I am SO tired of having rotten teeth. I am at the point where I want to pull them all out and wear dentures. Remember dentures? All the old people had them and they would take them out and soak them in a jar on the nightstand, and then put them back into their mouths when they get up to eat breakfast.
Of course, I am to blame for the condition of my teeth because I love my Coca Cola, my Good News candy bar, chocolate chip cookies and constantly snacking while I watch movies and series on Netflix.
Recently one of my teeth really hurt and a trip to the dentist (Hideki Kurokawa – who is a really great dentist) confirmed a cavity that is causing inflammation. Not good. Not good at all so I will be having a root canal done this week by Nozomu Yamauchi at Island Endodontics. Dr. Noz is super good – really super good. And I can say this because I have a mouthful of teeth that have been root canaled by many different endodontists, and Dr. Noz is the best by far.
Meanwhile, cruising on Google for information on rotten teeth solutions (I really just want to pull them out), I came across a lady dentist who looked to be my age and she talked on my level. Her name is Dr. Ellie Phillips. She said I can reverse cavities by re-mineralizing my tooth enamel with some simple tips and a small lifestyle change. I watched and listened, and then I watched and listened some more, following her links and other videos that she has produced. One of them said to stop flossing.
What?!??? Stop flossing? That is almost sacrilegious! But truth to tell, flossing is a chore I would love to give up. Reverse cavities? I don’t think so – but then I do hope that it is possible. Strangely and coincidentally, I picked up a bag of Xylitol gum at 7-11 this morning with my spicy ahi inari sushi (ono!) because it called to me – and this was before I watched Dr. Ellie.
So long story short, I will recap who she and others said.
Demineralization of the tooth enamel causes holes. To stop caries (pre cavity stage), limit sugar, stop infection of outside surface of tooth by correcting PH levels to alkaline and give it the minerals that a healthy microbiome needs in the mouth. Use sodium floride with rinses and brush teeth with Crest Cavity Prevention toothpaste and Listerine Cool Mint flavor. If you feel you must floss (not recommended by Dr. Ellie), then do so when you have toothpaste in your mouth.
After meals, chew on Xylitol gum. Xylitol is a natural sweetener that inhibits plaque from sticking to your teeth and has long term effects for oral health. It is highly recommended for pregnant mothers because babies are born with healthy microbiomes from the start and it lays the foundation for good oral health for life. Xylitol has a very long term effect – 5 years after stopping use in a trial test, participants still had good oral health and less cavities.
Stop nibbling and sipping between meals. Saliva needs to be present to nurture and mineralize the teeth, and sipping or eating washes away our saliva until it is replaced, which takes about an hour.
There is much more information, and watching one video can lead to others such as how to whiten teeth naturally. The commercial methods to whiten teeth actually destroy and weaken teeth so I’ll stick to having my yellow teeth. However, I did bite the bullet and ordered Dr. Ellie’s kit (Crest toothpaste, rinses, Listerine, and Xylitol mints) because I am a believer. Her gum is cheaper than the one at 7-11 and reviews of the fruit flavored one says it tastes like Juicy Fruit gum – yum!
So, maybe I will keep all my teeth and be happy with them. That would be nice, right?
Update: I was informed that they can’t ship the kit to me due to shipping restrictions! What a bummer! Ah well, I can still order the gum and/or mints (on sale until May 14, 2024) at 20% off. I will go to Longs and get the kit products since they are all over the counter stuff.
Awesome tips!! Thanks!
Hi Honolulu Aunty! This is Izsmom, I usually comment of Jalna’s blog and read your blog when you post. Have you tried taking Magnesium? If you Google magnesium and dental caries there is a lot of information on how magnesium is good for oral health, particularly the teeth. I noticed since I stopped taking calcium supplements and switching to magnetic supplements, my oral health seems to be much better. I take magnesium glycinate as it is better absorbed. Hope this helps. (BTW too much xylitol can cause the runs.)
Hi Izsmom! I heard of magnesium along with vitamins D and K for dental health. Magnesium is good stuff for a lot of things – and I spray it on my belly (when I find the bottle). Thanks for the tips. I will keep watch for Xylitol over dose – but I am just chewing one piece of gum after meals and just before sleeping after brushing.
Is it around our age group that have bad teeth? Would you believe my dental bills last year totaled $27,000.??? And so far this year, $3,000 with more work scheduled. Had to redo some root canals that were done years ago and cavities in inaccessible places between my crooked teeth led to needing crowns.
At least my teeth look fairly straight now. LOL new car? Teeth? new car??? teeth???
OMG, Vicki! $27,000!!! My Devoted Care (medicare) pays $3k per year for dental and my dentist puts off procedures to the following year to give me a break. But $27,000! I would get a new car instead and pull out my teeth. For now, I will believe in Dr. Ellie’s protocols and hope for the best. I will binge eat and drink my sugar favorites, brush and rinse my teeth, chew Xylitol gum and try not to sip or nibble in between meals or binges. And, thanks to Izsmom, I will also spray my belly with magnesium during the day.