Dr. Ellie,
I’ve been following your recommended system and using Zellies products since June of this year and have been very happy with the results so far. I had some sensitivity in a couple of bottom teeth that were chipped, and that has gone away. I’m anxious to get my teeth cleaned before the end of the year because I do have the dark spots along the edges of my teeth, especially the bottom teeth. I take that as a reassuring sign based on what I’ve read in your blog.
I’d like to get your input on something. I went to a “premiere cosmetic dentist” to have a veneer replaced on a front tooth that had a root canal around 20 years ago. At the end of the day, I ended up with a crown. Although I asked the dentist to match the crown to my permanent front tooth, he decided on his own to reshape my permanent tooth to try to match the crown. I could write much more about this bad experience, but I’ll get to the point. Now my permanent tooth has been contoured so much that it is sensitive, and the crown is still too short. How long should I give the Zellies system to work before becoming concerned about this sensitivity? It has been about a month now. I chipped the crowned tooth in first grade. I really don’t want to lose my other front tooth.
Thanks for your time and help.
Sincerely,
KM
Hi Karen,
I am happy to hear that the Complete Mouth Care system is helping you. I am so glad that you understand why you have the “staining” and are content to know it is a good sign!
As for your sensitivity. The majority of “sensitivity” problems are caused by microscopic holes in teeth. Imagine looking at a tooth from a microscopic level: Teeth have a design that looks a lot like bones in your skeleton.
They have a hard outer layer, which covers a softer and more porous layer. This porous layer has cells and live components, and this porous layer covers the inside “marrow’ or “pulp” as it is called in teeth. This pulp is where you find the “life of the tooth” blood supply, nerves and cells.
It sounds as if your dentist cut away enough of the hard layer to expose some of the porous layer. The microscopic holes allow temperature and chemical changes to affect the cells in this porous layer. These cells in the porous layer connect and transmit to the inside pulp nerves. This causes pain “sensitivity”.
My first piece of advice: give up any application of stannous fluoride (often in de-sensitizing paste given to you by a dentist). Also give up any commercial product for “sensitive” teeth.
All these products behave in the way that putty or spackle behaves to block up holes in a wall. They block up the holes for a time but then they fall out. Then you have the same problem over and over.
If you use these “hole blocking products” they will PREVENT natural minerals from “healing” these holes.
Follow my system exactly and the use of xylitol and ACT together as described will stimulate natural repair and remineralization of teeth. This repair will not happen if you only use xylitol. It requires both xylitol and dilute sodium fluoride (ACT) for this process to work.
Minerals from your saliva will go into these holes every time you eat some xylitol, every time you eat mineral rich foods (milk, dairy etc.) and every time you use the complete system. The xylitol stimulates deeper healing and the ACT stimulates surface healing and building back of the strong hard outer layer.
You may want to dissolve a teaspoon of granular xylitol in some water and carry this as a “tooth wash” all day long to sip at intervals. You need 6.5 grams of xylitol each day and also its protection after meals. Anytime you drink or eat something acidic (even a wedge of lemon in water) you are reversing this “healing” process and dissolving away minerals.
You don’t have to give up acidic drinks you enjoy you just need to “counter balance” them by eating some xylitol afterwards.
The more you have mouth acidity, the more you need xylitol!
I would expect that if you are truly conscientious ( mixing xylitol through the day and using my Complete Mouth Care routine every twelve hours) you will remineralize these teeth in about four months (in time for the Holidays!). It may be interesting for you to test your mouth pH and see if your own saliva is working against you. If your saliva is acidic it is like sipping acidic liquids all day long.
If you have acidic saliva, you should try to find ways to change your body pH. Acidic saliva indicates a body’s need for more minerals etc. (think broccoli and really good vitamin supplements! ) . Women usually have acidic saliva during periods of stress or hormonal change so feed your body during these stressful times!
If you would like to talk on the phone for a little more help just let me know and we can arrange a time.
Ellie
www.zellies.com
26 Corporate Woods
Rochester, NY 14623
(585) 272-1270
Categories: Sensitivity, Xylitol