Hi Dr. Ellie.
I am so appreciative of your Ask Dr. Ellie site, etc. and have been using the system now for about 8 months. While I haven’t been perfectly consistent, I had hoped to see more changes in my teeth.
I have brownish coloring near the gumline on several teeth that I only noticed coming on a year or 2 ago. I’m wondering if it’s tartar and/or only something only a dentist can remove?
I was hoping for remineralization to happen since it was all so new, and mainly on my lower front teeth. And, I was hesitant to go to a dentist just yet, knowing they’d scrape away and want to fill
when the teeth might be able to heal themselves. Should I go for a cleaning?
BTW, I live near Philadelphia, in Ambler, PA (19002), would you happen to
know some like-minded dentists in my area?
Thanks so much for advocating for our TEETH, etc!
JA
Dear JA,
8 months is a quite a short time for remineralization to occur. Imagine a broken bone it takes a while for remodeling and it varies and slows as we age. I am surprised that you are not addicted to using the system. Most people using my system CANNOT go for a day or a weekend without using the entire process. I want to make sure you have the order (and the products) correct.
Just a few things: make sure you are doing the system correctly: Closys should be used first BEFORE brushing. Do not add flavor to the Closys it works better unflavored. Crest toothpaste is the paste I recommend make sure it is one without any other added ingredients for whitening etc. DO NOT use baking soda or other whitening products ever PLEASE!!
DO NOT use sensodyne or any “sensitive” pastes they interfere with the healing process.
I assume you use Listerine followed by ACT (don’t buy imitation ACT it does not seem to work well in my opinion).
The brownish staining could be one of two things. It could be where your gums have receded and now you are seeing the roots of your teeth. Or it may be dead plaque. Dead plaque stain is like “dead skin” and it can be cleaned off your teeth easily with a dental cleaning leaving healthy clean tooth underneath. If you are eating enough xylitol each day this dead plaque will not form again You should only need a one-time cleaning to get rid of this stain.
I am putting together a list of dentists who believe in xylitol and recommend this system. We should have this list soon and will get notice of this in an Email. If you do go for a cleaning ask the hygienist if you can have your teeth cleaned with a gentle non-abrasive paste. See if they would apply a clear fluoride varnish to the root area of your teeth. This fluoride varnish can stimulate remineralization if you have root areas showing.
Most of all I would give yourself some more time. Just check your system is correct and make sure to enjoy your Zellies after every meal and snack. Please let me know how this goes!
Wishing you a great weekend,
Ellie
Dental Health for Everyone!
26 Corporate Woods,
Rochester NY 14623
Categories: Plaque, Sensitivity, Xylitol
I am absolutely intrigued by this overall system, and just happened by this from a blog that I frequent. Dr. Ellie…2 stupid questions: 1) Xylitol…how do adults or children intake it? Do you eat it by a spoon? Can you put it in tea or other drinks in lieu of sugar?? 2) Is there some small doses of a trial size of the teeth cleaning “kit” and Xylitol to try out for my family?? Thanks for an interesting blog and your concern for our dental health!! Angie in Arkansas
Hi — here are your answers!1) How do Children and adults take Xylitol?Children and adults can take xylitol in many forms: granular form, from a spoon, in drinks, baked into food and in mints and gums. Small children and babies can consume a water- xylitol mix in a bottle or sippy cup. There is lots of info on the Zellies Website about dosage and reasons for taking xylitol for all different people. General info, including a downloadable booklet can be found on this page: http://www.zellies.com/store.asp?pid=9836 Dosage info can be found at: http://www.zellies.com/store.asp?pid=11915 and at : http://askdrellie.blogspot.com/search/label/dosage2) Can you eat it by spoon? Absolutely, you can purchase granular xylitol at a health food or grocery store and consume it by spoon. A fews grains after each meal is the best way to do this – for a total of about 6.5 grams a day for adults. You can buy granular xylitol in 1lb bags from the Zellies site at: http://www.zellies.com/catalog.asp?prodid=519213&showprevnext=13) Can you put it in tea and other drinks in lieu of sugar? Yes. Xyiltol can be used in your tea and other drinks. Most people find that it is a pretty comparable substitute, meaning you can use the same amount in drinks that you would sugar. However, some people like to use less. It is all a matter of personal taste. 4) Is a system trial size available? How about Xylitol? We offer a travel size of the kit on line. We also have an Introductory Kit which can be purchased : http://www.zellies.com/catalog.asp?prodid=515273, and this is a really good deal. We have small packs (10 pieces) of our Chocolate Mint and Vanilla Grapefruit gum, http://www.zellies.com/catalog.asp?prodid=547721, and regular packs of gum can be found here: http://www.zellies.com/catalog.asp?prodid=518761.