This article wraps up our series on how to stop tooth decay and remineralize cavities. ย This series has taken us through how teeth decay, what creates the โperfect stormโ for decay, how to reverse tooth decay with diet, and the safety of fluoride, to name a few.
Behind the scenes here at OraWellness, for several years now, we have been extensively researching how to remineralize teeth, what mechanisms work to stop and even reverse tooth decay, and how and why those mechanisms work.
Here are several of the pieces to this puzzle.
To reverse tooth decay, address the ‘whole body’ factor.
The work of Weston Price, Edward and May Mellanby, Ralph Steinman, and so many other researchers has thankfully come back into public awareness. ย The truth is, we can stop and even reverse existing tooth decay.
Many of our friends, including Ramiel Nagel (author of Cure Tooth Decay)ย and so many others have done an excellent job in helping to bring the work of these pioneers to the forefront of public awareness.
Over the years, we here at OraWellness have also worked to help spread awareness of the whole body aspect of healing tooth decay, by writing articles like, โWhy teeth decay (and how to stop it)โ, โWhat to eat to support greater oral healthโ, and more recently, โHow to reverse tooth decay with dietโ.
The point here is that reversing cavities and remineralizing teeth definitely involves more than just our mouths.
That said, there is also much we can do directly in the mouth to help our teeth remineralize and to reverse existing decay.
To summarize the findings from our research, to reverse tooth decay by taking action in the mouth, we must:
- Provide the right combination of minerals to our teeth.
- Ensure the minerals we provide are in the right particle size.
- Deliver these minerals to the right spots (the decayed areas that need support).
The right combination of minerals
Ok, since itโs the holiday time as I write this, letโs imagine we want to make a pumpkin pie.
You donโt have any pumpkin, but you have a bunch of grapes. ย Can you substitute the grapes for the pumpkin to make the pie?
Of course not. ย You need pumpkin to make pumpkin pie.
The same thing goes for remineralizing our teeth. ย We have to supply the same minerals our teeth are made of if we expect the minerals to be deposited into the crystal matrix of our teeth.
Our recent article, โHow Teeth Decayโ, details how our teeth are mostly made of calcium and phosphorus in a crystalline compound called hydroxyapatite. ย (There is a small percentage of magnesium and carbonate thatโs incorporated into our tooth structure, too.)
Is the ratio of minerals important?
Letโs go back to our silly pumpkin pie example.
In this case, letโs pretend you have pumpkin, eggs, honey/sugar, flour, etc.โ all the ingredients needed to make the pumpkin pie.
The recipe calls for 2 cups of pumpkin, but you only have 1/4 cup for the whole pie. ย However, you do have 6 eggs that you could use to make up for the missing 1 ยพ cups of pumpkin. ย You have all the ingredients, but not in the right combination and amounts.
Sounds like another recipe for disaster, right?
Itโs the same with remineralization. ย Not only do we need the right minerals, but we also need those minerals in the right combination so that our teeth can uptake them to support any demineralized areas.
In a previous article, we explain how our teeth are made of a specific combination of calcium and phosphorus. ย Each hydroxyapatite molecule is 10 parts calcium and 6 parts phosphorus.
Research shows that if we provide our teeth with these minerals in this specific combination, uptake and repair happens much more effectively.
At the right particle size
Back to our pumpkin pieโฆ
So, let’s now imagine we have the right ingredients, and the right amount of each ingredient. ย To make the pie, we make the pie crust, set the whole pumpkin and the eggs (still in their shells) on the crust, and then bake the pie, right? ?
Of course not!
We have to extract the pumpkin flesh from the pumpkin and mix it with the cracked eggs (sans shells) to form a batter or solution.
Preparing the ingredients in this way allows them to blend together and create something new.
Itโs the same with remineralizing teethโwe have to get the ingredients to the right state (particle size) so they can combine into an effective remineralizing solution.
Like our recent articles explain, our teeth have tiny, tiny holes, like the pores on our skin. ย Even though our teeth feel smooth, they are more like a honeycomb structure with lots and lots of very tiny holes all over their surface.
Therefore, in order for the minerals we apply to our teeth to have any positive benefit, we must make sure that the particle size of the minerals is tiny as well.
Only minerals with a tiny particle size will be able to mix with our saliva and help to rebuild the structure of our teeth. ย In our recent article, ‘The perfect storm for decay – the interplay between pH, sugar, saliva and plaqueโ, we describe the important role saliva plays in the process of remineralizing our teeth.
At the right spot
Ok, so we have the right combination of minerals in the right particle size.
Thereโs one more step to really make this ‘in-the-mouth remineralization support’ process work.
We have to get these minerals to the areas that need the support.
The problem is that tooth decay actually happens under the surface of our teeth (at first). ย In our article, โHow Teeth Decayโ, we dive more fully into this interesting process.
So, how do we deliver the minerals to the subsurface areas that have decay? ย After all, the research clearly shows that simply depositing the right minerals on the surface of our teeth isnโt enough to really maximize any remineralization effort.
