Want clean teeth? Eat butter!

Apparently, 'brushing and flossing aren't that important', reveals dentist

No matter how thoroughly you clean your teeth, you are probably still exposing yourself to tooth decay, according to one dentist speaking out about oral care.

Dr Steven Lin from Australia claims that meticulously brushing and flossing the way your childhood dentist taught you to is not enough to prevent cavities and harmful levels of tooth enamel, reports Daily Mail.

The answer? Your diet, according to Dr Lin. He claims that maintaining good eating habits is the only way to stave off weak, unhealthy teeth.

Dr Lin says that incorporating four crucial vitamins into your diet will do worlds of good for your oral health, and he cautions the hygiene habits you have learned to develop since birth are not sufficient when it comes to caring for your teeth.

Dr Lin is the author of The Dental Diet, which is expected in 2018, and he also blogs about common misconceptions concerning oral health.

“I'm about to say something that might surprise you. Your toothpaste isn't that important. In fact, compared to proper dental nutrition, even brushing and flossing aren’t as important,” Dr Lin says.

He writes that this explains why some people still experience tooth decay even if they follow their dentist's recommendations. “Then there’s people who brush and floss religiously who are confused as to how they keep getting cavities no matter how many toothpaste brands and techniques they try.”

The problem comes down to the nutrients these people are consuming, he says.

Dr Lin boils it down to four vitamins that he claims will save your teeth - A, K2, D and E - and he warns that most people are not getting enough of them by following modern diets. Without enough vitamin A, your mouth will not produce enough saliva that gets rid of harmful bacteria, Dr Lin says.

He explains, “When you aren’t getting enough vitamin A, your saliva glands can’t do their job and it can contribute to pits on the surface of your enamel.”

Carrots for instance are high in Vitamin A.



Vitamin D is essential for strong bones, teeth chief among them. But that is not where vitamin D's benefits stop, he says. “There’s actually a little immune system within your teeth, called your odontoblasts, which needs vitamin D to be activated. Your ordontoblasts are the cells of your teeth that produce dentin and are vital to tooth regeneration,” he explains.

Dr Lin says that without vitamin K2, taking calcium supplements is useless. “Vitamin K2 is like the traffic cop for your calcium, telling it where and when to go,” he says.

When people with K2 deficiencies take calcium, it goes to their kidneys and arteries instead of their teeth. Lastly, vitamin E, an antioxidant, makes sure the levels of bacteria in your mouth are under control. The supplement regulates the microbiome in your mouth, which houses viruses, fungi and bacteria.

Dr Lin says that without these four supplements, your teeth are not being cared for properly.

He writes: “I can’t emphasise this enough, you must get the right nutrients, vitamins and minerals so your teeth can continue to regenerate throughout your life. Many mistakenly believe that they can prevent cavities and periodontal disease simply with good brushing habits and the right toothpaste - but this isn’t the most important factor.”