos on mixing and using both ZOE and glass ionomers.

Some Closing Thoughts

When time permits, I may well write some another article to add some additional procedures that a lay person could have a reasonable chance of accomplishing. I can not recommended purchasing dental extraction instruments unless you are already have fantastically well equipped retreat. You are not likely to be able to purchase dental anesthetic or needles on the Internet, and therefore are equally unlikely to use it properly without some training. I would advise seeking out like-minded dentists, and if that doesn’t work out, seek veterinarians or medical doctors, and get them on board. That would be a much better use of your time and energy.

Letter Re: Online OPSEC

Hello,

I read your articles concerning “OPSEC” and was wondering if you could answer a question for me? I am concerned about my privacy with online purchases. I would like to buy some “controversial” items (nothing illegal, of course). For example: An AR-15 80% Lower. How would I do that with good OPSEC? – Dave

HJL’s Comment: Unfortunately, if you are going to pay online, there is virtually no way for you to maintain any sort of anonymity. There will always be a path of traceability. You can help the situation by paying with Postal Money Orders for which you paid cash, but that requires a base level of trust with the entity you are purchasing from. The lack of traceability makes it easier for the transaction to go wrong on both sides. Bitcoin is also a possibility, though it is becoming harder.

JWR Adds: For some purchases, there is nothing better than a face to face transaction at a gun show, paid in cash.

Economics and Investing:

Caterpillar to close Illinois plant, lay off 800 workers – G.P.

HJL’s Comment: This is news that has been expected. Caterpillar was making a killing selling product to China when China’s economy was booming. Now that China is feeling the effects of overspending and has quit buying the heavy equipment, Caterpillar has way too much capacity for the market.

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Zuma’s Night of Long Knives Risks ANC Split, Credit Rating.

JWR’s Comment: Note the huge drop in the value of the South African Rand (ZAR) versus the U.S. Dollar (USD) in the past week. This level of instability does not bode well!

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Precious Metals And Miners Are Set To Drop In April

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The Cumulative Effective Tax Rate – H.L.

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

If you publish Georgia’s state laws, you’ll get sued for copyright and lose

JWR’s Comment: If the only way to access the annotated edition of State law is through a paid service like LEXIS/NEXIS, then where does that leave us? We are often reminded: “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.” But we live in a society where the law is so labyrinthine that even someone who is quite a good researcher can barely understand its nuances. And now we are denied access to reading the law with full case citations, unless we fork over $20 per day or $75 per month for access to LEXIS/NEXIS? Surely our Founding Fathers must be rolling in their graves!

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Connecticut considering weaponizing drones. The bill would ban the use of weaponized drones but exempt police. Hundreds of SWAT teams in U.S. break into wrong houses and sometimes harm people. Innocent people will be killed. – H.L.

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Animal to man, fear of the next pandemic. Orangutan Mahal’s mysterious death sparks fear about greater threat to humans, animals – G.P.

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Internet Users Turn the Tables, Raise Funds to Buy Lawmakers Browsing Histories. – They raised $196,135 in six days on GoFundMe. You might actually think people are mad at their representatives over killing this privacy law. – H.L.

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In an update to the libtard open-carry anti-Trump/protest/debacle, a few people have analyzed the photos of the group, and there is a high suspicion that the many of the firearms carried in the protest were only AirSoft toys. – T.P.

Notes for Friday – March 31, 2017

March 31 is the birthday of economist Dr. Walter E. Williams, PhD., who was born in 1936. His book American Contempt for Liberty is highly recommended.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 69 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. An infrared sensor/imaging camouflage shelter from Snakebite Tactical in Eureka, Montana (A $350+ value),
  6. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  7. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $2,400 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. A selection of canned meats containing a 10 pack of 28oz cans of Premium Beef and a 5 pack of 28oz cans of Premium Pork from Wertz’s Farm Market (a $300 value),
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A custom made Sage Grouse model utility/field knife from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  4. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  5. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  6. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  7. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a $125 Montie gear Gift certificate.,
  9. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value), and
  10. Fifteen LifeStraws from SafeCastle (a $300 value).
  11. A $250 gift certificate to Tober’s Traditions, makers of all natural (organic if possible) personal care products, such as soap, tooth powder, deodorant, sunscreen, lotion, and more.

Round 69 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.