Yellow teeth because of thin enamel
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Wed May 12, 2010 9:06 am

Hi. I am sixty four years old and take care of my face by doing facial exercises. I'm pleased with the results, but I feel the effects are spoilt when I open my mouth and smile, because my teeth are so yellow. I don't smoke, I don't drink wine, tea or coffee. My dentist tells me that the yellow-ness is caused by the enamel having worn thin after years of tooth-brushing, and the dentine is showing through. I remember that Sister Sweets (a dental hygienist) recommended using an ear wax remover containing 6.5 per cent carbamide peroxide to whiten teeth safely at home. Would that help someone like me, with yellow teeth caused by thin enamel? I hope so, as I'm so embarrassed by my yellow teeth, but can't afford expensive treatments (and would be too scared, anyway). Thanks in advance.

Wed May 12, 2010 9:13 am

newera wrote:

Hi. I am sixty four years old and take care of my face by doing facial exercises. I'm pleased with the results, but I feel the effects are spoilt when I open my mouth and smile, because my teeth are so yellow. I don't smoke, I don't drink wine, tea or coffee. My dentist tells me that the yellow-ness is caused by the enamel having worn thin after years of tooth-brushing, and the dentine is showing through. I remember that Sister Sweets (a dental hygienist) recommended using an ear wax remover containing 6.5 per cent carbamide peroxide to whiten teeth safely at home. Would that help someone like me, with yellow teeth caused by thin enamel? I hope so, as I'm so embarrassed by my yellow teeth, but can't afford expensive treatments (and would be too scared, anyway). Thanks in advance.

Sorry, I've just realised that I've put this in the Skincare forum, and I'm really talking about teeth. Perhaps I'll post it in EDS Lounge if I get no replies here. Apologies for my mistake.

free skin care · Wed May 12, 2010 11:47 am

If your teeth appears yellow because the Dentin is showing through the enamel than whitening bleach isn't going to help.

I have been using re-mineralization toothpastes and tooth creams (Dr. Collins Restore Remineralizing Toothpaste, GC MI Paste with Recaldent). I use them to help with my cavity-prone teeth not that I necessarily want to whiten my teeth. They are pretty pricey but you may want to give them a try if only to help strengthen your teeth.

And you may want to also try extra-soft toothbrushes to help prevent wearing away more enamel. I have been using the Dr. Collins Perio Toothbrush and the TePe Nova Toothbrush. I have been very happy with both of those as well.

Wed May 12, 2010 2:07 pm

ammoniasmith wrote:

If your teeth appears yellow because the Dentin is showing through the enamel than whitening bleach isn't going to help.

I have been using re-mineralization toothpastes and tooth creams (Dr. Collins Restore Remineralizing Toothpaste, GC MI Paste with Recaldent). I use them to help with my cavity-prone teeth not that I necessarily want to whiten my teeth. They are pretty pricey but you may want to give them a try if only to help strengthen your teeth.

And you may want to also try extra-soft toothbrushes to help prevent wearing away more enamel. I have been using the Dr. Collins Perio Toothbrush and the TePe Nova Toothbrush. I have been very happy with both of those as well.

Thanks for your reply,although I have to say that I'm disappointed (but not surprised) that bleaching won't help in my case. I do use re-mineralising toothpaste, but I also use an elctric toothbrush and I wonder whether that has contributed to the thinning of the enamel. It's so much more vigorous than hand-brushing, although I avoid pressing it hard against my teeth.

free skin care · Wed May 12, 2010 2:17 pm

I don't know if the electric toothbrush is too rough or not. You should talk to your dentist about that. I stick with manual toothbrushes as I brush 3 times a day and I need to have a toothbrush at work.

Which re-mineralizing toothpaste are you using? Would you consider adding the Recaldent product to your routine? The latest research on Recaldent is promising.

free skin care · Wed May 12, 2010 4:53 pm

Power toothbrushes are considered safer and more gentle than a manual. They are MORE thorough which may give the impression of being more vigorous but the actual pressure is considered less than what most manual brushers will do.

