Dear Dr. Ellie,
My 8 year old son has stains from using the ACT rinse because we think he is letting the liquid sit in his month and not swishing it out. Does this sound reasonable? If so, how can I remove the current brown stains and prevent future ones.
Thanks!
SW
Dear SW,
There are different kinds of stains on teeth some are actually good stains!
Bad staining is described on this web page
http://www.zellies.com/store.asp?pid=9841&catid=19708 under the title”The Facts of Tooth Staining and How to Avoid it”
ACT contains sodium fluoride and this would never contribute to bad staining so do not worry about this. BUT some types of fluoride may causing staining this is why I do not recommend Stannous Fluoride in Pro Health and other products.
You have to know the difference between each type and kind of fluoride.: An interesting fact:
The stable salt of chloride (Chlorine) is sodium chloride =table salt.
The stable salt of fluoride is sodium fluoride = ACT.
What may have happened is described on this link. The new system may have improved your sons oral health causing the plaque on his teeth to have shriveled up and formed a band around his teeth (sort of dried up or debris from old plaque). One cleaning at the dentist should remove this stain. If your son continues with xylitol and ACT regularly it should not return. The dentist should be happy with his gum health.
If you cannot go to the dentist these stains should gradually go away over time.
Although I am hesitant to mention this, some people use a more abrasive toothpaste one time(an abrasive paste would be something like Close Up) but then go back immediately to the regular system. Regular use of an abrasive paste will weaken your enamel and make teeth look darker if you use it often.
Hope this explains things,
Ellie Phillips, DDS
Dental Health for Everyone!
26, Corporate Woods
Rochester NY 14623
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