[SPACECADET236]

Hi, I am so frustrated! All my life I have had constant dental problems (cavities, gum problems, enamel erosion, sensitive teeth, etc). For the past 6 years I have tried to nip this in the bud by brushing and flossing after every meal, drinking tons of water, rinsing with ACT, chewing Trident, and just flat out being totally **** about my oral health. Everytime I go to the dentist I hear "Oh you have 5 more cavities, your pockets are a 5 or 6, you need a root canal, crown, fillings, etc....." even after I have been taking stellar care of my teeth. I know people who barely ever brush, eat tons of sweets and soda, never floss and they NEVER have problems. My uncle is almost 80 and takes crappy care of his teeth; guess what....never had a cavity. And now my 6 yr old is having problems...the dentist says he has demineralization even though he only drinks water, eats very well, and I brush his teeth and floss after every meal. Is this hereditary?? I dont have dental ins. so I cant afford to keep getting all this stuff fixed. But I dont know what else to do!!! Anyone else have these problems or have any solutions??

[Bryanna]

Hi Spacecadet,

I know this can be very frustrating. All too often, our dentist and hygienist tell us to follow a hygiene routine that may not be very beneficial to us in the long run. I think you may not be guided properly which is contributing to your dental problems.

It is not how many times a day you brush or floss that matters, it is how thorough your brushing and flossing are that makes the difference. You could brush 4 times a day and still not remove the plaque along the gum line... and/or you could be brushing too hard which causes gum recession. So it's the technique that matters, not the number of times.

Diet also plays a huge role in the health of our teeth. Acidic foods, sugary foods, starchy foods.... all alter the PH in our saliva. Because our teeth bathe in our saliva continuously, a break down of the enamel will occur depending on how often these foods are consumed. The saliva cannot be altered favorably by brushing the teeth, only by changing the diet.

If you use any mouthwash that claims to "kill the germs" or "protect the teeth from decay" ... then you are killing off the good bacteria as well as the bad which once again alters the PH of the saliva and contributes to the break down of the enamel. The more you use it, the worse things become.

If you take medications that decrease your salivary flow such as.... antihistamines, some heart meds, anti depressants, etc... then you are also predisposed to dental problems of the teeth and the gums because our mouths need to be bathed in healthy saliva to be healthy.

People who eat poorly and/or take poor care of their mouths, rarely skate by with no dental problems. Sooner or later things start to occur. If your elderly Uncle consumes a healthy diet, he may not have problems with his teeth even if he's not a good brusher. Or he may have tooth decay and/or periodontal disease and not even know it.

Some dental problems are thought to be hereditary. However, just because we are pre disposed to inheriting something doesn't mean we will get it or even get a bad case of whatever it is. It is up to the individual to do what needs to be done to minimize the contributory factors.

With regard to your 6 yr old daughter... depending on her diet, there is no need to brush her teeth after every meal. Also, flossing a child's teeth should be gentle and less aggressive than on an adult because the gum attachment is much higher on baby teeth than on adult teeth. Take another look at her diet and notice the foods that she is eating on a daily basis.... are they altering the PH of her saliva?

Once again, nutritious diet along with thorough gentle brushing and flossing, eliminate the mouthwash and fluoride because they are both unnecessary and unhealthy. Electric toothbrushes are really great at removing plaque along the gum line... kids usually brush really well with them!

Here is a great info on balancing acid and alkaline foods..
http://www.trans4mind.com/nutrition/pH.html

Hope this is helpful to you..
Bryanna

Originally Posted by SPACECADET236

Hi, I am so frustrated! All my life I have had constant dental problems (cavities, gum problems, enamel erosion, sensitive teeth, etc). For the past 6 years I have tried to nip this in the bud by brushing and flossing after every meal, drinking tons of water, rinsing with ACT, chewing Trident, and just flat out being totally **** about my oral health. Everytime I go to the dentist I hear "Oh you have 5 more cavities, your pockets are a 5 or 6, you need a root canal, crown, fillings, etc....." even after I have been taking stellar care of my teeth. I know people who barely ever brush, eat tons of sweets and soda, never floss and they NEVER have problems. My uncle is almost 80 and takes crappy care of his teeth; guess what....never had a cavity. And now my 6 yr old is having problems...the dentist says he has demineralization even though he only drinks water, eats very well, and I brush his teeth and floss after every meal. Is this hereditary?? I dont have dental ins. so I cant afford to keep getting all this stuff fixed. But I dont know what else to do!!! Anyone else have these problems or have any solutions??