Hold lightly and at an angle to the tooth surface (toward gumline) and let the action of the brush do the job. No need to push and help the powerbrush along.

Whitening will not help yellowed teeth due to thin enamel. Usually a yellowness by dentin showing through enamel is the product of having congenitally thin enamel - not over brushing. Also our teeth naturally become more yellow or gray as we age. (Hmmmm).

Over - scrubbing with a toothbrush will increase risk of recession and abfraction at the gingival margin (gum line) but will not evenly thin out enamel. It's not possible.

Your dentin color appearance (yellow stain) is considered to be an intrinsic stain (internal within the tooth)and not going to be touched by extrinsic (outside) bleaching practices. You may get results with a laser but this is $$$

A toothpaste I recommend is Arm and Hammer "age defying". This recommendation is based on current research discussed at dental conference I attended two weeks ago. Highly recommend for adults - it's a great tooth "remineralizer". I was very impressed with the research progression (years worth)and comparatives.

free skin care · Wed May 12, 2010 6:32 pm

sister sweets,

does whitening work for aging yellow teeth? I took some photos for my mom last Sunday, I considered my teeth are yellowish, but looks superb white when I was next to her.

I don't have electric toothbrush, which brand you will recommend? I find the Manuel tooth brush in the market are too big, my gum always hurt, I am currently using a soft brush which is made in Japan, it is very small, almost like kids size.

free skin care · Wed May 12, 2010 7:06 pm

When the enamel thins like that... are the health of the teeth in jeopardy? What about having them bonded for improved color... and perhaps protection??? If you could get your dentist to write to insurance that your teeth are in need of some sort of protection... they might kick in for some of the $$$... I've been successful at doing this in the past...

free skin care · Wed May 12, 2010 8:45 pm

critic wrote:

sister sweets,

does whitening work for aging yellow teeth? I took some photos for my mom last Sunday, I considered my teeth are yellowish, but looks superb white when I was next to her.

I don't have electric toothbrush, which brand you will recommend? I find the Manuel tooth brush in the market are too big, my gum always hurt, I am currently using a soft brush which is made in Japan, it is very small, almost like kids size.

Whitening definitely works for aging teeth. That's the good news. A great way to get a more youthful look.
With regards to power toothbrushes there are two brands I would look at if I were you - One is Philips Sonicare - It is available with two head sizes for the brush - there is a very small compact size which may be perfect for you - both sizes come with the unit.
The other brand is Braun Oral-B - this had a round head which you might like also. I suggest looking at them as you will know which you might prefer. Definitely a better way to clean!

free skin care · Wed May 12, 2010 8:47 pm

One more thing - Sonicare has a new kids model out which I was WAaaay impressed with. This is smaller and you actually might like it. It's in brighter colors to appeal to the younger set but I thought it was really cool. I know it must be in stores now. I saw it when the rep brought it to demo.

free skin care · Wed May 12, 2010 8:49 pm

ClaudiaFE wrote:

When the enamel thins like that... are the health of the teeth in jeopardy? What about having them bonded for improved color... and perhaps protection??? If you could get your dentist to write to insurance that your teeth are in need of some sort of protection... they might kick in for some of the $$$... I've been successful at doing this in the past...

You're right having very thin enamel is not a great thing. Many people do have their teeth bonded/veneered. Often with enamel or dentin defects the enamel will break off easier and this is done to protect. Sensitivity can be another issue.
(You had it right on Claudia!).

And it is a valid pitch to the insurance company. There's a code for payment!

free skin care · Thu May 13, 2010 5:05 am

Just thinking aloud here, but would oil pulling help? I noticed that when I started doing this, it really did seem to make my teeth whiter. Basically its just swishing oil around in your mouth on waking, and basically it removes toxins (you spit the oil out and its a horrible colour!).

Sis could this be detrimental to the teeth. The teeth are my worst point too... although I'm liking the sound of that toothpaste!

free skin care · Thu May 13, 2010 8:35 am

TheresaMary wrote:

Just thinking aloud here, but would oil pulling help? I noticed that when I started doing this, it really did seem to make my teeth whiter. Basically its just swishing oil around in your mouth on waking, and basically it removes toxins (you spit the oil out and its a horrible colour!).