Instead, we have to get the minerals into the areas of decay that are under the surface of the outer enamel.
The bacterium (or ‘thug bug’) Strep mutans causes decay by traveling into the tiny holes in the surface of our teeth. ย Wouldnโt it be great if we could get them to act as our courier and deliver minerals to the subsurface demineralized areas?
How to use the โsupply chainโ of Strep mutans to deliver the remineralizing compounds where they are needed most.
In the Chinese classic book, The Art of War, author Sun Tzu wrote, โIf you know yourself and you know your enemy, you will win 100 battles out of 100 battles.โ
It’s important for us to understand how Strep mutans causes tooth decay and how it provides for its own nutritional needs. ย You see, once we understand how Strep mutans feeds itself, we can leverage that information to design a way to get remineralizing compounds down into regions of decay.
Strep mutans establishes itself under the surface of our outermost enamel so it can work at destroying our teeth without being interrupted by our toothbrush or saliva.
However, it maintains a โsupply chainโ tube up to the enamel surface in order to bring food (in the form of sugars from our diet), into the subsurface decayed region.
Let’s do some microbial ninja work nowโฆ
Research shows that Strep mutans bugs mistake xylitol for food, and they transport it under the surface of our teeth to their ‘de-construction zone’. ย But, unlike normal sugars, Strep mutans isnโt able to use xylitol as food.
So, like a Trojan Horse, we can disguise our remineralizing compounds by mixing them with xylitol. Then, we’ll enlist the help of the Strep mutans to bring the minerals (masked in a tempting, seemingly sugary solution) into the decaying regions, where the minerals are needed most.
We have written about the safety and benefits of using xylitol before, but havenโt shared this stealthy, microbial ninja technique until now.
As a quick side note, when considering the use of xylitol, itโs important to find a source that makes xylitol from birch, not corn. ย In an effort to avoid genetically modified organisms, itโs best to stay away from anything made from commercial corn.
When we provide the right combination of minerals, in the right particle size, and can utilize a mechanism to deliver these minerals to the right spot where they are needed, we truly can support the remineralization of our teeth.
We can not only prevent new cavities, but also help to restore strength to areas of existing decay.
So how do we find the right combination of minerals in the right size?
When we began our deep dive into the research of remineralizing tooth decay over 3 years ago, we did so with the goal of providing our community an extremely effective solution to help stop decay and prevent cavities. With that in mind, we created our Shine Remineralizing Tooth Whitening Powder, which provides the right combination of minerals in the right particle size to help remineralize teeth.
Here’s aย link to a video and page that explain how Shine works.
Also, here’s aย link to a video and page about how to use Shine, and here’s aย link to our Shine FAQs.
To get more tips on ‘in-the-mouth’ and ‘whole-body’ steps you can take to help teeth remineralize, feel free to download our FREE eBook, How to Remineralize Your Teeth.
Related, Helpful Resources:
How to Remineralize Your Teeth [FREE eBook]
How to Stop Cavities and Reverse Tooth Decay [article]
How Teeth Decay – Part 2 of How to Stop Cavities [article]
The ‘Perfect Storm’ for Decay – the Interplay between pH,Sugar, Saliva and Plaque [article]
How to Reverse Tooth Decay with Diet [article]
Is Fluoride Safe to Use? [article]
What TO Eat to Create Greater Oral Health [article]
Is Xylitol Safe to Brush With? [article]
Reference:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4232036/
Woof! Woof!
Please remember this!ย We love our family pets!ย Of course we want to help them keep their teeth healthy and clean too.ย Xylitol can be fatally dangerous to dogs.ย Please never use a human toothpaste or toothpowder containing xylitol on your dog’s teeth.
Please send me information on how to reverse cavities. All my life I have suffered with my teeth. Just left the dentist today and cried hard! Several more cavities under crowns no less. Now there is talk of root canals – lots of money, which I do not have! I am disabled and live on very limited income. Very limited income! Please if there is any solutions you may offer I would appreciate to know.
Than you! Robin
Aloha Robin,
Perfect timing! If you sign up for our free membership, you can download our newest resource guide, ‘How to Remineralize Your Teeth’.
It’s free, which should be right in line with your limited income situation.
We hope this helps! ๐
What can you recommend for a small chip on the top of my
Lower tooth ?
Fascinating new method of repairing dental cavities: https://www.carefreedental.com/resources/21-dental-technology/109-a-chance-to-kill-the-drill-could-new-fillings-make-the-dental-drill-a-relic
The innovators: remineralisation takes the pain out of tooth decay
New method means teeth are able to repair themselves in the same amount of time as a normal filling takes
Remineralization of ENAMEL is now a fait accompli. If it can be done with a special paste and a 9 volt battery, it can be done by families all over the world with the simple, inexpensive tools and materials that we already have in our hands.
