Question For Dentists re Toothpaste

poorly_scammo

Thanks for all the replies so far. It has made very interesting reading.

pollypenny

brook2jack wrote: »

Sensitive paste will not work if it is rinsed out. It needs to be left in contact with the teeth.
Obviously if your toungue was cut last year anything left on it then would irritate. But it should not cause a problem now.

I had read that one shouldn't rinse and tried that. maybe it's a coincidence, but I get the tongue swelling, lisp etc when away from home and my electric brush.

Perhaps I am too rough.

shandyclover

brook2jack wrote: »

For most people for most purposes a cheap and cheerful toothpaste, providing it contains fluoride, does the trick.

.

I'd be interested in what you think about 'remineralising' toothpastes? The ones that claim to rebuild the surface of your teeth and prevent acid erosion. Are they worth the extra money?

brook2jack

To prevent acid erosion you have to tackle what is causing it.All the toothpaste in the world will not help otherwise.

You need to look at cutting down on sources of acid, that may be

dietary eg fruit juice, smoothies , fizzy drinks, white wine, cider

habits eg vomiting , brushing teeth too soon after acid attack, using whitening toothpastes excessively

medical eg hiatus hernia, gastric reflux etc

Iatrogenic eg whitening solutions used in beauty salons, bought off the internet etc

Acid erosion is a growing problem due to our dietary/drinking/vomiting habits and a remineralising toothpaste will do very little to prevent severe damage this can cause. Address the problem don't rely on a toothpaste to solve it. It is very dubious given the way most people use a toothpaste that any remineralisation will happen unless you apply it with a finger and dont brush immediately after an acid attack.

Alison_B

I hope you don't mind me jumping into this post but I have a question about my son. He is 18 and has got hard white bits on the top of his teeth by the gum line. When we went to the dentist with him last time, the dentist told us to purchase Duraphat toothpaste from her. Now the white bits are on more teeth and she has said that it is decalcification (think that was what she told him).

Is it beneficial if I put him on calcium tablets and try and get flouride tablets or something to go with the Duraphat toothpaste? Will these hard pieces ever go away?

welshdent

We cant really say without seeing him. However the systemic effect of fluoride ceases to be beneficial once the hard tissues of the tooth have taken hold. That means that in simple terms, once the tooth is through there is no added benefit of ingesting fluoride. Hence calcium/fluoride supplements will not have any effect. TOPICAL effects of fluoride i.e. through toothpaste IS effective however.

Fire_Fox

Alison_B wrote: »

Is it beneficial if I put him on calcium tablets and try and get flouride tablets or something to go with the Duraphat toothpaste? Will these hard pieces ever go away?

Please don't supplement individual micronutrients or small groups without the specific advice of an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. These work synergistically and in opposition so you can actually do more harm than good. For example calcium and magnesium work together in bone health but in opposition in muscle contraction. Is your son consistently meeting or exceeding all our government's recommendations for healthy eating? Most families miss out on oily fish or take in more than 10% daily calories as processed/ refined carbs/ junk foods for example. The best absorbed source of calcium is dairy products.

brook2jack

You are looking at the wrong part of his diet. Calcium deficiency doesn't affect teeth that are already formed , and has to be so severe to affect forming teeth that he would have rickets.

If your sons teeth are decalcified (or early stages of decay which is the same thing) it is because they are subjected to acid attack from eating or drinking sugary things more than three times a day and not brushing properly to remove plaque.http://www.cosmetic-dentistry-center.com/decalcification-a-246.html

Don't look at supplementing his diet, look at restricting the number of times a day he eats or drinks something with sugar in it. Thats what causes decalcification.

The white bits are essentially scars on the teeth caused by early decay. They won't go but if he changes his diet and brushes and flosses well they wont progress into holes that need filling either.

Alison_B

Thanks for the replies. I spoke with the receptionist at the dentists this morning as I needed to get some more toothpaste and mentioned about taking supplements and she said to get some, they would not do any harm, that is why I was wondering.

He has an appauling diet, although I do try with him (try getting an 18 year old to eat what he doesn't want to). Won't eat hardly anything. He is on medication for an illness and the decalcification started after he went on the medication.

welshdent

decalcification is as brook said, dietary. It is caused by the acid produced by the plaque which metabolise sugars and churn out acid. WADR to the receptionist, they have not had the benefit of 5 years dental training and probably shouldnt be giving advice like that out. At best, supplements like that are useless at your sons age.