Has anyone had problems with the tooth enamel? I believe mine may be warring away! I'm scarred. I've been eating a ton of oranges, my bodies been craving them, and I've now noticed that the enamel is warring away on my teeth. Can anyone help?

Thank you all!!!

Citric acid can erode tooth enamel. Rinse your mouth well with water immediately after consuming citrus.

I think it's happening to me too. Guess the only thing you can do is drink it with a straw so most of it bypasses your teeth.

I don't understand why it does that. I mean citrus and fruit are supposed to be good for you..it's raw, natrual, healthy, blblabla...But it kills your teeth.

Is there any way to correct the problem? It feels weird, I have a dentist appointment tomorrow but read that there is no way to correct it. scarry! I don't think I'll ever eat another orange.

I wonder if there's any herbs that help? There's a new commercial on TV (in the us) of a *new toothpaste* that's specially "formulated" to help correct it so there must be a natural way? I'm sure the toothpaste is loaded with chemicals and flouride.

There's "natural" dental forums on Curezone.com maybe someone there would know.

Maybe Oil Pulling? That's supposed to "streghten" teeth and "firm" them and help loose teeth.. I don't know if enamel fits in anywhere.

Not since going raw about 8 years ago. Since going raw.....the only problems I've had have primarily been 'fallout'....heh...heh....from my years of poor eating and the subsequent dental work.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Try swishing with... wheatgrass!!

*pulls out green hat and dances*

And do rinse your mouth right after eating citrus, of course. But wheatgrass is a divine gift for a strong and healthy mouth. I had another citrus kick a little while ago (RED GRAPEFRUIT AND POMELOS!! <3 ), but I'm starting to feel it's time to start on the grass again.

Try reading here for info:
[toothsoap.blogspot.com]

Toothsoap sounds good.
Also you must have 'correct' ph spit.

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[www.azurastorch.blogspot.com]

Thank you all so much! I just love it here!!

rinse and FLOSS and brush after meals--citrus pulp loges between teeth,
then you can continue to enjoy them INMO - I also use an oral irrigator = water-pik

My guess is that the problem is caused by the oranges not being completely ripe and possibly picked a long time before they are ripe.

Only eat oranges when they are in season near you (at least in your hemisphere.) Choose oranges that are orange! (As in not green and not a pale colour, as deep orange as possible.)

Rob

--
Rob Hull - Funky Raw
My blog: [www.rawrob.com]

Thank you everyone for your posts.

I just got back from the dentist and thought I would give you an update. The dentist said it is caused by brushing too hard, and of course according to them there is nothing that can be done. Except I have done some research and I'm convinced that re-mineralization is the cure. So, I guess its a good idea to brush very gently and rinse or brush and floss of course after eating. The dentist gave me some special toothpaste, with SORBITOL in it. I have read that sorbitol is the main ingredient used to clean you out before a colonoscopy. So, I'm not sure when I'll be going back the dentist again, seems like a waste of time. Good news though, no cavitites!!!I've been trying to be 100% raw for about 6 months now. I drink alot of green juices and eat alot of fruit. I'm not 100% still slip up with coffee and crackers but my health is improving. Before when I went to the dentist every year I'd have at least two cavities. So, I believe we are all on the right track.

Do be careful of citrus, they are very acidic and dissolve
teeth! I know several people who did serious damage,
including total loss of teeth with citrus.
I now call acid fruits the Seductive Assassins because one
will feel incredibly high energy and well being, as they
quietly take one's teeth!

oranges - pineapples - sour apples - sour plums - lemons -
grapefruits - sour peaches - limes - tangerines - sour
grapes - tomatoes

^^^^^^^^^^^ list of "acid fruits" from:^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[www.thefruitpages.com]

Don't believe it?
Rub your teeth together, they will feel smooth.
Now, eat an orange section, rub again.
Your teeth will now feel like sandpaper because their
surface has been etched by the organic acids; e.g. citric,
malic, tartaric, and other acids.

These dissolve calcium crystals out of the protein matrix,
which then collapses due to loss of its internal crystal
support.
I have seen people who have dissolved their teeth right
down to the gums by eating citrus.

The first physical signs of damage are gumline
erosion, a little groove cut near the gumline one can feel
with a fingernail, and/or pain in this area if dried fruits
(concentrated sugars) are eaten.

The cutting edge of the incisors also become eroded,
transparent, and eventuality chip off. One can easily
recognize heavy citrus eaters by this characteristic erosion
of their incisors.

IF one HAS to eat them:

1> juice them and drink with a straw, as this will keep the
acid juice away from the teeth, or better yet--
2> store the juice in the fridge with a piece of coral rock
in the jar. Coral is calcium carbonate, CaCO3, and will
dissolve calcium into the juice and the carbonate will
neutralize the acids.

Laurie

--
Scientifically-credible info on plant-based human diets:
[ecologos.org]
news:alt.food.vegan.science

laurieforti
"Coral is calcium carbonate, CaCO3, and will
dissolve calcium into the juice and the carbonate will
neutralize the acids."

