Remineralization and diet for healthy teeth

[Raven1]

Just curious if anyone has heard of/has experience with this theory/practice.
From what I have read/heard, there are certain minerals/ingredients which remineralize the tooth enamel when used and can even repair small cavities.
(calcium, phosphorus, as well as certain ph balnacing components come to mind as included, but it's been a while since I heard of this and I forget).
One site I saw touted the work of a dentist(since deceased) who pioneered this work, and, of course, sold his book and product. They said the product was available in stores, but despite being very familier with "health food" establishments in a few states, I have yet to encounter it.
Any knowledge/opinions out there? Kim

[Raven1]

I am aware the teeth can and do reminerlize themselves regularly, of course, and of the importance of diet and ph balance of the mouth in this process.
We differ strongly on the fluoride issue, as you already know, so I will simply beg to differ on that aspect.
The issue I was really aiming at is the process of remineralization of already decayed teeth; healing of cavities via the topical application of naturally occurring minerals and ph balancing ingredients and proper diet(which also contributes to mineral availability and ph balance of the mouth/body in general.)
This was what this dentist claimed to have pioneeered, and his creditials and research certainly seemed to back him up. I am curious to see more, as the conventional wisdom in the field seems to be that once decay has occurred, drilling and filling are the only alternatives.
From what I have been able to learn thus far, calcium is important(but in a particular state), as well as phosphorus and a few others. And of course, maintaining the proper ph levels(baking soda is perhaps best suited for this topically) which inhibits the growth of damaging organisms. There are toothpastes out there which contain both "free" calcium and baking soda, but I have yet to find any which contain all the ingredients he indicated were required for remineralization of already decayed/eroded teeth.
I will try to locate some info on this guy again.
Thanks again for your post. Anyone else know anything on this? Kim

[campo-momma]

Kim,This is something I've been trying to find a solution to as well.The only form of calcium phosphate I've been able to come across is in the form of Hyland's tissue salts.(didn't seem to be of much help)I've tried so many things,but what has truly had possitive results on my dd's teeth are the Hyland's bioplasma-its a full combination of the bodies tissue salts,and the homeopathic silicea 6x(great not only for carries but also any abcessing of the teeth)In conjunction,I've also been giving her horsetail tea for the silica.Some foods that come to mind that balance the body's ph are apricots,millet,raisinsand avocados. Hope this helps.If you come across anymore good information please let me know.

[kradmore]

SmileMomma-question regarding remineralization and foods to avoid

Hi! Remember us? My ds has hypoplastic enamel on 8 (hopefully that's it, some new teeth are coming in and look pretty good!) teeth, and is using Prevident 1/x day to treat the problem. My question is, how long does this process typically take? Is a continual, ongoing process, or will the exposed areas become hard and stay that way? His last dentist (the one that had his licensed revoked for 3 years ) told me that the pits should turn a yellow or brownish color one they had hardened, but they started out a yellow color and haven't changed much at all. Also, I read on a different thread that certain foods should be avoided (i.e., raisens), and would like to know if there are some other foods that you would recommend eliminating to reduce the possibility to cavities forming while the teeth are in a vulnerable state. Thanks!

[Raven1]

Just following an archived thread on the -issue, an+6dame across a .link for BioDent.
After reading the ingredients, YUCK! I'm sorry, but "bovine bone meal" and "bovine and ovine spleen" and "veal bone meal" are NOT things I want to ingest/feed to my kids!
Perhaps it is because I am a lapsed vegan and current vegetarian, but noway! Against my religion, so to speak.
Not to mention concerns about contaminants common in bones.
Oh well; perhaps there are other, less "cruel" and "toxic" sources of these minerals out there. Still looking! Kimberly

[Nawny]

Dried fruit...

Okay, I get the message (both here and from a recent trip to the dentist) that dried fruit is bad news for teeth.

So, does it lessen the dangers a bit to eat apples and cheese after the fruit, or to brush after the fruit? Or does the fruit just get way into those little teeny holes and create a no-win situation for the teeth?

I'm just not ready to give up my dried berry medley...

[Raven1]

I just wonder about the smaller cavities (this is what this man's research implied; that if caught early, even decay could be reversed/healed with proper ph and minerals.)
I mean, my son's "cavities", for example; they are very small, don't go down much beyond the surface. Seems like if they were air abraded to remove the decay, then somehow remineralized, they would be able to "heal". (Don't worry, he is getting them filled next week! I don't have time to uncover the "key" and apply it IRL, lol! Maybe for future reference/use(say with dd or grandchildren

[Rastamom]

Re-mineralizing Toothpaste?

What is it? Do we need it?

A LLL leader mentioned this after a meeting, saying her dentist reccomended that she and her kids use it. They use a non-floride toothpaste.

[namama]

tartar on 20mth olds teeth?

I didn't pay much attention to dd's teeth, brushed a bit here and there. But she wasn't eating much so I didn't really worry and now that she ahs started eating we began brushing but I just noticed some buildup on two of her teeth. Right near the gumline.

