DIY dental care?

[nefarioustofu]

So, last month I went to the dentist and my hygenist told me I should use Fluoride to strengthen my teeth that are quickly becoming cavities. I've read some dubious reports about the effectiveness of fluoride and have heard that it's just a scam by the fluoride companies who are paying the dentists to recommend it as a treatment

Comments

[xseitanistx]

I'm not sure about treatment, but I know preventative care is one of the best ways to take care of your teeth. Eating a well-balanced diet is the first step, but even the perfect diet can still be wrought with a lot of tooth-killing culprits. Foods high in sugar and acid (such as some fruits) really eat away at your teeth when you consume them in large quantities, and grains (especially wheat) are terrible for your teeth, too. Your teeth are built similar to bones, so make sure you're getting plenty of bone-building vitamins like calcium. And, if you REALLY want to go the extra mile, brush your teeth after every meal. At the very least, swish around some water and spit it out after every meal.

[xseitanistx]

Oh, and Rob told me that you can swish salt water around in your mouth to help with mouth sores. I am not sure how true that is (although it seems true enough since salt draws out bacteria), but that might help with your gingivitis. I originially typed "gingivities", and frankly, I think that's more fun to say.

YOUR GINGIVITIES!!! CRAWLIN ALL OVER YO TEEFS!!! AHHHH!!!

[vampire_turtles]

I'm pretty convinced that fluoride will help strengthen your teeth. There's tons of data about how fluoridated drinking water corresponds with lower rates of tooth decay because it was so widely and publicly applied, and obviously the dentist doesn't make any money off of you drinking fluoride from the tap (an agrument I'm skeptical of for several reasons anyway, but that's neither here nor there really). Anyway, I thought a lot of the debate about it was not about whether it made your teeth stronger, but about the fact that fluoride (like most things) is toxic, and depending on the dose it can have other health effects that might outweigh stronger teeth. But if you're talking about toothpase or fluoride treatments where you don't ingest it, that might not be a big problem

[brigittefires]

Much with the support of the fluoride. It does help. Mostly the dissenters are extremists.

Also, a diluted hydrogen peroxide rinse every day will help the gingivitis. Brushing with baking soda helps whiten and does wonders for oral health, but can also weaken the enamel with micro-scratches. If you choose to use baking soda, definitely use a fluoride rinse.

I brush with baking soda about twice a week, in addition to at least once a day with fluoride toothpaste, and have revered most of my coffee and nicotine stains, as well as slowed the growth of 9 cavities to being filled nearly a year after they first expected to fill them. I've recently added a fluoride rinse "daily" which usually comes out to be about 3 times a week, but the jury's out on the effectiveness of that. That's mostly preventative of new cavities.

I've heard good things about apple cider vinegar rinses too, tho I haven't tried it myself.

[brigittefires]

*revered=reversed

[anonymous]

Teal here.

Corn is really good for your teeth.

sweet corn is delicious eaten raw right off the stalk.