What Will and Susan are doing is positively disruptive to dental technology that has been cleearly obsolete for decades.
When will your new product be available exactly? Thanks ๐
Aloha Rhonda,
Thanks for asking! We intend to launch our new product early February. Really soon!! ๐
I always wonder how come primitive societies don’t seem to have much dental problems despite not using any dental products. Heck, they don’t even have toothbrushes and toothpastes ( not to mention dental floss). Amazing !.
Aloha Elena,
Thanks for sharing in the discussion. We also find that fascinating. So many factors are involved. Clearly diet plays a very central role. But what about the healthy social structure those indigenous societies live within? Super health giving (despite seeming struggle at times). Bottom line, if we eat the way our ancestors did and lived the pace of life they did, we wouldn’t need to brush or floss either! ๐
Thanks for the info. I could use any help possible. My teeth are not the best.
I noticed when I do pressure type of gym my teeth appear whiter… gym like push ups, etc.
Super interesting correlation Helene! Please share more as it shows up to you!
Excited to hear what you have to say in the upcoming weeks….
Enter The Matrix ๐
Your articles are great, I appreciate your blog and I like what you have to say. But please, please get to the subject quicker, we’re not 5 year olds you know. Sorry for being a bit harsh but in this article you talk about a pumpkin pie and not about teeth remineralization.
Hope this helps!
Well Marcel, I think different people may process info differently. I’m 31 and I found the pie story very easy to visualize as I took in the info. Also, remember that this article is one in a loooong series of articles. Much of the remineralizing info was already coveredโฆand since we’re not 5 years old, Will does not repeat every detail in every article ๐ But there’s a nice list of links at the bottom if you missed the earlier parts.
Here’s to happy healthy teeth in 2017!
Ditto. I am very dependent on “mass”, analogies, stories, etc. to really comprehend complex information quickly.
๐
I’ve been swishing with several things for some weeks. About a quarter to half a tablespoon of: xylitol, wheatgrass powder, spirulina powder, and kelp powder, then waiting a while before brushing, drinking, or eating anything. Just took a look at the calcium content of these powders, and they’re all very low, but who knows, maybe there’s enough to contribute to remineralizing those poor teeth. I’ll keep at it for a while, then go to the dentist to get a report on the cavities. If I remember ๐ I’ll let you know what the dentist says.
๐
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The “right” size of minerals … do calcium minerals, phosphate minerals come in different sizes, so that some minerals are going to be too big, while others will be “just right”? ๐ My lazy understanding of chemistry is no, each mineral element has it’s own size, so that no two calcium minerals are going to be different sizes. So, my lazy understanding is that, whether or not the minerals will fit into the holes in the honeycomb structure on the surface of our teeth isn’t something we can control. And, getting them in the right ratio … I guess this is something you’ll cover in the next few weeks.
๐
I think the concept is that you can’t just crunch on a piece of oyster shell or chicken bone and receive the needed minerals in the right place–they (stable crystallized molecule) particles themselves will be too big. You are correct, however; molecule for molecule, one single calcium carbonate molecule will be the same size as another, but getting the calcium, magnesium, etc. split to single-molecule size in a form that is not only stable but also palatable (i.e. not full of the chemicals that it takes to dissolve them into single-molecule suspension that probably taste awful and might even be detrimental to the ultimate “remineralizing the teeth” goal) is nigh to impossible. So, the challenge is to break the crystalline, stable structures into small enough, multi-moleculed particles so that they can travel to where the remineralization of teeth needs to occur. Hope that makes sense!
I noticed on the new Orawellness tooth powder Shine that the first, essential ingredient is not just crushed, but micro-crystaline. This initially concerned me, as I have reservations about the currently popular nano-particulate medical technologies that create particles so small that I suspect they can sneak right through cell membranes without being stopped by the essential natural gateways.
Happily, that is not what Orawellness is using. Micro-particles are in what I would consider to be a more natural, ionic size, in the “just right” range.
Are you going to be producing & selling a pre made & complete product? As its all about using the exact amnts. & ratios. Would be a lot easier, I would buy it!
Lisa.
Aloha Lisa,
Thank you for the support. Yes, we are in the final stages of production of our new product (that we’re super excited about!). Stay tuned!! ๐
great, do you have a date for your product to be available?
Regards Lisa.
Aloha Lisa!
Really soon! ๐ Thanks for asking. We plan to launch the product early February.
I have read about the use of xylitol for tooth decay, but there is something that makes me hesitate. I am extremely sugar-sensitive. I don’t have diabetes or even pre-diabetes, but when I eat anything sweet, my blood sugar crashes. That would include anything with sugar, molasses, honey, raw or otherwise, artificial sweeteners (avoid them like the plague), and even most fruits other than small amounts of berries. It seems to be the sweet TASTE, more than anything else that signals danger to my blood sugar. Since xylitol tastes sweet, I can only assume the reaction would be the same. Is there anything else–that does not have a sweet taste–that could provide the same protection?