Dentists & Home Dental Care

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Dentists & Home Dental Care
« on: April 09, 2006, 09:23:56 PM » by Julie G

Can anyone recommend a good toothpaste for adults and young children?

I have terrible teeth! My husband not one cavity - ever! Regardless of whether I brush 3 times a day and floss twice a day I still get cavities. I'm not at all educated on how to properly take care of my bad teeth as I've followed what dentists have said for years and still find that I need to get a crown and a root canal as soon as my baby is born (plus several fillings). Ugh! I believe I must be doing something totally wrong...can someone enlighten me?

I brush with a soft toothbrush at least twice a day, use mostly Aquafresh or a similar type of toothpaste. I never go to bed without brushing and I really only drink filtered water. (I honestly gave up on flossing because it didn't seem to matter whether I flossed or not so that is a no-no on my part Shocked

--or is it? Roll Eyes

) I say this because it seems like so much guidance we're given from the medical community is actually doing more harm than good. I really am lazy with the flossing though.

For my 16 month old I've been brushing her teeth and gums with a baby toothbrush and using the orajel toothpaste without fluoride in it. Is this right?

I'm asking for a lot of info here Wink

I'm just so unsure about dental care....

In serious need of educating! Grin

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2006, 10:47:35 PM » by Gabriel Anast

I have teeth like your husband does, so I cannot guarantee this will work for everyone... but cloves are wonderful for teeth.

Once a week I will put a couple cloves between my lower lip and teeth on one side or the other. I will sort of suck on them for half the day, and then eventually chew them up to get all the oils out... and then I end up spitting them somewhere... OK, one of you needs to come up with a woman's version of this little recipe... ahem.

It keeps my teeth whiter, if I have any tooth pain or an infection (only twice so far) I keep more of them in there and replace them throughout the day. This kills the infection, numbs the pain... and I believe it increases overall tooth health.

--gabe

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2006, 12:54:44 PM » by Pure

Julie,
Who gets cavities and who doesn't is a puzzle that the dental community hasn't totally figured out, although they won't admit it. They just keep giving the same advice and it works for some people, but not for others. As a dental hygienist, I have seen people who obviously only use their toothbrush to clean their combs or under their fingernails, but never on their teeth. Some of these people have decay, etc. like you would expect to see, and others don't have any cavities. The opposite is also true. As in your case, some people take excellent care of their teeth and still have cavities at every check-up. There is more to it than just good oral hygiene. A study was done on rats (rats develop cavities much the same way that humans do) where they were fed sugar water by stomach tube, not by mouth, so no sugar touched their teeth. These rats still developed rampant decay. I would suggest you try to consume a nutritious diet along with your regular brushing. And please don't give up on the flossing. Teeth can almost always be filled, crowned, etc., but flossing also maintains healthy gums, which helps to prevent periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a greater cause of tooth loss in adults than cavities are. As far as toothpaste, if you are looking to avoid fluoride, you will have to go to the health food store to buy it, Aqua Fresh most likely contains it. Keep up the brushing (and flossing) on your 16 month old, too. I would use a more natural toothpaste though, because they tend to swallow more than they spit out.
K.

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2006, 01:09:21 PM » by LilyEilis

Okay...so I know nothing about fluoride and cavities and all that good stuff...but I thought I would mention that "Tom's of Maine" has good natural toothpaste. I've been using that brand for quite a few years now and love it! And also, a big plus, I've found that many Super Wal-marts are starting to carry it for a reasonable price...you just have to look really close, maybe on the very bootom shelf. Anyway...I don't know if that helps at all, but I thought I'd mention it!

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2006, 02:28:06 PM » by Joy2BMommy

Weleeda (sp?) makes a good baby/toddler natural toothpaste that my little ones like. A good natural toothpaste is Peelu - though you have to get used to the funky taste of it, it's a bit different. Also Jason's makes a few different real good toothpastes. Both of these brands contain none of the "bad" stuff. My younger boys were using Tom's of Maine cherry flavored toothpaste, sold in many health food stores, though I recently realized it contains sodium lauryl solfate, so I'm in search of another option for them - the peppermint ones are usually too "spicy" for them.

