Fluoride

Today I got to spend some quality time with my dentist. I had a 15 year old crown that bacteria had got underneath and started to decay the core of the tooth. Today my dentist spent about an hour with heavy duty tools: filing, sawing and drilling to get the old crown off. I think she was somewhat surprised how well stuck on it was. Eventually she got it off (in pieces) and was able to drill out the decay (very bad smell) and refill the tooth, and I now have a temporary crown.

She is very nice, has good taste in music and I didn't feel a thing, though I'm a bit sore after all the pulling and pressure to get the old crown off. As the old crown came off in very small pieces I don't have it to blip, instead here is the ingredients of the free tube of tooth paste I picked up in the waiting room. My better half can's stand the flavour of this one but I love it.

In case you didn't know fluoride ions in your saliva (from your drinking water or tooth paste) are incorporated into the enamel of your teeth, making them harder than then they would be otherwise and are proven to drastically improve the strength and longevity of your teeth. You don't want too much or you can get yellow staining, but personally I think that's preferential to a filling!