My dentist advised me Elmex toothpaste and I doubt it after the topic on this forum

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
My dentist recommended me to start using Elmax toothpaste and I was ready to order it, but came across the following topic Brown and yellow teeth from toothpastes so now I doubt it's a good toothpaste for me. That topic seems to be dead for now, so I decided to start a new one. Sorry, if it doesn't comply with the forum rules.

In the last year and a half it looks like my teeth decided to rebel against me. Last year I had 6 fillings and restoration (against 2-3 filling a year before), this year just started and I already had a surgery on tooth extraction and I have 6 more to take care of (1 more restoration and 5 fillings, four of which should be done for dental neck).

All this time I'm using Sensodyne sensitive according to my dentist's advice. And for the last half of the year it's a real pain - my gums are ok, but with every usage it seems like all my teeth become more and more sensitive, dental necks are aching. So I visited my dentist and he told me that "maybe it's because of the toothpaste I'm feeling this pain and the enamel is weakening though I'm the only one he met with such problems in his life". So he made some investigations and advised me to order Elmex toothpaste (purple one) to take care of the teeth.

But I've read the above mentioned topic that this toothpaste is good if you have problems with gums (I don't) and it causes the teeth to be yellow and brown. My teeth are already yellow and due to the enamel problems I don't want to do whitening. If this toothpaste will make them brown I definitely wouldn't be happy.

Can you advice me any good toothpaste which can make my enamel stronger, avoid more cavities and will not make my teeth darker than they already are? In case it's a no-mint one I'll be happy (but you can't get all you want, right?)

Would be great to hear from Captain Greybeard or Susan57

2
1. are you a smoker ?

2. have you considered getting a second opinion from a different dentist ?

3. not everyone gets yellow teeth from Elmex. It's a pretty common brand here in Switzerland...

3
Using Elmex all my life, now using the new Elmex Zahnschmelzschutz. No issues with brown teeth (but then mine were never that blindingly white anyway)

Brown/yellow teeth also come from drinking tea, coffee, wine, smoking

4
Hi, thanks for the reply

1. No, I'm not a smoker. I like tea (5-6 cups of team every day, but not too strong tea)

2. I live in a very small town and there are not so many dentists here. The last opinion from my previous dentists (more than two years ago - that I have too strong enamel that even prevents him from noticing the problems with my teeth in time - the tooth seems to be ok and the enamel is strong but inside it's rotting)

3. Does the purple one really strengthen the enamel and even can restore small defects?

PS Maybe I need to note that originally I'm from Russia. And the dentist treatment in the USSR and later in Russia was not very good. So my teeth are my pain )))

Haven't find this one on Amazon. My dentist advised me this one http://www.amazon.ca/PROTECTION-EROS...keywords=Elmex , he believes it strengthen enamel and restores some minor scratches.

But he's not quite sure and I'm surprised that he found it - here, in small town in Canada not so many people knows that there are other toothpaste than Colgate and Sensodyne )))

5

Yep, that is the one I use

(But.... why asking on a Switzerland Forum?)

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So basically, you don't trust your dentist's advice?

Why don't you discuss your misgivings with him openly, or failing that, change dentists?

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It does work

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Firstly, there are not so many dentists in the town and it's a real headache to change them.

Secondly, my dentist is good but he doubts using Elmex himself for he doesn't have and experience with it. Mostly, canadians use Colgate and Sensodyne and are happy with it. But my enamel went terribly sensitive using these toothpaste. So he had to investigate internet on other toothpaste and gave me advice concerning Elmex. I decided to get some information on it, is it really bad?

Thank you, I'll give it a try. Ordered it on Amazon already.

