What's the 811 approach to teeth?

The enamels on my teeth are extremely eroded after a lengthly history with bulimia. I would say 75% of my enamel is gone. My teeth are all translucent with valleys and caverns and big holes every where. (I have white veneers in front, narrowly saving my vanity.)

Recently I became inspired to do orange island. After one morning of drinking fresh squeezed orange juice, my teeth were in pain from the acidity. The pain lasted several days and prevented me from properly being able to chew anything. So that totally ruled out oranges...

Scrubbing my teeth with abrasive toothpaste every day seems totally counterintuitive at this stage - I feel I have to take every measure to preserve the little enamel I have left. Yet, after eating fruit, if I let the sugar sit in my mouth without brushing, my mouth's environment turns acidic and my teeth get sensitive again. Rinsing with water doesn't do anything to combat this. And nothing but brushing prevents plaque from building up on my teeth.

Most of the time, I at least eat a stalk of celery or kale after fruit to "brush" out the sugar... but it doesn't completely solve any of the problems I mentioned.

So... my question is... what are people here doing for teeth? And what's the official 811 recommendation for dental care?

Welllllll i tried the whole "only using baking soda to brush" thing...as soon as i did so, i started getting a lot of teeth pain and noticable difference. I already have very sensitive teeth, caused by clenching/grinding at night. I wear a bite plane to prevent teeth to teeth contact, but that doesnt prevent me from the grinding and clenching. It also causes my gums to recede, which means more cavity risks and pain exposed. I then was flossing and a cavity cover thing popped right off. I hadnt used toothpaste or mouthwash in a while. I kind of attribute it to that....i then had to go to the dentist and get a whole new filling in that spot. Dentists are my biggest fear, lets just say tears flooded, anxiety sky rocketed, and breathing was hard. I was then asked by my dentist what toothpaste i use. I told him i only have been using baking soda. He said its really abrasive, and i need fluoride to prevent any further tooth decay/issues. Well, i decided to just go to whole foods and get a natural toothpaste/mouthwash with non of that chemical crap, and no fluoride either. I got PerioBrite Natural Toothpaste and Mouthwash. So far i really like it...but im still haveing major major tooth sensitivity like when i switched to no toothpaste.....i dont really know what else to do. If this toothpaste/mouthwash doesnt help any, i might have to resort to a Tom's toothpaste with fluoride :-\...i cant be in pain all the time when i drink water (that even causes teeth pain) or eat dates (really hurts).

Replies

Yuliya October 24, 2011 at 12:44pm

I experimented a lot with all different kinds of toothpaste - natural or otherwise, baking soda swishing, oil pulling, tooth soap - you name it, I tried it.

I now use waterfloss (http://www.showerfloss.com/), Sonic electric toothbrush, Dr. Collins Perio toothbrush for hard-to-reach spots, Radius toothbrush as a tongue scraper, Dr. Collins BioFloss, and nothing but pure water for my toothpaste or mouthwash. Plus I try doing saliva swishing regularly.

Once after 6 months of not using toothpaste I tried to go back to natural tooth powder made from bark and roots (from http://www.uncleharrys.com/store/product_info.php/cPath/48_49/produ...), and some of my teeth became slightly sensitive. I stopped using it - the sensitivity went away. So, I think now I am back on water for good.
Yuliya October 24, 2011 at 12:35pm

Yes, I do the saliva swishing too - I think it helps if you got any teeth or gum issues.
Jennelle LeMoine October 23, 2011 at 8:00pm

Welllllll i tried the whole "only using baking soda to brush" thing...as soon as i did so, i started getting a lot of teeth pain and noticable difference. I already have very sensitive teeth, caused by clenching/grinding at night. I wear a bite plane to prevent teeth to teeth contact, but that doesnt prevent me from the grinding and clenching. It also causes my gums to recede, which means more cavity risks and pain exposed. I then was flossing and a cavity cover thing popped right off. I hadnt used toothpaste or mouthwash in a while. I kind of attribute it to that....i then had to go to the dentist and get a whole new filling in that spot. Dentists are my biggest fear, lets just say tears flooded, anxiety sky rocketed, and breathing was hard. I was then asked by my dentist what toothpaste i use. I told him i only have been using baking soda. He said its really abrasive, and i need fluoride to prevent any further tooth decay/issues. Well, i decided to just go to whole foods and get a natural toothpaste/mouthwash with non of that chemical crap, and no fluoride either. I got PerioBrite Natural Toothpaste and Mouthwash. So far i really like it...but im still haveing major major tooth sensitivity like when i switched to no toothpaste.....i dont really know what else to do. If this toothpaste/mouthwash doesnt help any, i might have to resort to a Tom's toothpaste with fluoride :-\...i cant be in pain all the time when i drink water (that even causes teeth pain) or eat dates (really hurts).
Hummingbird October 23, 2011 at 6:10pm

Update: Since posting this thread, I have been "brushing" with a solution of baking soda and water. About 2 teaspoons of baking soda in a 10 oz. jar of water - put some in my mouth, and brush with my toothbrush. I also use that to swish out a few times a day. And I have continued flossing. It works great, and I think I'm saving my teeth! I've had very little sensitivity since - no more abrasion on my teeth from toothpaste.

I've also been able to enjoy oranges again. I juice them (so I can eat more of them faster)... drink the juice, then immediately swish with the baking soda water.

I notice that I have a bit more plaque on my teeth now, but I so much prefer that to not being able to chew because of painful and sensitive teeth.

I'm so glad I posted this thread and got all of you's fantastic imput. :)
joce October 22, 2011 at 6:21pm

Fruitfiend, I found these links really helpful. Thank you!
Ben September 15, 2011 at 2:43am

Rinse with warm water after eating fruit. Also, drink your orange juice through a straw.
- Hummingbird > Ben October 23, 2011 at 6:13pm
  
  Thanks for the suggestion! It's great to know that she's familiar with raw vegans. I'm no longer living in the Bay area, but if I would go to a dentist, that's where I'd go, since it's still a "home base".
  
  I have so much dental work to get done... and been putting it off. :/
- Isa > Ben October 23, 2011 at 6:25am
  
  i use this-http://www.eco-dent.com/item.php?item=164010
  
  someone on this site recommended it to me
fruitsofmylabour September 15, 2011 at 12:00am

I found this today...

Dates contain elemental fluorine that is useful in protecting teeth against decay.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12850886
Angela Camp September 14, 2011 at 8:35am

Drinking freezed squeezed orange juice from a straw doesn't seem to cause me any problems, have you tried that?

of 2

This reply was deleted.