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Comment by julianlam | Hacker News Reader

I was always told that "rebuilding enamel" isn't possible?

I've developed temperature sensitivity as I've aged, and now cold water in the mornings will trigger pain in certain teeth.

It's quite disappointing that the common advice is "brush twice daily and floss", which I've been doing my entire life (flossing for at least a decade).

Getting older sucks, and I'm not even that old.

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Talk to your dentist about getting a prescription for fluoride toothpaste/treatment. The one I use is a paste you use once a day after brushing, you brush it on and spit it out without rinsing. It has a higher concentration of fluoride than you get in a normal toothpaste.

After using it for a while (couple of months) I started noticing a drastic improvement to cold sensitivity. To the point I can bite into ice cream or popsicles without any cold pain.

For me, I went to a dentist with good reviews, he asked if I had sensitivity to cold and I said no. He said try X anyway. I tried it and it's one of those experiences like people who put on glasses that didn't know they had vision issues. I like ice cream again.

There's some ways to build up enamel as long as you've not eaten away at the dentin (aka cavity). There's tooth paste and mouth wash that has small particles that get stuck in groves in your teeth and helps enamel grow. It also reduces sensitivity. My dentist recommended something for me so I'm assuming it's not one-size-fits-all.

There is a sensodyne toothpaste with novamin that supposedly repairs enamel. I’ve heard it’s only available in Europe and Asia though.

There's a similar formula available in the US called Biomin that's FDA approved and distributed by Dr Collins. Their fluoridated version isn't FDA approved yet, but it works well for me used 50/50 with an OTC stannous fluoride toothpaste.

I can vouch for this toothpaste (it's called Repair & Protect). After about a week of use, no more pain when eating or drinking cold things. It had gotten so bad that I could hardly swirl even lukewarm water (do see a dentist too though if you have problems).

There are independent studies confirming the efficacy. The active ingredient binds to dentite and forms a protective layer, which lasts about a day.

It's OTC in Europe but afaik on prescription in the US. Maybe buy it from an EU web shop, it's no more expensive than a regular toothpaste.

I thought that is what fluoride does. I guess maybe it isn’t effective at some point of decay.

It does but you have to give it a chance to work.

You have to leave the fluoride on without rinsing, give it time to work (30 mins without drinking fluids), and reduce the amount of acidic foods you eat that is eroding the enamel.

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