PS It's really strange for me that changing toothpaste in less than two years can almost ruin your teeth. My previous dentist, back in Russia ensured me that toothpaste doesn't matter at all - you can clean your teeth without it and have healthy and strong teeth )))

Yep, I know, it's kinda weird. But when I started to search internet - this forum was on top in Google results with the topic I mentioned above. Besides, Elmex is most commonly used in Switzerland (my dentist never heard of it before)? so I think it a good strategy to ask about Switzerland toothpaste at the Switzerland forum ))) Globalization as it is ))))

BTW, when I lived in Russia I travelled much in Europe, have been to Switzerland twice. Very nice and welcoming country, loved it very much )))

9
Toothpaste has one ingredient that is important for teeth - fluoride; it changes the enamel to a stronger and less brittle form, which unfortunately the enamel has a tendency to revert to.

Most of the rest is mild abrasives and detergents, which obviously helps to clean efficiently but isn't so important.

Many modern brands also have anti-bacterials, and in some cases bleaches to provide whitening. You view on these is up to you.

And of course mint, or some weird herby flavour for Elmex, which makes you feel you're done something ;-)

(I'm not a dentist, just did some research a couple of years ago).

10
So you dont trust your dentist but you trust a randon internet forum that is full of misinformation??

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Elmex was the first toothpaste worldwide that used amine fluoride 297 ("Olaflur") instead of sodium fluoride like all the other pastes.

Most of the research had been done at the Caries Research Station of the Dental Institute at the University of Zurich in the early 'sixties, and that had been quite a bit of work: Olaflur is N,N,N'-tris(2-hydroxyethyl)-N'-octadecylpropane-1,3-diamine dihydrofluoride, whereas sodium fluoride is just plain sodium fluoride.

It soon became obvious that it did work better, because the chemically much more active Olaflur bonded faster to the enamel than other fluorides. However, there was a problem: It bonded too quickly to the essential oils used to flavor the paste, so menthol and the like could not be used to make a pleasant taste.

As a result, although it was highly recommended by dentists and saw some nice success on the market, it was mainly used by people who bought their toothpaste based on research and not according to taste, which was a minority. Its taste was downright bland, to put it politely.

Some time in the 'eighties (I think) a different way of flavoring the paste was introduced, still not on par with competitors, but it sure helped raising the market share.

Also in the 'eighties the worldwide patents on Olaflur expired, but, despite the proven benefits, only a few other companies added it to their products, simply because the production of the substance was too demanding. After all, sodium fluoride consists only of two atoms, whereas Olaflur has 94 atoms per molecule, and, believe me, you can't just pour them in a vial and stir.

As for browning effects, please refer to my posts #52 and some more on the thread linked to by the OP. Elmex is a bit on the low abrasion side of the toothpaste spectrum, and Elmex Sensitive even much more so. That's what can cause build-up of discoloring pigment on the enamel. Easy to remove and even easy to prevent by alternating Elmex with another, slightly more abrasive paste.

I hope this helps a bit. And if all else fails, here's a solution:

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Good morning!

It’s been awhile since I participated on English Forum, so I was surprised to see a new thread referring to a thread I started years ago about Swiss toothpastes.

Although I continue to have my personal opinions and experiences, I am far more cautious about posting such broad statements, as I did, in the past.

Actually, Greybeard, who is a retired Swiss oral surgeon, has given solid information about the chemical origins of Elmex products.

Meanwhile, Elmex ( Gaba) has been bought out by Colgate-Palmolive and has altered many of the products, including Meridol. They now offer Meridol Sanftes Weiss ( Meridol Soft White). You can safely use their products.

It is difficult to suggest a specific product for your teeth, without seeing them, but if your dentist recommended Elmex Violet, it is probably for erosion. Yes, the Violet can cause some surface stains ( extrinsic), but they are easily removed.

More importantly, with erosion, is it’s origin. Do you suffer from gastric reflux, drink colas, juices, sports drinks, or Vitamin C ? Naturally, your base stability of your teeth plays a big factor. Some people are born with robust amounts of the outer surface called enamel, while others have a finer outer shell. Combine this with other factors like fluoride exposure, genetics and our habits, can make a big difference.

Just the same, there is no need to panic, as there are many solutions to dental problems. In the hands of a dentist dedicated to minimal invasive treatment, you can solve most problems.

I wish you all the best for your dental needs. 💜

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