8 replies to this topic

[frederickson]

i have always had very white teeth until recently... as a combination of tea, vinegar, tomato paste, and turmeric have begun causing my teeth to become somewhat transparent (a sign of eroding enamel) and yellowish.

this is pretty distressing, and barring not eating them anymore, was thinking of rinsing my mouth with baking soda a couple times a day. would this strong base help reduce the acidic state of my teeth?

[4eva]

I've had that problem with my teeth. I think mine was from low calcium levels.

Calcium is obvious but molybdenum is also good for tooth enamel. Molybdenum plays a role in flouride getting into the enamel.

I'm not sure how rinsing with baking soda will restore your tooth enamel or halt the progression of the problem.

[ajnast4r]

i have always had very white teeth until recently... as a combination of tea, vinegar, tomato paste, and turmeric have begun causing my teeth to become somewhat transparent (a sign of eroding enamel) and yellowish.

this is pretty distressing, and barring not eating them anymore, was thinking of rinsing my mouth with baking soda a couple times a day. would this strong base help reduce the acidic state of my teeth?

chew gum

use a fluoride rinse

its especially important to brush after eating turmeric/curry

Edited by ajnast4r, 08 January 2009 - 11:38 PM.

[niner]

i have always had very white teeth until recently... as a combination of tea, vinegar, tomato paste, and turmeric have begun causing my teeth to become somewhat transparent (a sign of eroding enamel) and yellowish.

this is pretty distressing, and barring not eating them anymore, was thinking of rinsing my mouth with baking soda a couple times a day. would this strong base help reduce the acidic state of my teeth?

ajnast4r suggested chewing gum; I'll add that Trident White or Trident Xtra Care would be a good choice. They contain a remineralizing ingredient known as Recaldent. You can get a high concentration version of Recaldent in a prescription remineralizing cream called MI Paste. The yellowish color is probably from the tea and/or turmeric. Tea is well known as a tooth stainer. Try to stay away from colas and other acidic drinks.

[frederickson]

i may try the recaldent gum, though i have been trying to avoid artificial sweeteners as of late.

i have been eating huge amounts of turmeric (a teaspoon or two a day), and was wondering if it could stain teeth. it would seem likely that it could, but i would think cultures that consume it on a regular basis would have high incidence of yellow teeth if that were the case. further, i believe some indians actually use turmeric as an oral health aid. i have a feeling the transparency is coming more from the acidic foods/drinks.

i know you don't want to brush after eating acidic foods as it can further damage the enamel, but would brushing after turmeric do the same type of thing, rubbing the stain into the tooth?

i tried using baking soda and water as a mouthwash tonight. no adverse effects. and though it is likely some kind of placebo, my teeth feel smoother.

Edited by frederickson, 09 January 2009 - 04:04 AM.

[niner]

You could just drink a little water after eating acid foods. If you wait until night for the bicarbonate, I would think it's too late to neutralize the acid. I wouldn't anticipate a problem brushing after turmeric use. If there are any turmeric granules sitting on or about the teeth, it would be better to brush and rinse them away quickly rather than letting any of the colored compounds diffuse into the enamel. The colored compound in turmeric is not lightfast, and will fade with an hour's exposure to sunlight, according to this report. Good, well-mineralized enamel might well be less susceptible to staining. You might consider getting your teeth evaluated by a dentist. Around here they would probably try to sell you a tooth whitening treatment. (So your teeth can look like LEDs...) You may or may not want to go that route. On the other hand, maybe all you need is cleaning/polishing and perhaps some MI Paste.

[platypus]

Is it possible to repair the tooth-enamel damaged in that way? My dentist claimed that it cannot be done, has this changed?

[JLL]

One study I read about turmeric mentioned that it doesn't stain teeth. Sorry, I don't remember which study that was, but I eat about two tablespoons of turmeric each day, and if it does stain, then it stains much less than drinking tea or coffee.

[lunarsolarpower]

Is it possible to repair the tooth-enamel damaged in that way? My dentist claimed that it cannot be done, has this changed?

No changes on that one. Subsurface demineralization that presents as white spot lesions can be remineralized to some extent. However surface demineralization and acid erosion involve direct loss of structure and cannot be repaired to a like-new state. Obviously if the destruction is severe enough it may warrant restoration using crowns or veneers.