White Spot Lesions

[ThatOnePerson]

I have white spot lesions (decalcified enamel), and I'm positive it is from bad oral hygiene. I didn't take care of myself in any way for a while after a very long depressive episode, that included my oral care. I barely brushed my teeth during that time. About a month or so ago I decided it was time to start getting everything back on track with myself. During that episode, I developed white spot lesions, again I am positive it is from bad oral hygiene. Cosmetically, I don't care what my teeth look like, I just care if my teeth and gums are healthy or not.

I started working on cutting down on soda and drinking more bottled water.
I brush my teeth twice a day with Crest Complete Flouride Toothpaste(Image below) with a manual toothbrush.
I floss once a day.
I chew sugar free gum containing xylitol.

I won't get into my dentist office for at least another month, which I don't mind too much at the moment. Any tips/recommendations for better teeth/gum health? Again, I don't really care too much cosmetically as that would just be a small bonus to me. I just care more for my overall oral health.

 

[A_s]

Hi,

Do you take any medications? Any hospitalisations? Any medical conditions?
Do you have water fluoridation in the area you lived in? What other fluoride aids do you use?
How frequently do you eat snacks per day (include fruits)? How frequently do you drink acidic drinks per day? Do you drink alcohol?
Which brushing technique do you brush? Do you brush at an angle of 45 degrees slightly towards your gums? Do you brush systematically from one side to the other side? Do you brush for 2 minutes?
Do you do tongue scraping?
Do you only expectorate after you brush instead of rinsing with a lot of water?
Are you using a soft manual toothbrush? A soft one is recommended.

Some advice includes but not limited to are:
The more frequent it is to snack, the more likely it is to develop decay. It is not about the amount, but the frequency (but the amount - can affect your general health).
Try not to brush immediately before/after you consume sugar.
Try not to eat anything else after brush at night.
Do not rinse too thoroughly with water after you brush your teeth (we want the fluoride to be in your mouth for as long as possible, but do not want too much fluoride to be ingested at the same time). So can just expectorate, instead of rinsing with water too thoroughly.
Can also try an electrical toothbrush (but the key is to have good brushing technique and have 2 minutes brushing time).

More advice will need more information from you. Please visit your dentist if you can

Hope this helps.