Sis could this be detrimental to the teeth. The teeth are my worst point too... although I'm liking the sound of that toothpaste!

TheresaMary, YES, oil pulling does help whiten teeth. It's one of the reasons people do it. My teeth are a beautiful white because of oil pulling, and i only do it about 3x per month (just too busy to do it more often) What i like best about OP is that it give your teeth a NATURAL white color - bleaching teeth just look so, well, bleached - and i've observed that bleached teeth eventually take on a grey/blue hue....i just cannot believe whitening your teeth in any artificial manner is healthy long term...

Sister sweets, i've got a question if you have the time, i am experiencing gum recession - my dentist tells me it's cause i have thin gum tissue and i grind...no, i don't have a mouth guard...i've just begin a program to recalcify/mineralize my bones 'cause i've read that some progressive dentists (and alternative practicioners) believe gum recession (at least for people who take care of their teeth) is due to bone loss ... i've also been doing flex effect pressure reps on my gums...my sense is that if i can regrow the bone, then my gums will have something to adhere too as they regenerate...any thoughts?

free skin care · Thu May 13, 2010 7:38 pm

TheresaMary wrote:

Just thinking aloud here, but would oil pulling help? I noticed that when I started doing this, it really did seem to make my teeth whiter. Basically its just swishing oil around in your mouth on waking, and basically it removes toxins (you spit the oil out and its a horrible colour!).

Sis could this be detrimental to the teeth. The teeth are my worst point too... although I'm liking the sound of that toothpaste!

I don't see how oil pulling could cause any damage at all. Tell me more about this.

free skin care · Thu May 13, 2010 8:42 pm

moongoddess wrote:

TheresaMary, YES, oil pulling does help whiten teeth. It's one of the reasons people do it. My teeth are a beautiful white because of oil pulling, and i only do it about 3x per month (just too busy to do it more often)

Sister sweets, i've got a question if you have the time, i am experiencing gum recession - my dentist tells me it's cause i have thin gum tissue and i grind...no, i don't have a mouth guard...i've just begin a program to recalcify/mineralize my bones 'cause i've read that some progressive dentists (and alternative practicioners) believe gum recession (at least for people who take care of their teeth) is due to bone loss ... i've also been doing flex effect pressure reps on my gums...my sense is that if i can regrow the bone, then my gums will have something to adhere too as they regenerate...any thoughts?

Hi Moongoddess: The short answer is that once alveolar bone (Bone that surrounds teeth), is gone it cannot be regenerated unfortunately (without bone grafting). I've never known anyone to have spontaneous bone regeneration and I've never seen any research literature to this effect.
Gum tissue will not grow back. Those with serious recession require gum grafting (usually taken from hard palate).

That said you can help decrease further recession by using a very soft toothbrush and a gentle motion at the gumline (or powerbrush is fine - just use gently).

It sounds like your alveolar bone is pushing on the gum tissue. When you grind, you push on the teeth which in turn presses the bone causing it to press more on the gums. The gums respond by receding.
When the gum tissue recedes the bone underneath goes away also (this is somewhat what you are saying).
What you might be able to do with the pressure reps is to maintain remaining bone support, and stimulate turn over. People who lose a tooth or teeth lose the bone in that area also due to lack of stimulation - also the bone knows it's no longer needed.

Now do you mind telling me how you do oil pulling???

free skin care · Thu May 13, 2010 9:03 pm

Sister...

Basic premise is to take a spoonful of oil (coconut was recommended to me) and swish it around your mouth/teeth just like you would mouth wash. The idea is that is breaks down all the gook stuck to your teeth, and supposedly pulls toxins from your body... and you SPIT IT OUT... full of gook.

Many proclaim the whitening of teeth. Of which, as a tetracycline victim, I can tell you, it does NOT work for this kind of staining... but I would imagine it does for the kinds of stains that one acquires along life's path with coffee, wine, chocolate... you know... life's little pleasures!

free skin care · Thu May 13, 2010 9:43 pm

ClaudiaFE wrote:

Sister...