I've gotten serious about brushing but its still there. It is tooth-colored and hard, I'm thinking its tartar. What to do???

Dh is 33 and has no cavities, me I am another story. I hope we can avoid dental nightmares.

Any advice?

[namama]

thanks I'll look!!

[leafylady]

Do we need to brush after herbal/fruit teas?

The recent discussion on teas for toddlers in the health section has me wondering. If I give myself or my toddler an unsweetened herbal or fruit tea, at night after the evening brushing, do we need to brush teeth again? Is there anything in the tea that will encourage the growth of plaque or bacteria overnight? Is unsweetened herbal/fruit tea an acceptable nighttime bottle or sippy cup filler?

[sassytap]

whiter patches on teeth

My 10 month old dd has bright white patches on her teeth close to the gumline. I don't know if it is just where her teeth have come in more or if it is a sign of possible decay. I brush her teeth 2x/day with finger brush and paste (get finger chomped regularly!) Does anyone have any insight? Should I be concerned? She got her 1st 2 teeth at 4 months and has eight altogether, but is definately working on more.

[LEmama]

My ds (2yrs.) has this, too, but down at the edge of his front teeth. It is very subtle, but I am still concerned. Anyone have any ideas?

[2J'smom]

A whiter area at the gumline could indicate demineralization. This is when the enamel starts to breakdown from plaque sitting there. You can prevent demineralization from developing into decay by being sure to brush right to the gumline. Probably a good idea to have someone take a quick peek to be certain.

[OceanMomma]

Raw fruit juices

Hey smilemomma!

Not sure about this one at all. I've avoided totally giving dd any fruit juice so far. Water & bm only. She's 14 months old & is a major mission on the tooth brushing front. Plus she has yeast related excema & virtually all fruit juice on the market is reconstituted concentrates aka fruit sugar which would feed the yeast & give her excema & colic all night

I've finally saved up enough money to get the manual wheat grass juicer I've been after for ages. It does all sorts - even nut butters. I have a vegan baby book which is heavily into juicing & recommends giving babies raw fruit & vege juices. I'm figuring a bit of carrot or celery would be OK. I'm still very careful with what fruit I give her. We're only on apples at the moment since the organic blueberry season is over. Would giving her a little bit of raw apple juice be OK or am I better off sticking with water & just giving her fresh apples ? I'm kinda erring on the side of not doing it ( answered my own question almost ) but I would be interested on the sugar content of raw juices re reconsitiuted juices & their effect on teeth.

[OceanMomma]

yes that makes me feel a whole heap better. people always look at me funny when they find out i give her no juice. at least now i can say i have been advised not to by a dentist!! i can always make juice for myself. plus it apparently makes wicked raw vege purees. so i will be using that feature heaps.

[bluemoon]

oceanmomma-
we haven't been using juices since our whole teeth fiasco either. we do teas like the roobios which we talked about before. and oatstraw is another favorite. we were doing carrot juice with greens but haven't in a while. I'm confused on the friut thing as ahole becuse now dd just got over thrush and we have been using no fruits and supplementing with vitamin c. Do yoou know which fruits are the least sugary so when we start reintroducing them I have an idea. i was thinking apples.

[OceanMomma]

With Saffron's excema, I have to be mega careful about fruits. Dried fruits are a total no no. To be honest, the only fruit I give her is apple. She's OK on blueberries too, but they're out of season now. Watermelon was a total disaster. dh loves it & gave her some & her excema flared up immediately. If you count avocado as a fruit, I give her that too. I expect pears would be OK. I just haven't seen any organic ones yet here. Plums & peaches were way too sweet for her. I s'pose she gets some lemon as well since she loves hummus. If you give up sugar yourself for a few weeks, your taste buds change & you'll be able to taste which fruits are too sweet.

[IfMamaAintHappy]

toddler hates plain water

I searched but didnt have the right wording to find what I was looking for.

My daughter gets 3/4 water 1/4 or less juice to drink besides breastmilk. Very watered down. However, she wont drink plain water. Ever.

Do you have any ideas on what to put in it to make it taste different if I dont use water? Is grapefruit oil or anything similar too expensive to use like this? Would she likely be satisifed it I had lemon in it?

Just looking for ways to get juice out of her water and have her not dehydrate.. we are having enough problems with my milk supply diminishing since I am pregnant. I guess I need to start giving her some kind of milk too. Any advice about any of these issues? She is 2 1/2 and eats a wide variety of foods.

[Hera]

Do you filter your water? I never liked the taste of Chicago city water...I still won't drink tap water if I can avoid it, because it tastes like a swimming pool....

Maybe she's holding out for juice?

My dd loves having a water bottle with a straw, Playtex makes them I think. That being said, she will always ask for my water instead. (do you provide an example by always having your own water with you?) Also, sometimes it's easier to get her to drink if I cuddle up for a story, and she can sip on the straw absentmindedly.

Just a couple of blind guesses......