All I want for Christmas is my old front teeth

May 26, 2007 10:11 PM

Coke Zero, or some other acidic drink, may have done a number on my teeth, or maybe I just have lousy Québecois teeth. About one third to one half of each of my incisors and canines (from the biting edge inwards) appear slightly translucent. My dental hygienist confirmed today that there appears to be some demineralization. Is there any effective treatment to remineralize them?

Someone I know swears that taking 1000 mg of calcium citrate supplements every day remineralized his teeth and made them completely opaque again. My hygienist disagrees, and suggested I try a special (and expensive) toothpaste with bio-available calcium and phosphate instead, saying that topical application would be more effective, although she also said that the remineralization would not necessarily result in a visible change to my teeth.

Has anyone here successfully reversed the visible translucency in their teeth?

posted by rosemere to health & fitness (10 comments total)

One of the functions of Fluoride therapy is to promote remineralization. I rinse regularly with a fluoride solution you can buy at most grocery stores.
posted by Manjusri at 11:53 PM on May 26, 2007

Remineralization is a tricky process that involves several saliva and tooth surface conditions. What you really want to accomplish is promoting saliva mineralization while retarding acidc demineralization. So a combination of using floruide therapy to reduce acid conversion from bacteria, and eating non-processed (containing refined sugar) mineral rich foods should get you going in the right direction.

Disclaimer: I'm not a dental expert but did a quick search to understand the proccess of tooth decay...oh, and stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
posted by samsara at 12:32 AM on May 27, 2007

My dentist gives me Tooth Mousse to remineralise my teeth. Apply it with your finger after brushing, let it mix with your saliva, keep it in and swish it around for fifteen minutes, then spit it out (don't rinse).
posted by obiwanwasabi at 4:37 AM on May 27, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

Hrm - a closer look reveals that what I know as GC Tooth Mousse seems to be the same product your dentist recommends, but with a different name. The box is the same, anyway. If it matters, I highly recommend it.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 4:39 AM on May 27, 2007

Thanks for all the advice so far. I'll look for a fluoride rinse today. I hope that my teeth can get stronger, but so far, the effects of demineralization seem purely cosmetic, as I haven't had a cavity for about 15 years.

obiwanwasabi, did you have the visible translucency I had, and did the treatment correct it?
posted by rosemere at 5:31 AM on May 27, 2007

Edit: Of course I meant stay away from foods with refined sugar (which is usually found in processed foods). I realized today that my wording on that part was a little unclear, tho it's pretty widely known that sugar = bad for teeth. In short, acidity will usually win over mineralization so while you treating your teeth you'll need to keep the acid levels low (even if flouride is killing the bacteria responsible)
posted by samsara at 9:49 AM on May 27, 2007

Tooth Moose is a product which includes Recaldent. Recaldent may not be suitable for people with cow's milk protein allergies. I seem to recall that it is made from Casein. As per all medications, talk to your doctor and dentist prior to use.

Recaldent is also available as a chewing gum.
posted by dantodd at 3:09 AM on May 28, 2007

BTW I use Tooth Moose and have used the gum. I have experienced reduction in sensitivity to hot and cold as well as improved aesthetics from remineralisation from using these product. Where I live, the water is not fluoridated.
posted by dantodd at 3:12 AM on May 28, 2007

Why is it that I cannot find a US distributor for Tooth Mousse?
posted by adamwolf at 12:31 PM on May 31, 2007

Why is it that I cannot find a US distributor for Tooth Mousse?

Dentist.net has it.
posted by thedevildancedlightly at 12:05 AM on December 5, 2007