For gum health I use a product called Peri-Gum. It's a tincture made with echinacea, bloodroot, white oak bark, bayberry, cayenne, tea tree oil, peppermint oil in a base of alcohol and glycerin. You mix it with about an ounce of water and swish it around, then spit out. I bought it to try, once it's used up I'm going to try my hand at making my own version.

All that to say this: Gabe mentioned above that cloves were good for teeth, so you may be able to make a clove tincture to swish through your mouth, and some of the above ingredients listed above could be added as well to help your gums benefit too. Though I'm not above chewing on a few cloves around my home, as long as I weren't spittin' in public!!

Blessings,
Debbi

« Last Edit: April 24, 2006, 09:23:04 AM by healthybratt »
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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2006, 07:04:59 AM » by homeschooltheheart

I grew up the oldest of seven in a one-income family. We never went to the dentist unless a toothache woke my parents up in the middle of the night. When I finally went to the dentist (only the second time in my life) I was married. The dentist told me I had the best set of teeth he had ever seen. I didn't have one cavity, though my hygiene was by no means great while growing up.

Once I had children, I took them to the dentist every six months as recommended. My daughter, now 17, was fanatical with brushing and flossing, but every time we went to the dentist, she had a cavity that needed filling. Undecided

Finally, in frustration, she asked her dentist. Huh

He said that it had everything to do with diet. The more sugar we eat, the more our teeth are open to decay. He also said that our teeth absorb the sugar right out of our saliva, and sugary soda's are the worst. My daughter now drinks only water, and has for years now. She hasn't had any more dental issues since she made that change.

Melissa

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2006, 09:26:24 AM » by healthybratt

Quote

As far as toothpaste, if you are looking to avoid fluoride, you will have to go to the health food store to buy it, Aqua Fresh most likely contains it.

I don't know if they still sell it, but my grandmother used Pepsodent for years. It does not (or didn't use to) contain flouride. It also isn't quite as "spicy" as Aquafresh.

I found it online. Here are the ingredients listed:

Active Ingredients: Sodium Monofluorophosphate 0.8% (anticavity toothpaste)

Inactive Ingredients: Sorbitol, Water, Hydrated Silica, PEG-32, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, SD Alcohol 38-B, Sodium Bicarbonate, Flavor, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Saccharin, Titanium Dioxide

Here are the ingredients in Tom's Toothpaste.
Ingredients: Sodium monofluorophosphate, glycerin, water, calcium carbonate, hydrated silica, fruit extracts (strawberry, banana, pineapple, other natural flavors), carrageenan, and sodium lauryl sulfate.

It appears that the main ingredient in most of these toothpastes is a salt. I've been camping, and had to rough it. We brushed our teeth using salt, baking soda and some recommend peroxide. Another common ingredient in these toothpastes seems to be SLS (BAD BAD BAD) especially in your mouth. I had no idea.

« Last Edit: April 24, 2006, 09:40:34 AM by healthybratt »
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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2006, 02:25:23 PM » by Pure

Sodium monofluorophosphate is FLUORIDE.

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #8 on: April 24, 2006, 05:41:10 PM » by healthybratt

Quote from: Pure on April 24, 2006, 02:25:23 PM

Sodium monofluorophosphate is FLUORIDE.

well, don't I feel dumb? Roll Eyes

Here's an interesting fact "They [sodium monofluorophospahate reduce the ability of bacteria to make acids, and they remineralize the areas of the tooth that have been attacked by acids from bacteria."

Maybe if we can find other ingredients that do this, like I said before, we can make our own?

Here's a thought. Could you use a glycerine tincture to brush your teeth? Isn't glycerine edible and safe?

I found a couple of other recipes. I'll post them here.

« Last Edit: April 24, 2006, 06:43:27 PM by healthybratt »
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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2006, 07:06:24 PM » by Julie G

Thanks for the recipes...I was just thinking..."what on earth should we use then?" Has anyone tried a homemade recipe? I would like to give these a try if I can find them here in town.

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2006, 12:35:56 AM » by healthybratt

Quote from: healthybratt on April 24, 2006, 09:26:24 AM

Another common ingredient in these toothpastes seems to be SLS (BAD BAD BAD) especially in your mouth. I had no idea.

