Strong fluoride toothpaste

[Ukie]

Hi all. I have just been prescribed Duraphat toothpaste by the dentist, which contains 5000ppm of fluoride (as sodium fluoride). She wants me to use it once per day at bedtime and not rinse afterwards. I think I can remember something on here about too much fluoride having a negative effect with Hypothyroidism.

I’m also a bit concerned that I’m hoping to be able to start T3 soon 🤞as I’m a very poor converter. I don’t really want to start a new regime which may interfere with my thyroid at the same time as the T3.

What do people think? Thanks

[greygoose]

I wouldn't touch fluoride with a barge pole! It's not just the thyroid it has bad effects on. Why on earth does she want you to do that?

[Ukie in reply to greygoose]

Thanks for response greygoose. My gums have become very sensitive and my teeth being scaled is very painful. She says that my gums are starting to recede so that is why it’s painful, something about the protective coating is gone. I don’t get fluoride through the water supply, but I do use normal fluoride toothpaste.

[greygoose in reply to Ukie]

Fluoride is not going to help your receding gums - you probably have low Growth Hormone - nor the protective coating as far as I know. But it is going to mess with a lot of other things. I always use non-fluoride toothpaste, I'm not willing to take the risk.

[Regenallotment]

I discussed this with the hygienist some time over a year ago. This was after recommendations here to go fluoride free. There is no fluoride in tap water where I live.

She suggested trying the Aloe Dent sensitive fluoride free with my regular sonic toothbrush as I have no cavities and gums in pretty good nick. Should be OK she thought. Roll forward and 6 months later I had gum recession, increased sensitivity and my regular scale and polish was excruciating. Literally like pulling toenails, almost unbearable she had to keep stopping and give me numbing gel.

After this I felt I couldn’t afford to continue this decline in oral health. Decided to go with any regular brand toothpaste that was also scoring green in the Yuka App as a compromise. I found a Corsodyl variant then switched to a Sensodyne variant and recently had a Colgate total that was green on Yuka. All these contained some fluoride.

Had a recent hygienist appointment a few weeks back and sailed through, gums in great condition, no sensitivity to the scale and polish. Absolutely no change in routine or brush or diet just the paste.

I think it depends what your dental situation is, if you risk awful gum problems and tooth decay if you don’t use fluoride that’s a very different proposition.

My current experiment is to use fluoride free at night and the green on Yuka app regular toothpaste with some fluoride in the mornings.

Could you ask the dentist to justify that strength of fluoride? What’s the minimum they would suggest if you told them you need to avoid it? Ask what alternatives they could recommend.

🌱

[Ukie in reply to Regenallotment]

Thanks for response Regenallotment. I’m not familiar with the Yuka app, what does it do? Like you, it’s the response to scale and polish that was the problem, it’s very painful. The toothpaste she prescribed says in several places do not swallow, and yet she said that I should not rinse my mouth after. Surely this would cause some to go down? Do you rinse after brushing?

[arTistapple]

I use fluoride free toothpaste too. Aloe Dent. I have worried about dental issues and a ‘pocket’, basically an area of loss of gum developed. However my dentist suggested some of those tiny brushes which get between the teeth. I have been faithful in my habits of using them and the pocket has reduced by half in three months.

He always tells me ‘good brushing’ and teeth good (although they are not due to being brought up in the era where sugary stuff was put on dummies to shut babies up). It’s all a matter of perspective I guess.

Anyway the upshot is my teeth have got no worse on not using fluoride toothpaste for three years. Not that he knows I don’t use it.

[Ukie in reply to arTistapple]

Thanks for response. I’ve been using the interdental brushes every night for about a year now, and to be fair the recent scale didn’t seem as bad as last time. She said she was going to be gentle.