What is Remineralization
Remineralization is a natural tooth repair process. Your body takes calcium and phosphate minerals from your saliva and deposits them in your enamel.
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Demineralization is a process when your teeth lose minerals, which happens as you eat and drink throughout the day.
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Remineralization helps replace those lost minerals to keep your teeth strong and prevent tooth disease. The minerals work together to form a compound called hydroxyapatite, which is a building block of your teeth and provides strength.
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If you have more tooth demineralization (mineral loss) than remineralization (mineral gain), you are highly likely to get cavities. A cavity is a permanent hole in your enamel that your dentist has to fill.
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The outermost layer of your teeth is called enamel.
It is the hard "coating" that protects all the softer inner layers of your teeth. When this layer gets weakened or worn, you can start to get cavities (bacterial infection), sensitivity, wear, and other effects. Once your enamel is lost, it cannot regrow. Therefore, it is especially important to be proactive - take care of any cavities or cracks that are already present and focus on better oral care, do what you can to remineralize and strengthen your existing enamel.
The main way enamel becomes weakened is from bacteria and an acidic environment in your mouth.
There are many causes of acidity in your mouth.
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Bacteria - feeds off the sugars from your food and produces acid that eats away the enamel
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Stress. Stress is a leading cause of acidity in your body and has been linked to many health conditions
such as heart and stroke disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. The acidity from stress also shows up in the
mouth and erodes the enamel of your teeth. -
Diet. The foods/liquids we eat, and drink play a large part in the acid/alkaline balance in our mouths and
our bodies. (Vitamin C drinks/chewable tablets, supplement gummies, sugar-free soda, dried fruit,and
carbonated water create an acidic environment) -
Mouthwashes and toothpastes can contribute to the wear of our enamel through acidity levels and
abrasivity. -
Having a dry mouth can contribute to the wearing of enamel. Saliva is the natural cleansing mechanism
to protect our teeth. Dry mouth can be from mouth breathing day and/or night, it can happen to any age
group. There are many other causes of mouth breathing - adenoids, tonsil problems, sleep apnea etc
Some medications have the side effect of drying the mouth.
What can I do to strengthen and maintain healthy enamel and healthy teeth?
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Good oral hygiene - flossing, brushing, water pick
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Use neutral pH mouthwash
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Use low-abrasive toothpaste
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Regular dental exams, x-rays, and dental hygiene.
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Fluoride rinse - fluoride is a natural mineral that helps to strengthen enamel - OptiRinse 0.2% or CTX
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Reduce acidic foods and drinks.
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Whatever you eat, swish vigorously with a mouthful of neutral or alkaline pH water a couple of times to rinse the food and acidity off your teeth.​
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Drink neutral or alkaline water
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Reduce stress - this is important for your oral and overall health
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For dry mouth
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drink more water and rinse with water regularly
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Use saliva stimulants - Xylimelts, X-Pur (xylitol) pastilles/gum
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Oravital test for oral bacteria. Some people have bacteria in their mouths that can cause increased acidity and increased cavities/gum disease
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Probiotics - create a balanced pH in our stomachs, which reduces acid reflux and bad breath
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What makes my mouth acidic?
(or cavity-prone)
Many risk factors contribute to fluctuation of pH in your mouth including genetics, stress,
eating habits and frequency, oral hygiene regime, dry mouth often caused by medications,
mouth breathing/impaired nasal breathing, mineral make up of enamel, type of bacteria(s)
present in your mouth and saliva and more.
How can I combat the bacteria that cause tooth decay?
While some risk factors are out of your control, there are many options to help lower your risk
of cavities. Some key things your hygienist recommends for you include:
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Daily brushing and flossing, electric toothbrushes are more effective as well as waxed string or expanding floss
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More mineral support in your homecare products like high fluoride or xylitol toothpaste, a daily fluoridated mouthwash, xylitol gums or lozenges, saliva substitutes
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Nightly practices like nasal clearing, humidifier and water near the bed
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Monitor eating frequency - most food items lower the pH of your mouth for up to an hour after eating, "snackers" and "grazers" tend to harbour more acidic mouths
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Acidic drinks like juice and soda water as well as chewy sugary items like gummies and dried fruits are high risk, try ending your snack with high protein items like cheese or nuts, increase your daily water intake
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Regular (2x/yr) topical fluoride treatments are proven to lower your risk of tooth decay
Ask us what products are recommended for you!
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