Natural toothpastes: keep your teeth clean and bright—here's how to make smart choices when choosing a natural toothpaste
from Better Nutrition by Janet Francisco

Sodium lauryl sulfate is predominantly used as a foaming agent in shampoos and mass-market toothpastes," says Gary Verigin, DDS, a member of the Holistic Dental Association in Escalon, California. But sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a skin irritant. Agents in SLS are strong enough to break down engine grease, not to mention oils in the skin. If this occurs, the skin-drying effect can lead to irritation and make the skin susceptible to toxins from the environment. In laboratory tests of SLS, most skin irritations have been recorded at 0.5 percent concentrations-1/60th of the amount found in most mass-market hand soaps.

Ingesting sodium lauryl sulfate, an active ingredient in popular toothpastes, has been linked to a range of health problems, including eye infections and hormone imbalances. While people spit out foamy toothpaste residue, sodium lauryl sulfate can penetrate the mouth's mucosal lining--which has as much as a 90 percent absorption rate--and seep into blood vessels.

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #11 on: May 04, 2006, 08:07:04 AM » by TammyLee

why not just use baking soda?

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #12 on: May 04, 2006, 09:47:17 AM » by healthybratt

Quote from: TammyLee on May 04, 2006, 08:07:04 AM

why not just use baking soda?

I do on occaission, but it's very abrasize all on it's own and makes my gums hurt if I use it too often - but that's just me.

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2006, 08:28:01 PM » by a_new_creation

OK, gotta jump in here. We have been using a product called ToothSoap for about a year now. Yes, we brush our teeth w/ soap! It's actually not as bad as it sounds, and it only has a few ingredients: olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil as the base, and then an oil such as spearmint, peppermint, or cassia (cinnamon) for flavoring. It removed the stains I had (I do not drink coffee anymore) and the plaque/tartar. We love it. I haven't used it on my dc as I am not a diligent brusher on them at all and just use water. I don't think that dental hygiene or lack thereof is what causes cavities. As someone mentioned above, it's your diet.

Here is the website where you can buy it or you can just use any high-quality bar soap you have (NOT liquid soap). Just make sure it's real, pure soap w/o junk in it. http://www.toothsoap.com I wish they had a referral program 'cause I'd be rolling in the dough -- I have gotten a lot of people started on this!

The whole reasoning behind it is this: There's a guy named Gerard Judd who discovered that glycerin, which is basically in every toothpaste on the market, takes like 27 times to rinse off, thus impeding the body's ability to remineralize the teeth. Soap cleans your teeth and rinses off easily w/o residues (if it's a good soap w/o junk).

This is a good way to avoid the SLS problem as well.

Carla

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2006, 09:01:06 PM » by Julie G

Quote from: a_new_creation on May 14, 2006, 08:28:01 PM

The ToothSoap looks pretty good....does it go pretty far? I'd have a hard time justifying buying $20 "toothpaste" unless you could get a lot of mileage out of it. Looks right up my alley though, I can't find most ingredients to make a homemade toothpaste...might be able to get hubby to try this one though.

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #15 on: May 14, 2006, 09:18:57 PM » by a_new_creation

Quote from: Julie G on May 14, 2006, 09:01:06 PM

Sorry, should have mentioned this. One jar (we use the shreds) lasts my dh and I about 4 months. My dh brushes 2x/day usually and I aim for 1x/day. Lately I've been just doing "quickies" w/ water as I am pg and brushing my teeth at all makes me feel not so good.

Carla

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #16 on: May 14, 2006, 09:31:41 PM » by Julie G

Thank you Carla! Once we run out of our toothpaste I'll probably splurge....sounds really good and do-able

Oh and with both of my pregnancies I got sick when I tried to brush my teeth. Oh the joy.... Tongue

trying to brush your teeth and throwing up...needing to brush them again to get the nasty taste out of your mouth...vicious cycle...ugh Embarrassed

My friend recommended that I get a child's toothbrush and use that instead of the large adult size.....It worked Grin

. Never had a problem with getting sick from my toothbrush anymore.

Worked for me and my friend anyway.