Basic premise is to take a spoonful of oil (coconut was recommended to me) and swish it around your mouth/teeth just like you would mouth wash. The idea is that is breaks down all the gook stuck to your teeth, and supposedly pulls toxins from your body... and you SPIT IT OUT... full of gook.

Many proclaim the whitening of teeth. Of which, as a tetracycline victim, I can tell you, it does NOT work for this kind of staining... but I would imagine it does for the kinds of stains that one acquires along life's path with coffee, wine, chocolate... you know... life's little pleasures!

You can not really "pull toxins out of your body".

I hope you mean just pulling the toxins out of your mouth?

If you reaad about how the body works toxins are mainly eliminated through the kidneys and the liver.
Your blood is filtered through th ekidneys that eliminates toxins that way.
If you have any toxicity issues, I would reccomend you get your kidney and liver function tested by a blood test- that is the only way to determine that.

Many people have some degree of renal imparement and many peopledo not realize that until it is too late and can not be reversed.

I am not a medical profesional, but some people in my family are doctors though (quite a few actually).

I know for yellow teethyou can also get your teeth bonded. That is not too expensive and lasts a few years.
I actually ruined the enamel onmy teeth and so they always look stained.
I wastold to not bother with bleaching as it would actually harm my teeth more.
I actually just fell on my faceand ruined the bonding job on my teeth- so now that will be very expensive to fixfor me Sad

free skin care · Thu May 13, 2010 9:50 pm

Ottawa Shopper wrote:

ClaudiaFE wrote:

Sister...

Basic premise is to take a spoonful of oil (coconut was recommended to me) and swish it around your mouth/teeth just like you would mouth wash. The idea is that is breaks down all the gook stuck to your teeth, and supposedly pulls toxins from your body... and you SPIT IT OUT... full of gook.

Many proclaim the whitening of teeth. Of which, as a tetracycline victim, I can tell you, it does NOT work for this kind of staining... but I would imagine it does for the kinds of stains that one acquires along life's path with coffee, wine, chocolate... you know... life's little pleasures!

You can not really "pull toxins out of your body".

I hope you mean just pulling the toxins out of your mouth?

If you reaad about how the body works toxins are mainly eliminated through the kidneys and the liver.
Your blood is filtered through th ekidneys that eliminates toxins that way.
If you have any toxicity issues, I would reccomend you get your kidney and liver function tested by a blood test- that is the only way to determine that.

Many people have some degree of renal imparement and many peopledo not realize that until it is too late and can not be reversed.

I am not a medical profesional, but some people in my family are doctors though (quite a few actually).

I know for yellow teethyou can also get your teeth bonded. That is not too expensive and lasts a few years.
I actually ruined the enamel onmy teeth and so they always look stained.
I wastold to not bother with bleaching as it would actually harm my teeth more.
I actually just fell on my faceand ruined the bonding job on my teeth- so now that will be very expensive to fixfor me Sad

Yeah... You hear the "pulls from body" quite a bit... Just sayin' what's "claimed"

It's not something I've researched in depth to grasp a full understanding of all the claims...

here's a website that discusses results... and they recommend different oils than was recommended to me...

http://www.oilpulling.com/oilpullingresults.htm

free skin care · Fri May 14, 2010 5:02 am

Sorry I mentioned oil pulling, and Claudia has helped out by explaining it, but I can answer some of the questions on my own experience.

I think its partly able to pull toxins for a variety of reasons. Namely that its done first thing in the morning on waking, and of course during the night your not eating, drinking as heavily as you do during the day, and also because for most people they lying down, the usual pull of gravity on the body isn't the same, so the flow of toxins (being filtered through the body) is hampered somewhat. I know for me, when I used to wake, I kind of noticed that I used to have to clear my thought a little, and since doing this I've not found that same need, but it definitely made my teeth look whiter to me, and so just wanted to check if Sis saw any reason why this would be a bad thing (considering she's a dentist and all).