What else could one use besides coral? Tums? A crushed calcium pill? Lime?

How about rinsing the mouth with salt water afterwards?

happyway Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> laurieforti
> "Coral is calcium carbonate, CaCO3, and will
> dissolve calcium into the juice and the carbonate
> will
> neutralize the acids."
>
> What else could one use besides coral? Tums? A
> crushed calcium pill? Lime?
>
> How about rinsing the mouth with salt water
> afterwards?

Of course, this is useless advice for vegans, but an old recommendation was to soak fish bones in lemon juice in the refrigerator for a couple days, then drink it (sans what was left of the bones). Good source of calcium citrate, an easily absorbed form of calcium.

If you are just looking to neutralize the acidity, you could use baking soda, which gives you a lot of potassium.

Rinsing with salt water helps kill germs and is generally good oral hygiene, but it won't neutralize acidity the way baking soda will.

Arkay

Thanks I have some Ph paper and will make some experiments.

So, after eating citrus, I can rinse my mouth with baking soda and water? Or is it already too late? O.o

I really don't believe that citrus fruits erode teeth.

Citrus fruits alkalise the body - meaning saliva becomes less acid and therefor won't erode tooth enamel.
And because eating a lot of citrus fruits should cause the body to become alkaline - this means that the ph of the mouth is perfect for reenamilization to occur.

We are designed to eat fruit, so if we aren't true to our original diets then whatever we eat that differs from our natural diet must be what causes tooth erosion. Including of course, all other aspects of our lives like eating TOO much and snacking (no matter what it is we eat), not enough fresh air and sun etc - all natural principles must be applied for our mouths to remain strong.

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[www.azurastorch.blogspot.com]

any dentist, even an alternative one, will tell you that acidic foods (ie citrus) erode enamel. digesting ripe citrus fruits is alkalanizing to the body (because of the minerals they yeild) but this doesn't negate the fact that citrus in the mouth is acidic. rinse after eating, pure water will do.

In addition to common sense and rinsing with water, I also suspect the body's mineral levels play a role in how much citrus/acid fruit affects the mouth.

My mouth was sore today (I've been sick 1.5 weeks since that detox fever thing), and for lunch, I sat down and ate 4 heads of lettuce. I had hit some deep cleansing with the fruit (triggered the fever et al), but I thought it was interesting that now, my mouth is getting sore, and I just want to eat GREEN LEAVES.

I think citrus affects the mouth more if the mineral content of the body isn't optimal or in flux, because some sour mangoes did me in a few months ago, which I reversed almost instantly with wheatgrass.

I did start taking my AM lemon water with a straw, just to be safe for now. =)

Also, not all of the long-term fruit eaters seem to have this problem. Or they just might rinse.

Just my additional .02 for the communal piggy bank. =D

Hello Lizard and LikeItOrNot,

There is a website I like to read through that contains articles and info by a dentist named Dr. Nara whose anti-establishment and common sense(ain't that common)approach to dentistry often put him at odds with the Establishment. Well the products on the site are also great. There is one there that is supposed to help remineralize your teeth with the aid of calcium and phosphorous ions along with some other essential minerals. Its called Dr. Collins Remineralization Toothpaste and the link is [mizar5.com].
Good luck.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2008 01:21AM by kola.

Baking soda is sodium carbonate as per wikipedia, so no potassium there.

i am currently trying dr collins remineralisation toothpaste
i bought a couple of packets and a mouthwash and they threw in a toothbrush
for free which i thought was a nice touch. anyhow i do believe in supplementation
as well as great foods for the body - and if the body can heal itself
through gd foods and supplemetation then why not teeth?? i bought it from dentist.net only been using it for a couple days though so can't say how effective it is. i am looking for a cure for acidic erosion of teeth. i now drink orange
through a straw otherwise my teeth/gums hurt at brushing time :-<

Hi, I'm a raw novice. My raw eating has usually been sort of grazing behavior. So there hasn't been an obvious point to stop and wash my mouth out. How much of an issue do you think this is? I rarely eat citrus fruit.

HOW does someone just eat four heads of lettuce!?!? HOW!?!? Sorry to get off topic, but sheesh, i wish I could do it.

When I eat or drink a lot of lemon water, my teeth get so sensitive. I can totally tell when I have been using too much lemon. Thanks for the great tips on this thread though, I am going to start using more straws with citrus as one small change.

I've had tonnes (OK, this must be a slight over-statement lol) of oranges and never ever had any problems with enamel. I eat them only ripe and sweet.


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As a natural aging process tooth enamel starts to thin out. A good way to combat citrus fruits acidity would be to rinse with a bicarbonate (baking soda) to neutralise the acidity (not sure if this would be o.k with your diet) but your not eating it,just rinsing and if its going to save your teeth well worth trying.I am new on this forunm just thought I would give my 2 cents.