I have what I thought was soft teeth, however i guess not. I brush my teeth 1-2 times a day and no matter what I constantly have to have alot of work done on my teeth. My teeth are sensitive, I brush with Sensodyne. I am wondering wh! at to do. I constantly have a large balance due to the amount of work and when I get it paid down I go back and am back to where I started. More work and more bills. Is there anything you can suggest? I am a single mom with no real money to keep paying high bills but my teeth and smile mean the world to me. Too bad the smiles don’t happen often.
Gina from Michigan
Gina,
I guess you read our page about soft teeth. There are some extremely rare genetic conditions where people have teeth with no enamel or little enamel, but in all my years of practice I never saw anyone like this and never saw a patient with “soft teeth.” Though I had many who claimed to have soft teeth or who told me their earlier dentist told them they had soft teeth. But their teeth were always just as hard as anyone else’s.
They were looking for a cause as to why they had so much decay. In every case but one I found that they had a serious snacking habit. Now I don’t know if this is the case with you, but I will mention it.
Here is my list of misconceptions about tooth decay:
1. A high rate of tooth decay is caused by “soft teeth.” In all but rare cases, this is totally false. It is usually caused by too frequent snacking.
2. Toothbrushing totally prevents tooth decay. So many people believe this, but toothbrushing prevents only one type of tooth decay, and that is smooth surface decay. And even then, it can’t overcome the effects of too frequent snacking. Most tooth decay occurs either between the teeth or in the pits and fissures of the teeth where the toothbrush can’t reach. And why is that? It’s because most people brush their teeth.
3. ONLY toothbrushing prevents decay. Actually, the strongest decay prevention comes from your own body defenses. Your saliva has minerals that will actually re-mineralize early decay lesions and repair them. This remineralization process takes several hours, though. So if you are constantly snacking, like say every hour (some people snack every few minutes!), you will overwhelm your body’s defenses and the decay will grow rapidly.
4. Only sweets cause decay. While sweets cause decay, anything that has carbohydrate in it will promote decay just as readily. Bread, crackers, fruit, (especially dried fruit, because it sticks to your teeth)–all of these things can cause serious decay. Potato chips and pretzels are bad because they also stick to your teeth.
5. It’s okay to snack in bed. This is actually the worst time for you to eat anything. When you fall asleep, your body shuts down saliva production. It’s your saliva that has the reparative substances that battle decay. Babies that are given bottles of formula when they go to sleep can see their teeth completely rot down to the root in a matter of weeks.
My advice to you: Eat only at mealtimes and then maybe have one or two snacks during the day. And soda with sugar in it counts as a snack. Brush right before going to bed, and floss then, too, so you also clean between your teeth. Brush again after breakfast. I believe that 99% of the people that follow a prevention routine like that will have very minimal tooth decay.
I hope you find this helpful and that you will implement what I’ve told you here. It will make a total difference in your dental health.
Dr. Hall
A related link: read about whitening toothpastes, and one that we recommend.
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
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