Three Minerals That Really Matter In Your Toothpaste

Wouldn’t it be cool if there were such a thing as vitamin toothpaste? You could slather it on your teeth each night before bed, and know your teeth were getting all the nutritional goodness they needed to fight off cavities. You’d never have to eat vegetables again! That’s not gonna’ happen – you do need to eat your vegetables – stop it. You know what, though? Minerals can be found in your toothpaste, and they’re there for good reason. Calcium and phosphorous (in the form of phosphate), along with fluoride, are included in toothpaste because they play a key role in keeping your teeth from becoming soft and yucky, which makes it easy for cavities to form.. Let’s find out more!

• Flouride: In a way, most of us have come to associate teeth with fluoride. In fact, fluoride can even help reverse tooth decay. Pretty neat, huh? For some great stuff we’ve written on the topic, check out our writing about the ADA’s recommendation that kids under the age of 3 need it, why you might want it in a mouthwash, and in whether the young ones in your family may needfluoride supplementation.
  
  Fluoride’s main role is in helping  teeth reinforce their enamel through the process of remineralization. And, it does so by working with two other minerals: calcium and phosphate.
• Calcium and Phosphates: When we think of strong bones and teeth, we often think of calcium. But there’s another mineral most of us never even think about, that serves an equally important role: phosphates. In fact, it’s when these three minerals work together that our teeth benefit most.
  
  Let’s take a quick look. Phosphates exists (among other places) in our saliva. In fact, it’s one of the most prevalent minerals in the human body! After eating, phosphate ions and calcium ions work to naturally repair teeth through a process known as remineralization. What’s really cool is that this process has to happen via saliva. Without saliva there is no way to carry these ions into the “pores” of the tooth. When fluoride is added to the mix, the three form into a different mineral known as fluorapite, which makes our enamel harder than it would be by nature, and layers on this protective mineral faster than enamel remineralizes on it’s own. The result is stronger teeth! Pretty cool, huh?

So there you have it – calcium, phosphate and fluoride. The teeth musketeers! Want to make sure you have enough phosphate in your diet? Simply eat a well-rounded diet that includes meat, cheese, yoghurt, grains, nuts, and fruits and vegetables … it’s really that simple! All for one, and one for all!

My Teeth Are Shifting, But I Don't Want To Wear Braces

If your teeth have shifted since your teenage years, and you're starting to think you might need to wear braces as an adult – perhaps for the second time - fear not. You'll be happy to know one of the most common methods for re-aligning slightly crooked teeth isn't braces at all - it's a cosmetically unobtrusive spring retainer.

Whether or not you've worn braces previously, most people are familiar with what a retainer is, and the purpose behind wearing one. After all, it’s fairly safe to assume that at one point in our teenage lives, we all knew someone who wore a retainer – and likely tossed it into the lunchroom trashcan a few times as well. What many incorrectly assume, though, is that retainers only come into play after having worn braces for a few years. Thankfully, for adults with a few teeth to straighten, that's not the case. A spring retainer is a pretty simple device. Its role is simply to apply force to your teeth so they can be aligned correctly. As a result, they can be worn by anyone with a need to straighten their teeth. Wearing braces is not a prerequisite.

Spring retainers are made from a variety of materials, and can be purchased with the traditional support wire that straddles the front of one's teeth, or with a clear plastic front-piece for a more cosmetic effect.  For a retainer to produce the results you desire, however, the same rules apply as they did when you were a kid – you've got to wear it, and you've got to listen to your dentist. Correcting misaligned teeth, and keeping them straight, requires vigilance and a good routine, and it's the only way to get sustained results. In fact, for many people, not wearing a retainer the right way in the past is likely to be the reason they need to wear one again as an adult!

Mildly crooked teeth are something many of us deal with in the decades following our teen years – even if we didn't wear braces when younger. Rest assured, there are plenty of solutions these days that can correct misalignment, and help get your smile back to straight again.