Is herbal toothpaste all it's cracked up to be?

Make sure your toothpaste contains fluoride

IF YOU have ever had that dream where your teeth start crumbling or falling out, you may wish to stop reading now.

 

I was sitting in my car recently when I felt something sharp break off in my mouth. It felt as if a piece of tooth had come away but I hadn't been chewing anything and as far as I knew my teeth were in good condition.

A quick look in the mirror confirmed my fears, a chunk of a premolar had split off, leaving me with a jagged half tooth.

An emergency trip to the dentist revealed I had serious decay in that tooth and that my only option was extraction.

I was horrified. Up until this point I had only had a couple of minor fillings which I thought at the age of 37 was pretty good. The broken tooth was visible when I smiled and there was a very noticeable gap. I had always looked after my teeth and I'd never needed any serious dental work before.

How had I gone from a healthy mouth to one filled with decay?

I decided to get a second opinion and consulted cosmetic dentist Dr Richard Marques.

He confirmed I had deep decay in the premolar plus additional damage in two other teeth.

What had happened? How had I gone from a healthy mouth to one filled with decay? Dr Marques asked me if I'd changed any part of my dental routine or diet. I had. Two years ago I stopped using my regular toothpaste and switched to a non-fluoridated herbal brand for the simple reason I preferred the taste. Dr Marques was convinced I had found the culprit.

"There are three elements that can cause tooth decay," he says. "Diet, brushing technique and fluoride. If your brushing and diet are constant then the lack of fluoride is the likely cause."

 



Using toothpaste without fluoride could mean a dreaded trip to the dentist



While I religiously make sure my two young sons brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day, I hadn't realised it was essential for adults too.

"Tooth decay is caused by a build up of bacteria and plaque on the teeth that weakens the enamel, causing tiny holes to develop in the tooth's protective layer," says Dr Marques.

"Sometimes the holes are so small you can't see them but the decay still develops underneath. This can lead to the tooth collapsing from the inside, as yours did.

"Fluoride in toothpaste helps to remineralise the enamel layer of the teeth, strengthening it and repairing damage, thus preventing decay," he adds.

Dr Marques says he has seen an increase in this sort of problem as people shun traditional toothpastes for more natural alternatives. "There is a drive to use holistic products but you would have to have no sugar in your diet to use non-fluoridated toothpaste and not damage your teeth," he says.

The British Dental Health Foundation agrees in the importance of including fluoride in your dental routine.

"Everyone over the age of three should be using a toothpaste containing between 1,350-1,500ppm of fluoride," says spokesperson Gavin Hawes.

"Fluoride can help by strengthening tooth enamel, making it more resistant to decay and it also reduces the amount of acid formed by bacteria on your teeth.

 

Fluoride in toothpaste helps to remineralise the enamel layer of teeth

"We recommend teeth are brushed for two minutes twice daily with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste for an adult.

Afterwards spit out any excess and do not rinse."

Gavin adds: "Your dentist should be able to advise as to whether more fluoride is required in your oral care regime. People who are more prone to decay or have issues where cleaning is particularly difficult can benefit from added fluoride."

Luckily I didn't have to have my tooth removed and had root canal treatment instead.

"I will always try to save every tooth," says Dr Marques. "In a case like this when the decay had gone into the nerve, root canal treatment - where the nerve is removed - is the only option." He says using a fluoride toothpaste and fluoride mouthwash should help repair the other damage to my teeth, meaning I shouldn't need more fillings in the near future.

As for my delicious-tasting herbal toothpaste. Guess what? It's now in the bin.

• To book an appointment with Dr Richard Marques call 020 7637 1672 or see wimpolestreetdental.com