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #17 on: May 14, 2006, 09:36:20 PM » by Kansas Girl

I'm so glad to find out that I'm not the only one who gets sick brushing teeth while pregnant!!!!! Every time I've mentioned that to someone they give me a funny look, so I just assumed I was the only one. What a relief Grin

-KG

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #18 on: May 15, 2006, 10:38:08 AM » by healthybratt

Quote from: a_new_creation on May 14, 2006, 08:28:01 PM

The whole reasoning behind it is this: There's a guy named Gerard Judd who discovered that glycerin, which is basically in every toothpaste on the market, takes like 27 times to rinse off, thus impeding the body's ability to remineralize the teeth. Soap cleans your teeth and rinses off easily w/o residues (if it's a good soap w/o junk).

Soap does not rinse well in hard water. This is why we have a ring around the bath tub and why we use vinegar to rinse our hair. Maybe we need vinegar mouth wash for after Huh

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #19 on: August 13, 2006, 08:16:57 PM » by abbilynn

I am looking for a natural toothpaste for my son. We are currently using JASON but it has a stong taste and his little mouth is EXTRA sensitive!! He screams the whole time I brush b/c he says it burns. They didn't have anything that looked mild. Does anyone know of a more kid-friendly natural toothpaste? Thanks for your help! My son thanks you too I'm sure Grin

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #20 on: August 13, 2006, 08:28:50 PM » by kittyninja

try this for starter...Toothpaste & Dental Care

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #21 on: August 13, 2006, 09:17:38 PM » by WithLoveAndJoy

Also, most Super Walmart Stores carry Tom's of Maine toothpaste in several flavors, both with and without flouride. They usually cost about $2.50 each which I have found to be a terrific price for natural toothpaste in our area. Hope this gets your mind jogging.

ALso, my DH's family once used plain baking soda and water to brush back some years ago when times were hard. That is about as natural as you can get, if you (or in this case your son) doesnt' mind the taste. Shocked

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #22 on: August 13, 2006, 09:49:37 PM » by felmleyfam

you can usually find the burtbees toothpaste half off. If if you go to their website and shop under the outlet that is where the deals are.

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #23 on: August 13, 2006, 10:33:28 PM » by ForeverGirl

Our favorite toothpaste is the Thera Neem toothpaste sold by Organixsouth.com. The neem seems to really whiten and clean, and one of the main ingredients is xylitol which is supposed to strengthen enamel.

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #24 on: August 14, 2006, 05:09:32 AM » by KatieMac

Where do you get it? I went to their website and they don't sell it directly...want to plug your favorite online-retailer?

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #25 on: August 14, 2006, 08:36:44 AM » by dara

My kids like Burt's Bees' kids toothpaste. No floride, no sugar, no SLS, and flavored mildly with orange oil. Someday I'll make my own. I'll post it when I do.

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #26 on: August 14, 2006, 08:45:13 AM » by heatheronthehill

Here's a recipe for making your own toothpaste. I got this from a Mr. Roger's children's activities book. If you make it with your child and let them pick out the flavoring they might be more enthusiastic about brushing their teeth!

You’ll Need: 4 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. flavoring (vanilla, almond, or peppermint extract), 1 drop food coloring (optional)

Help your child measure out the ingredients into a small container with an airtight lid. Mix them together with a spoon, and put a bit onto a toothbrush to brush your teeth. To help your child brush your teeth long enough (one or two minutes), have them brush their teeth while you sing a song (ABC’s, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star…) and they can’t stop brushing until the song is over! Hopefully, this activity will help make getting ready for bed more fun when they use their own homemade toothpaste.

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #27 on: August 14, 2006, 09:06:08 AM » by Amey

We also use Burt's Bees orange toothpaste for kids.

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #28 on: August 14, 2006, 09:45:30 AM » by dara

How does the baking soda/salt toothpaste taste, even with flavoring in it? I don't know that my kids would like the flavor, but I'll prob. have to try it.

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Re: Dentists & Home Dental Care
« Reply #29 on: August 14, 2006, 10:26:21 AM » by ForeverGirl

Quote from: KatieMac on August 14, 2006, 05:09:32 AM

Where do you get it? I went to their website and they don't sell it directly...want to plug your favorite online-retailer?

You have to call them on the phone to order. Although, I think Organixsouth products are sold in Trader Joe's and Sunflower Market.

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