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My entire life I've had relatively yellow teeth. My dentist told me that this is because I have thick enamel but I'm really susceptible to cavities and have had lots in my life so that didn't seem quite right. I would like to heal an area where I think I'm getting a cavity as well as get my teeth a bit whiter without bleaching them. I know going low carb definitely helps reduce plaque, which is fine with me because I do better on lower carb anyway. I brush regularly with a electric brush and floss when I remember to. I read somewhere on here to supplement with Zinc, Vitamin D, and Vit K-2. I tried the zinc and started at a very low dose and it gave me horrible nausea, but I don't really know what kind of zinc I was supposed to buy and bought what I could find. I eat 2 eggs for breakfast every morning (with either grass fed steak or bacon). Is that enough K-2? I've also recently gone from a very outdoor centered job to an indoor centered job and will start supplementing D3 in the next day or so, and will stop supplementing it when my outdoor job picks back up in January.
What should I do to heal my possible cavity and make my teeth whiter?

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You forgot to ask a question. I assume this isn't just about the k2. – Kasra Nov 1 2011 at 2:18
Depends on what caused your yellow teeth. My dad always said his yellow teeth were due to being a premature birth. Bleachers didn't work on him. Do they work on you? You don't really say. – James Nov 1 2011 at 18:53
James- I've never tried them because I have pretty sensitive teeth (to cold) and worry that 1. Whitening will make that worse and 2. whitening will damage the enamel on my teeth – WayfinderAli Nov 7 2011 at 16:32

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All you need to really use is water. For whiter teeth, try making a paste out of straight baking soda and lightly brush your teeth with it twice a week. Overbrushing can do quite a bit of damage to the teeth and gums, and you're really not supposed to brush right after eating. If anything, just rinse your mouth out with some water or diluted baking soda to neutralize acid in the mouth.

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thanks! that's a simple easy solution I'll definitely give it a try – WayfinderAli Nov 7 2011 at 16:33
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I just brush and floss regularly. Usually, I use ECO-DENT tooth-powder... it is mostly baking soda with some nice non-sweet flavoring. Since it is dry, and not a paste also happens to be lighter for toting while camping, and there is no TSA flying restriction on is since it is not a liquid.

They also have a whitening powder that I'll admit I've not tried... http://www.eco-dent.com/item.php?item=164024

For a touch of whitening, I brush about once or twice a week with some 1% diluted hydrogen peroxide. I just pour a splash of 3% into a glass, and dilute it before using. FOAMY!

I leave a little left over to soak/clean my toothbrush now and then.

I do take magnesium at night, but it is for general use, not the teeth specifically.

I've been getting a super clean bill of tooth health from my dentist, who i see twice yearly for cleanings and such.

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This must sound really nasty but I don't brush my teeth since I've been on Low Carb/Paleo. Just lots of water. My Dental Checkup was much better than the last time when I was eating sugar and brushing. Dental Hygienist told me she sees Vegans, and Fruitarians who have awful teeth and Low carbers are much better.

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do your teeth feel slimy? do you ever have bad breath? – WayfinderAli Nov 1 2011 at 2:40
I usually brush my teeth personally. Might not be totally necessary, but low carb <> no carb, and I have full confidence the little buggers can figure out a way to screw me over. – James Nov 1 2011 at 20:57
No slime and no bad breath. Dr Weston Price was a dentist that traveled the world and noted tribes that had no tooth decay despite not brushing until they adopted a western diet. On a side note, he found these tribes even smoked tobacco with no lung disease. Crazy what the right diet can protect you from. – Joshuwala Nov 3 2011 at 18:45
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I think not brushing works IF you don't have any problems to start with. Check on Dr Ellie's blog for some catchup suggestions and then you can get on with the full paleo. In other words, Dr Ellie is not Paleo, but she explains a lot about how dental health (teeth and gums) works and how the SAD affects dental health. My teeth are still pretty yellow, but getting a lot better. She says it takes about 2 years. I used to chew a lot of sorbitol based gum, apparently a really bad idea. http://askdrellie.blogspot.com/

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