We all want a beautiful smile.

Yet, a survey reveals one out of four adults avoids smiling to hide the condition of their mouths.

If you want teeth so white and gleaming they glow in the dark, you may need new toothpaste.

You do NOT need any procedure or product which "whitens" your teeth by grinding off any of your teeth's enamel.

Those can wear away your teeth, and cause sensitivity and gum inflammation.

You also do NOT need many of the abrasive home remedies people turn to. Those include brushing with activated charcoal or baking soda, or citric acid.

What is Tooth Enamel

It's the hard surface of your teeth. It shields and protects the dentin and pulp inside. Obviously, its main job is to enable you to chew your food well so you can extract from the food you eat the nutrition and calories you need.

That's why this enamel is the hardest substance in your body - even stronger than bone.

However, like your bones, it's a living, constantly-changing organ. It's not just dead material.

Over time, it's broken down by dental plaque, mouth bacteria and acid in foods.

It's composed 95% of calcium and phosphorus. These minerals bond tightly to each other by forming ultra-tight crystallites - small crystals.

The remainder of your enamel consists of 4% protein and 1% water.

The enamel itself is semi-translucent. Therefore, much of the color of your teeth come from the layer of dentin below the enamel. This can vary from grayish-white to light yellow - with everything in between.

What Causes Loss of Enamel?

* Friction, stress, and the wear and tear of eating 

* Grinding your teeth

* Consuming juice, soda, and other high-sugar drinks

* Dry mouth (Your saliva has minerals dissolved in it, which helps mineralize the enamel - unless your mouth has little or no saliva.)

* The hundreds of medications that can cause dry mouth

* Bulimia (Vomit is acidic, so it wears on the teeth.)

* Eating lots of sugar (This feeds oral bacteria that release lots of acids.)

* Eating lots of acidic foods

* Brushing your teeth with hard bristles, especially less than 30 minutes after eating

Once enamel is lost, it's gone forever.

Fortunately, however, we can make whatever enamel we have left stronger through bonding with more minerals.

What Can Cause Stained Teeth

You can not only lose enamel over time, it can become discolored for many reasons:

* Various pharmaceutical medicines, including tetracycline, Peridex, and inhaled steroids, such as Pulmicort, antihistamines, and Cipro

* Smoking and tobacco chewing

* Consuming dark foods and drinks, such as coffee and red wine

* Poor oral hygiene

The good news is, re-mineralizing your teeth can help eliminate discoloration naturally. When your enamel is thicker, anything staining the dentin is less visible.

What Can Re-Mineralization Toothpastes and Other Products Do For You

* Repair weak spots in the enamel

* Reduce and eliminate sensitivity to cold and heat

* Protect your teeth from acid-caused erosion

* Stop acid-producing bacteria from sticking to your teeth

* Prevent cavities

* Whiten your teeth without weakening the enamel

It's Not Over Until It's Over

Your teeth's capacity to re-mineralize is powerful enough that, at least according to some dentists, cavities don't need fillings unless they've broken through the Dental Enamel Junction (DEJ). They can remain that way for years, or even re-mineralize if given the right environment.

That's not common dental advice, so follow what your own dentist says, but it does show that, like much of the rest of our bodies, our teeth can repair themselves given the proper conditions.

Ingredients to Look for in a Remineralizing Toothpaste, Mouthwash or Other Product

All toothpaste are better than nothing because all of them help keep your mouth clean, which reduces acid-forming bacteria.

Also, most commercial brands contain fluoride, which does make tooth enamel harder, reducing cavities.

Some contain more fluoride than conventional toothpaste. Therefore, the strongest re-mineralizing toothpaste requires a prescription from your dentist. That's not necessary except in extreme cases. 

The fluoride content in that toothpaste is so high, swallowing any of it can cause stomach aches, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

If you're still interested, discuss it with your dentist.

Re-Mineralizing Ingredients to Look For:

* Sodium fluoride

* Stannous fluoride (Research says stannous fluoride is more effective at teeth re-mineralization than sodium fluoride.)

* Potassium nitrate

* Tri-calcium phosphate

* Calcium phosphate (hydroxyapatite)

About Fluoride and Hydroxyapatite

Fluoride bonds with the calcium and phosphate ions in your saliva to form fluorapatite - which does strengthen your enamel, and can re-mineralize small cavities. It needs saliva to work.

Hydroxyapatite is already composed of calcium and phosphate ions, so it doesn't need your saliva to work. Your teeth absorb it, so it re-mineralizes them from the inside out. It also smooths out rough spots in your enamel.

Research shows fluoride and hydroxyapatite are about equally effective at preventing cavities.

Just as fluoride is popular in the US, Japan uses hydroxyapatite.

But Americans can find hydroxyapatite toothpaste for sale online.

Don't Expect Overnight Success

The best results come from brushing your teeth for two minutes at least twice every day.

Plus, you should floss at least once per day.

Do that, and your teeth will begin re-mineralizing in three to four months.

Other Lifestyle Changes to Consider

* Eat foods rich in minerals, such as whole vegetables, nuts and seeds, eggs, beans, whole grains, and - especially - green leafy vegetables.

* Stop smoking or chewing tobacco.

* Reduce consumption of dark drinks such as red wine, coffee, tea, and colas.

* Get plenty of sunshine and/or take Vitamin D supplements so your body will store the calcium you eat in your teeth and bones.

* Stay well-hydrated, so your mouth contains adequate saliva.

* Reduce consumption of acidic foods and drinks.

* Stop eating processed sugar and grains.

* Chew sugar-free gum to encourage the production of more saliva.

* When possible, use a straw to reduce contact between sugary/acidic drinks and your teeth.

* Use only the softest toothbrushes, and wait to brush for at least thirty minutes after eating.

NOTE: If you have serious symptoms along with sensitive or discolored teeth, such as bleeding gums, pain, bad breath or holes in your teeth, see your dentist right away.

Re-mineralize your teeth, and soon you'll have a gleaming bright smile to show the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlWBYU-uMUc

https://www.pronamel.us/tooth-enamel/enamel-remineralization/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-with-minerals

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24798-tooth-enamel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZwIKb0nFFI

https://www.ada.org/resources/research/science-and-research-institute/oral-health-topics/whitening

https://dentalhealthsociety.com/teeth-whitening/are-there-risks-to-teeth-whitening/

https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/dental-care/medications-that-cause-tooth-decay

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10958-tooth-discoloration

https://www.healthline.com/health/remineralizing-toothpaste