Hi Dr. Ellie,
I hope you can help me with my current problem. If you recall, six months ago I was chewing Spry gum with cinnamon and had severe tooth pain afterwards, especially from fruit jam and marinara sauce. So I used no toothpaste and instead used a little sea salt and water, no Listerine and no CloSys. Just used Act and xylitol powder/mints (use 2 packages of your powder & 4 mints each day). Sensitivity greatly improved and I could pull down hard by my upper wisdom teeth when flossing with no pain. About a month ago, I decided to try the full system (Added CloSys, Crest regular, Listerine and your tooth brush) and noticed the tooth sensitivity getting much worse to the point where I now have severe pain on upper right side for about 2 minutes after eating cereal with honey, toast with fruit jam, pasta with marinara and swishing xylitol powder with my tongue after eating those items.
Also, I was planning on having a cleaning since it has been a year since my last one and normally I go every 4 months. I’m afraid that my teeth are too weak now and doesn’t a cleaning make it weaker? What do you recommend – should I stop one item at a time? I’ve read that some of your readers had sensitivity issues with the 3 items I’ve added. I don’t know what to do. Please advise.
Thank you.
L
Hi L,
Thanks for your message. I’m sorry you have tooth sensitivity but I don’t believe the rinses have added to the problem. Using my system twice a day (providing you use it exactly) will harden teeth and make them stronger and less sensitive.
Check the following:
• Do not add flavoring to the Closys and use it first before brushing, every day.
• Use only regular Crest paste nothing and it not the new variety…(NOT Pro-Health) use only the regular paste.
• Do not rinse between the steps go from brushing to Listerine and then immediately to ACT.
• Give ACT long enough to work this step is the one that will help your sensitivity the most! Don’t eat or drink when you finish the rinsing. Don’t rinse off with water.
Protect your teeth from damage:
I have a feeling that you may not be “protecting” your teeth enough from sugar and acidity.
You may be consuming sufficient xylitol, but I recommend you do it after exposures to any food or drink that is acidic or sweet. You mentioned jam and honey, for example. I suggest immediately after eating something sweet, you eat a Zellie mint. Also after anything you drink that is acidic or sweet.
If you don’t want to eat a Zellie mint, then just eat a little granular xylitol on the end of the spoon. It appears to me you need more protection against your dietary sugars and acidity.
Modifying the rinse routine:
The only change to the rinse routine that you may want to initiate, is to dilute Listerine, if it feels to”powerful”at full strength. You can dilute Listerine 50% and it will still work use before the ACT.
Think of Listerine as a way to increase the strength of your teeth!!
it’s working a bit like a “weight lifting system” would work to make muscles stronger. You begin with light weights, and gradually increase the weight to increase the strength of your muscles. Gradually increase the strength of Listerine over six months and you should find your teeth improving in strength.
I know this sounds counter intuitive but it really works.
Damage versus repair:
My book Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye explains why all of this works it is basic biochemistry!!
This is nothing fancy that I created: I just looked at rinses, into patient’s mouths, and applied what I knew. I hope you manage to stay on my system, because I have so many wonderful e-mails from people who finally find relief from their dental problems.
Dental health is a simple balance between damage and repair. To have sensitivity you must have more damage than repair. I am suggesting ways to ensure you have less damage and more repair.
People who are never successful:
One of my biggest concerns are people who do not use the system completely. Often they are afraid of fluoride, or xylitol, or Listerine.
Sometimes health professionals suggest another product and (to try and keep us “both”happy) these patients mix-and-match. Stronger fluoride gels are often prescribed and sound as if they would be better but they interact with the purity of the biochemistry and usually take patients downhill not in a better direction for him or her.
Unfortunately these people who mix-and-match the products, try different routines, or try to develop their own approach, live in a constant circle. They never reach the end of their experiments. I am sorry about these people, because I think they will have dental problems forever.
I hope I have explained what I believe will help you.
Best wishes,
Thanks again for your message please let me know the outcome!
Ellie
26 Corporate Woods
Rochester, NY 14623
Categories: Uncategorized