Here’s an interesting one; a toothpaste that promises to – quite literally – rebuild your teeth. The Regenerate toothpaste and tooth serum can – according to the blurb – regenerate tooth enamel by around 80% in just three days. An impressive claim and one that will no doubt excite the millions of people who have seriously knackered their tooth enamel up! Tooth enamel is actually the hardest substances in the human body, but once it’s damaged it can’t be restored. It’s under constant attack, and not just from things like fizzy drinks; apparently the fruits and fruit juices that have become a staple part of the modern diet are as much to blame. I actually spoke to my friend Sunny about this a while ago; she’s been a dentist for years and over that time has seen a massive increase in acid erosion, not just in adults but in children who have been given the “healthy” option of dried fruit snacks and fresh fruit juices. Acid erosion is happening to all teeth, all the time; it’s not some kind of rare disease or specialised problem – just an unavoidable fact of life. Wear and tear, if you like. You can help to lessen it (avoiding overly acidic foods and drinks, for example, or making sure that you don’t brush straight after your morning juice) but it’s very unlikely that you could completely bypass it!
Regenerate claims to rebuild tooth enamel with tooth enamel; its ingredients combine to form a crystal structure that is identical to tooth enamel’s key mineral, a substance called Hydroxyapatite. This wraps and sticks to the teeth, effectively “rebuilding” the enamel and filling in all of the little gaps and ridges that are being constantly caused by acid erosion. I’m genuinely quite wowed by this possibility, especially as three years ago my dentist told me that my front teeth were so worn away they were becoming almost transparent! My front teeth have always been really ridgey, too – whether this is a result of my frequent lemon-eating as a child (I know, weirdo) or my “addicted-to-Diet-Coke” phase*, I have no idea – and there are some teeth that are really sensitive where the enamel has been diminished.
So yes, quite excited. I have no idea how I’m going to properly measure the results; I suppose my teeth will feel smoother and less sensitive? Perhaps the front ones will be less transparent when I shine a torch through them! Ha! Though it’ll have to be a small torch because it will need to be inside my mouth shining outwards and then there’s always the risk that I might choke on the torch, or a chip a tooth with it. Which would be ironic. The kit looks pretty easy to use; toothpaste is a no-brainer, obviously, but the serums that you have to mix together also appear to be quite simple. I already have custom-fitted trays so I don’t need to use the ones provided (you melt them in boiling water then shape them to your teeth) and the serums just require mixing together inside the trays to activate the ingredients. What could possibly go wrong? I’ll keep you updated!
Regenerate Toothpaste is £10 and you can order it from Boots.com here or Selfridges here. The Boosting Serum is £32, again at Boots or Selfridges.
*I drank enough Diet Coke between the years of 2008 and 2011 to fill a swimming pool. Disgusting, really, but I was truly addicted. I limited myself to one can a day, and then it crept up to two. Never more than that, but still. All that aspartame, crikey.
Hello Ruth, How did your experiment with the Regenerate toothpaste and serum go? Very curious. Best wishes, Helene