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Old 04-07-2014, 07:21 AM   #1
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Toothpaste

Since we've had threads about razor blades, why not one on toothpaste?

An interesting site that suggests we may not need toothpaste for cleaning plaque from teeth.

The TRUTH about Toothpaste | Dental Hygiene Haven
Quote:
There. Now you know. The truth is: you would do just fine without toothpaste at all. You don’t need it. What? We don’t need it? That’s right. Plaque (“biofilm”) is sticky. Think of peanut butter on a knife. Think about getting peanut butter off of a knife. You can rinse it in water, smear soap on it, blast it with high-pressure water, and swish it through an anti-peanut butter preparation – and still have peanut butter on that knife. These actions, of course, are analogous to rinsing your mouth out, smearing toothpaste across your teeth, using an oral irrigator, and using mouthwash.
The rest of the article discusses why we may want to use toothpaste... and how much to use.
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Old 04-08-2014, 06:55 AM   #2
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I just wish I could avoid plaque without all the work. I bet there is some dietary change that would stop it if I just knew what the culprits are.
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Old 04-08-2014, 07:28 AM   #3
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I need my toothpaste
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Old 04-08-2014, 07:40 AM   #4
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According to my sister the dentist, people who eat little or no sugar and starch (carbs) develop a lot less plaque.

Pretty much the same advice I heard when I was a kid. "Cut back on the sweets!"
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Old 04-08-2014, 09:31 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mpeirce View Post
According to my sister the dentist, people who eat little or no sugar and starch (carbs) develop a lot less plaque.

Pretty much the same advice I heard when I was a kid. "Cut back on the sweets!"
+1
My dentist told me early on, "stop drinking soda."

But does your statement about the sweets include natural sugars, such as from fruit? Or does that have a different affect on teeth?
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Old 04-08-2014, 09:43 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by panacea View Post
+1
My dentist told me early on, "stop drinking soda."

But does your statement about the sweets include natural sugars, such as from fruit? Or does that have a different affect on teeth?

Sugar is sugar. But, fruit also has fiber which might do some good?
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Old 04-08-2014, 09:59 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuckanut View Post
Sugar is sugar. But, fruit also has fiber which might do some good?
The bacteria that form the biofilm (plaque) consume sugar and starch and produce acid which harms your teeth. They don't really care what form the sugar is in, they can digest sucrose, fructose, maltose, galactose and all starches very easily. Remember starch is just long strings of sugar.

Liquids with sugar in them are probably worse in that it's more bioavailable. You're just bathing your teeth in it.
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Old 04-08-2014, 01:55 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by donheff View Post
I just wish I could avoid plaque without all the work. I bet there is some dietary change that would stop it if I just knew what the culprits are.
Try as I may, DW still easily beats me at keeping tartar free. Just judging from what they say at our dentist.

I religiously brush with one of those timer Oral-B things and floss too. Still I have to go to the dentist every 6 months. I think that many of us are just genetically different regarding the mouth chemistry.

And I'm not about to give up fruits and some sweets.
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Old 04-08-2014, 02:29 PM   #9
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Before brushing, I rinse my mouth with a small amount of Cepacol (any mouthwash will do the same). My teeth feel noticeably cleaner than just brushing with toothpaste.
Also, I don't recall where I saw it but once read that flossing regularly might be more important than brushing. Anyway, I floss and brush regularly.
I also inherited my mother's teeth genes. She didn't see a dentist until she was in her twenties (old-school immigrant parents) and had maybe 4 cavities total her entire life. I've had more than that, but don't think the number is greater than 10.
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Old 04-08-2014, 03:21 PM   #10
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I brush and floss twice a day.

That's a lot easier when you don't have to go to work.
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Old 04-08-2014, 05:03 PM   #11
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Many years ago 40+? had GF who was lab tech in a co. which made tooth paste. In their studies toothpasted or plain brushing made no difference whatsoever. But has huge profit margins. Guess why they advocate a full toothbrush length of squeezins?
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Old 04-08-2014, 06:16 PM   #12
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Doesn't toothpaste freshen up one's breath?
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Old 04-08-2014, 07:37 PM   #13
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Toothpaste is not expensive. It probably helps the breath (especially if you brush your tongue).
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Old 04-12-2014, 06:13 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mpeirce View Post
According to my sister the dentist, people who eat little or no sugar and starch (carbs) develop a lot less plaque.

Pretty much the same advice I heard when I was a kid. "Cut back on the sweets!"
We've had essentially no dental problems since cutting out most carbs four years ago. We get teeth cleaned every 9 months instead of every 6.

Concerning "added" sugars vs fruit sugars, it will be a while before people can accept that the sugar in fruit is just as bad as what's added. Sometimes I say:

This is what the added sugar looks like:



This is what the fruit sugar in, say, a grape looks like:



See the difference?

In any case, not eating sugar, and consuming very little carb is our get out of jail card, dentist-wise.
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Old 04-13-2014, 06:04 AM   #15
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I haven't read any research on plaque resulting from too much carbs but my anecdotal experience doesn't support the hypothesis. I cut out almost all sugar and was low carb (< 50 g/day) for over a year and saw no reduction in plaque. I have slowly added back carbs back to around 100-150 grams a day so my current consumption doesn't answer the question. If it would require a super low carb ketogenic diet to get rid of plaque I'm not interested. I will let the dental technicians handle it for me.
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Old 04-13-2014, 09:22 AM   #16
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Aren't fresh fruits good for a person? Yep, they have some sugar.
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Old 04-13-2014, 09:30 AM   #17
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Just as soap helps clean hands better than water and rubbing alone, I see toothpaste doing similar. Many brands include the minerals fluoride and calcium which are not found at significant levels in most well water.
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Old 04-13-2014, 10:02 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by panacea View Post
+1
My dentist told me early on, "stop drinking soda."
The soda part also has to do with the carbonic acid found in most sodas. While you may not keep the soda in your mouth for a long period of time before swallowing, the carbonic acid can attack the calcium in your teeth.

Just place a tooth that has fallen out of your mouth (or any animal bone) and let it sit in some soda for a few days and see what happens.

Obviously, the soda isn't sitting in your mouth for 3 straight days...but if you drink a lot of soda each week, and if your tooth enamel is a little thin (or worn off in some spots), then over time, all of that exposure to the carbonic acid can start to weaken your teeth.
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Old 04-13-2014, 11:41 AM   #19
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How about one diet coke a day? Still an issue?
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Old 04-13-2014, 12:09 PM   #20
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Let's see Walmart sells a 6.4 oz tube of Aim toothpaste for 88 cents. That tube lasts me about 4-5 months which is a SWAG since I don't keep track. I think using toothpaste is an inexpensive preventative measure.

I get my teeth cleaned every 4 vs 6 months and the hygienist that does it each time says my teeth are basically free of plaque and tartar. I rarely have a cavity. So I'll keep buying Aim, it seems like toothpaste is an expensive I can justify!
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