Whilst toxins are eliminated through the kidneys, liver and gall bladder, things like oil pulling help to take some of the strain off those organs, just like body brushing etc. It helps the body to eliminate toxins more so. Even if you haven't got a medical problem, I think that trying to make our body's lives easier is a worthwhile thing.

Make sense

Theresa

Ottawa Shopper wrote:

You can not really "pull toxins out of your body".

I hope you mean just pulling the toxins out of your mouth?

If you reaad about how the body works toxins are mainly eliminated through the kidneys and the liver.
Your blood is filtered through th ekidneys that eliminates toxins that way.
If you have any toxicity issues, I would reccomend you get your kidney and liver function tested by a blood test- that is the only way to determine that.

Many people have some degree of renal imparement and many peopledo not realize that until it is too late and can not be reversed.

I am not a medical profesional, but some people in my family are doctors though (quite a few actually).

I know for yellow teethyou can also get your teeth bonded. That is not too expensive and lasts a few years.
I actually ruined the enamel onmy teeth and so they always look stained.
I wastold to not bother with bleaching as it would actually harm my teeth more.
I actually just fell on my faceand ruined the bonding job on my teeth- so now that will be very expensive to fixfor me Sad

free skin care · Fri May 14, 2010 8:13 am

ClaudiaFE wrote:

Sister...

Basic premise is to take a spoonful of oil (coconut was recommended to me) and swish it around your mouth/teeth just like you would mouth wash. The idea is that is breaks down all the gook stuck to your teeth, and supposedly pulls toxins from your body... and you SPIT IT OUT... full of gook.

Many proclaim the whitening of teeth. Of which, as a tetracycline victim, I can tell you, it does NOT work for this kind of staining... but I would imagine it does for the kinds of stains that one acquires along life's path with coffee, wine, chocolate... you know... life's little pleasures!

I have to wonder if brushing and flossing a few times a day won't do the same. Also I swish with Peroxide trying to keep on tooth structure as a baseline whitener (a few times a week) Leave it settle into the tooth structure area. This is a gentle way to rid the surface staining.

Anyway I am going to try this oil-pulling stuff out. Thanks everyone for your responses.

Just checked it the web-site out. It says you do it for 15 minutes. Shock

free skin care · Fri May 14, 2010 8:17 am

Is it cold in your house? Coconut oil should melt in your hands... unless they are really cold. Is yours unrefined... still smells like coconut oil?

Unless you heavily nuke it, I doubt their is any harm in warming it...

free skin care · Fri May 14, 2010 8:38 am

Thanks claudia - When I use it on my hair I put it in a cup and sit it in a hot water bath. I have such cold hands... I need all the help I can get.

free skin care · Fri May 14, 2010 11:59 am

My understanding is that if its done immediately upon waking, it has a much bigger effect and is able to pull more toxins because during sleep our body's are less active and have less movements. Also many times toxins that are in the mouth are liquid based, so swishing the oil around attracts them more, but if you google it your find more, but I know that me personally I found that it definitely seemed to whiten my teeth (and its a natural and cheaper alternative to those whitening pastes) and I don't like the idea of swishing peroxide in my mouth (sorry but chems and all are chems!).

sister sweets wrote:

I have to wonder if brushing and flossing a few times a day won't do the same. Also I swish with Peroxide trying to keep on tooth structure as a baseline whitener (a few times a week) Leave it settle into the tooth structure area. This is a gentle way to rid the surface staining.

Anyway I am going to try this oil-pulling stuff out. Thanks everyone for your responses.

Just checked it the web-site out. It says you do it for 15 minutes. Shock

free skin care · Fri May 14, 2010 12:14 pm

Oooh, this oil pulling sounds interesting!

I just Googled it and think I will certainly give it a go... thanks for suggesting it! Very Happy

free skin care · Sat May 15, 2010 7:24 am

The oil pulling kind of sounds interesting now...

I need som easier wayto clean my mouth.
I'm having problems brushing my teeth the past 2 weeks...dentist knows about this and not much he can do...

I bruised the whole inside of mymouth very badly andmy toungue was purple too from bruising.
I hit my face very badly.
Can't use sonicare brush, am trying to use regular toothbrush andplax mouthwash often.

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