Cavities are preventable. Here are some of the products I recommend to my patients that can prevent or in some cases reverse cavities that are starting.
Some of these products can be purchased at supermarkets, selected pharmacies, online or from your dentist. In Toronto, Canada where I practise, dentists are not allowed to sell dental products to their patients at a markup, so buying through your dentist can save you money but may not be a convenient option.
So here is the list:
1. REMIN Toothpaste
This toothpaste contains calcium and phosphate. When brushed onto the teeth the calcium and phosphate get absorbed into the enamel and other parts of the tooth surface.
When a tooth starts to develop a cavity it loses calcium and phosphate so REMIN toothpaste can replace lost calcium and phosphate in the tooth and reverse early decay.
REMIN toothpaste can also rebuild and strengthen enamel that has been weakened by acid erosion from drinking excessive amounts of fruit juices, pop/soda or from acid reflux.
The active ingredient in REMIN toothpaste is called nanohydroxyapatite (nanoHA) which was invented by NASA’s laboratories in 1970.
NanoHA (composed of small particles of calcium and phosphorous) also seals up sensitive roots helping to decrease tooth sensitivity.
REMIN has only been available in CANADA since 2015 however it has been a popular toothpaste in Japan for the past 35 years and has been extensively researched. In Japan it was marked under the name “Sangi’s Medical Hydroxyapatite toothpaste.”
Remin does not contain fluoride. This may be a benefit to those who are reluctant to use fluoride products although as you will see in this article, there are many fluoride containing products that I do recommend to my patients.
2. X-Pur Xylitol Gum and Pastilles (Lozenge)
If you like to pop a mint in your mouth to freshen your breath do yourself a favour. Make it a sugarless mint or better yet, choose a candy or piece of gum sweetened by xylitol and not sugar. Sugar promotes tooth decay whereas xylitol can actually help prevent cavities.
Xylitol is a naturally occurring “sugar alcohol” that is found in small amounts in most plant material and in the fibres of various fruits and vegetables such as berries, oats and mushrooms and corn cobs.
Products that are sweetened with xylitol such as sugarless gum and sugarless candies have been show to actually reduce the number of cavities people get and also can help stimulate the flow of saliva in people with dry mouth.
Xylitol prevents cavities by interfering with the way that bacteria produce acid on the surface of our teeth. The bacteria on our teeth usually feed on sugar and other carbohydrates and produce acid as a byproduct, which then can lead to cavities.
However when this same bacteria is exposed to xylitol it cannot use the xylitol as a food source. When the bacteria consumes xylitol it cannot convert it to acid and because the bacteria cannot derive energy from the xylitol the bacteria starves, resulting in reduced amount of bacteria on the teeth. This further reduces the chance of a cavity forming on our teeth.
The effect that xylitol has on bacteria is unique and not other sugar substitutes such as sorbitol and aspartame, so if you chose a mint or gum sweetened with xylitol you get the cavity reducing properties.
X=Pur gum and lozenges are sweetened solely by xylitol (1 gram of xylitol per piece of gum).
You can use the gum or lozenge when you feel your mouth is dry or after a sugary drink or snack (which hopefully you are keeping to a minimum).
There are other xylitol containing gum and candies on the market. You want to be sure they contain a sufficient amount of xylitol to be effective in reducing cavities.
As with most things, use moderation in the amount of xylitol you consume since consuming more than 30 mor 40 grams of xylitol per day can lead to diarrhea or gas.
X-Pur products are available through your dentist (if they stock them) or can be purchased at Shopper’s Drug Mart and other pharmacies outside of Toronto. See the bottom of this article more more information on sourcing.
One caution: Xylitol is very toxic to dogs in even small amounts so keep any xylitol containing products out of their reach.
3. Xylimelts: For people who suffer from dry mouth while they sleep
When we sleep our saliva glands produce less saliva. As well, some people take medications that dry the mouth so as a result some people complain of their mouth getting very dry during sleep.
A dry mouth during sleep can result in an increased amount of bacteria/plaque on the teeth as saliva washes our teeth and as well bathes our teeth in minerals such as calcium and phosphate. Dry mouth can result in cavities.
Xylimelts are a small lozenge that you can “glue” to a spot in your mouth (i.e. the side of a tooth or gums) so it can slowly dissolve in your mouth while you sleep.
The lozenge releases xylitol into the mouth which stimulates your saliva glands to produce more saliva during sleep. The xylitol also interferes with the production of acid by bacteria/plaque in the mouth which can reduce cavities.
Xylimelts are actually a small adhesive disc that sticks to your gums or teeth.
The disc stays in places while the xylitol slowly dissolves over several hours.
You can either attach the xylimelt disc to the side of a molar or to your gums. I was a little skeptical when I first heard about this product and was wondering if it would actually stay in place. However if applied properly it does stick and I have had good feedback about this product from my patients who have tried it.
Where to buy it: Dentists who stock it or participating pharmacies ie Shopper’s Drug Mart.
4. Sodium Fluoride Rinse (.05%)
I recommend this fluoride containing rinse to patients who are cavity prone (especially older patients who are getting cavities on the roots of their teeth), to patients who have a lot of dental work in their mouths (crowns, bridges), or to patients that are not doing an optimum job at removing plaque when they brush.
A one minute swish and spit, once a day can strengthen roots and prevent cavities. After use be sure not to drink or eat anything (including water) for 30 minutes so the fluoride has a chance to penetrate your tooth surface.
Where to buy it: Dentists who stock it or participating pharmacies ie Shopper’s Drug Mart.
5. Plaque HD Plaque Identifying toothpaste
This is an interesting product. It does everything that a normal fluoride containing toothpaste does with the added benefit of staining any bacteria/plaque that you miss when you brush . You simply brush with it, spit out thoroughly and look in the mirror. Any plaque that you missed will be stained blue. Simply go back and brush some more until the blue stained plaque is gone.
This is a product can be used for young children that are old enough to spit out, teenagers (especially those with braces who may be missing spots when they brush), adults and as well as the elderly who may need a help detecting spots they are missing when they brush.
This product is more expensive than standard toothpaste so you can either use it as a once off educational tool or use it as a regular toothpaste. Because it promotes better, more thorough brushing if it even prevents one cavity HD toothpaste will pay for itself many times over.
Where to buy it: Dentists who stock it, or see below.
Every product I mentioned in this article is manufactured or distributed by the company “Oral Science.” You can visit the online sales site:
https://x-pur.com/ and check them out. I don’t get a commission from Oral Science but I do like their products and recommend many of them to my patients.
I hope this article has provided you with some useful information.
Dr. Jeff Shnall is a dentist providing general, cosmetic and implant dentistry in the Beach neighbourhood of Toronto. For an appointment please either email us at BeechDental@gmail.com or call our office at 416-691-2886.