Tooth Remineralization?

Question

What exactly is this? I came across this reading about flouride treatments. You can actually remineralize a tooth? Is that the same as growing lost enamal on a tooth? I was told you cannot do that. Could this be done for all your teeth?

Answer 1

As far as I know, you can remineralize an incipient lesion, which means a tiny little cavity that ius still just a white spot on your tooth. You can't make tooth structure grow back after it has been broken down by decay. §

Answer 2

Remineralization is the process of restoring mineral ions to the tooth structure, and can be compared to replacing the missing links in a chain. The lost mineral ions must be replaced with ions of the same shape, size and electrical charge. Remineralization involves carbon dioxide from breath and water from saliva to create a mild, unstable carbonic acid that is at the core of the natural remineralization process. Minerals in saliva present from food are dissolved by the carbonic acids. In addition, carbonic acid quickly and easily converts to carbon dioxide and water. When this happens, the dissolved mineral ions precipitate out as solid mineral ions again, but not always as the original mineral molecules. If a particular mineral ion is near a demineralized portion of the hydroxyapatite crystal that requires that ion, the ion is incorporated into the dental enamel. Though natural remineralization is always taking place, the level of activity varies according to conditions in the mouth. In fact, for remineralization to proceed, six conditions or events must occur at the same time:

• Sufficient minerals must be present in the saliva. Food is the principal source of minerals for the teeth, therefore an adequate diet and sufficient time spent chewing (this transfers minerals to the saliva) is vital.

• A molecule of carbonic acid must be produced. A very small fraction of the carbon dioxide from the breath is converted to carbonic acid.

• The carbonic acid molecule must be produced in proximity to a mineral molecule, which then dissolves into its ionic components.

• This all has to occur in proximity to a demineralized spot in the hydroxyapatite latticework that requires the exact mineral ion.

• The demineralized spot has to be clean and accessible so the mineral ion is attracted to the “hole” in the lattice by the opposite electric charges of the ion and the “hole.” Many different ions have the correct charge, but only the correct ion has the correct shape and size to fit into the “hole.”

• The carbonic acid must convert to carbon dioxide and water before any of the above circumstances change. When this happens, a mineral ion is precipitated out of solution into the structure of the enamel.1,2

Since natural remineralization is frequently inadequate to maintain strong enamel, especially in today’s world of processed foods and refined sugars, the natural remineralization process needs to be augmented. Remineralization must be enhanced, or demineralization must be retarded.1,2

There are currently three technologies that offer claims of remineralization:

• Recaldent, found in GC America’s PROSPEC MI paste and Trident chewing gum

• Amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) found in Arm & Hammer’s Enamel Care Toothpaste, Discus Dental’s Nite White bleaching gel and Premier Dental’s Enamel Pro polishing paste

• SensiStat, found in Ortek Therapeutic’s Proclude and Denclude products1,2,3

See the related boxes in this article for more information.

Also worth mentioning is a new technology called NovaMin, a synthetic mineral composed of calcium, sodium, phosphorus and silica, the driving mechanism that binds to the tooth surface. The sodium buffers the pH to allow for precipitation of crystals onto the tooth surface. There is a rapid and continuous release and deposition of a natural crystalline hydroxyl-carbonate apatite (HCA) layer that is chemically and structurally the same as tooth mineral. SootheRx by OMMII and Sunstar Butler’s NuCare prophy paste both contain NovaMin.7
A SMALL INCIPIENT LESION IS MOST EASILY REMINANERILIZED.

Answer 3

Thats a tricky one, reminerlization is only if your tooth has been etched ( with acid ) during filling, if the etch is on an area not being filled then that area can remineralize.
If that is in which context you mean.

Answer 4

You can't regrow your teeth. You can stop a hole from getting a legion by flouride treatment, but the hole will always be there.