Quotations by Ellie Phillips

Most pastes contain dicalcium phosphate dehydrate as an abrasive to clean teeth. Abrasive toothpaste, often used for tartar control, can cause sensitivity and may actually weaken teeth. Some antibacterial ingredients and whitening products may even be classified as co-carcinogens, capable of triggering cancer in cancer-prone patients when used repeatedly over time. I recommend the original Crest Regular Cavity Protection toothpaste with no extras. This paste is sufficiently cleansing without being too abrasive. It contains sodium fluoride to strengthen teeth. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Recent testing confirms the effectiveness of Listerine in removing plaque from teeth and shows that rinsing twice a day is as effective for removing plaque as flossing once a day. Listerine exerts its antibacterial effect mainly on immature bacteria, so rinsing every 12 hours is important. The bonus of Listerine is that rinsing reaches everywhere in the mouth whereas only about 25% of the mouth is cleaned by flossing and brushing. Look for the original formula or a taste you can tolerate. Avoid rinses that are advertised for plaque control, whitening, or have other features that are unnecessary. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

A large percentage of adults have acidic saliva or drink acidic drinks just before brushing their teeth. Their teeth will therefore already be acid softened as they start brushing. Acid-softened teeth are easily abraded, especially by a toothbrush coated with toothpaste. Poorly designed brushes, stiff or hard bristles, or an abrasive toothpaste make this problem worse. I suggest using a stabilized chlorine-dioxide mouth rinse called Closys in the United States (Ultradex in the United Kingdom) for a prerinse. A chlorine-dioxide rinse is most effective if it's unflavored. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

If you use xylitol gum, do not chew it for longer than 10 minutes-by which time the sweet taste should be gone. Longer gum chewing will bring a different kind of digestive saliva into the mouth, which will dilute and wash away the xylitol-stimulated saliva that is most useful for healing the gums and teeth. It's ideal immediately after each xylitol exposure to have a period when you do not eat or drink for at least an hour-this allows saliva with xylitol dissolved in it to interact with the mouth and teeth, and for xylitol to work in what is called a prebiotic capacity, which serves to nurture the mouth's population of good bacteria. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Sensitivity pastes can dull the pain felt in your teeth, especially when this involves any root dentin that may have become exposed in your mouth. These pastes frequently desensitize the tooth by creating a plug made up from a tin compound that works as a barrier substance over the exposed dentin. This will provide immediate relief, but since the underlying problem has not been addressed, more damage can occur and result in more problems elsewhere in the mouth. Sensitivity is better addressed by using xylitol at the end of meals, followed by a period of mouth resting. This is really a time, after using xylitol, when you do not eat or drink anything for an hour or two. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Sticky or highly processed foods, especially soft cereals and crackers, are particularly dangerous for teeth. The quantity of sugar you consume is not as important for mouth health as the frequency and duration of time during which sugar is in your mouth. This is why a more successful approach is to plan healthy meals, and then end every meal with a tooth-protective food or xylitol, which will negate any drop in your mouth's pH level generated by the sugary foods and/or beverages in question. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Tomatoes and pink grapefruit contain special nutrients called bioactives, which can protect the DNA of cells from damage that may occur during X-rays, provided that they're consumed prior to any radiation. Fresh apples are a great example of a food rich in probiotic properties (together with the aforementioned bioactives) that help to speed up the repair of DNA damage to reduce damaging effects. This is why apples are useful when they're consumed after one has undergone X-rays, or for patients with disrupted salivary glands who are following a course of radiation and/or chemotherapy.  [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Onions (along with its close cousin, garlic) contain a naturally occurring chemical compound called allicin, which boosts saliva production and benefits immune health-and goes on to have a positive impact on gum health. The natural spice ginger stimulates saliva production directly and can be helpful for people with a dry mouth while it also supports the immune system. Berries of all kinds-blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries among others-are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, and they all contain some naturally occurring xylitol. Berries have a particularly useful impact on mouth health and help to develop protective biofilm over teeth. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Papaya and pineapple are two unique fruits for digestive health, each contributing enzymes that can be eaten right before a meal as an appetizer-which allows these enzymes to help support improved upper digestive health. The process helps to reduce the unpleasant and painful symptoms of acid or gastric reflux-a problem that negatively influences mouth health in many ways, especially as it can cause erosion of teeth and promotion of unhealthy mouth conditions. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Healthy Food Pairings: Banana with some dairy product (like yogurt, milk, custard, or kefir) / Tomatoes with olive oil / Citrus fruits with spinach / Avocado and carrots / Salad greens with an egg / Oatmeal and berries / Broccoli and mustard / Beans and rice / Salmon and broccoli / Eggs and spinach / Chickpeas and lemon juice / Fresh strawberries with cream  [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Specific foods stimulate an improved wound response, and some of these foods include: Dark chocolate (which can stimulate stem cells); black and green teas (which can mobilize stem cells); grains (especially barley); and seeds (including flax, sunflower, pumpkin, and chia), all of which can speed up the process of angiogenesis to bring a needed blood flow to the gums. Herbs like rosemary, peppermint, and ginseng can be useful, as well as the fruit and peels of fresh apples and plums, which help the repair process. Capers and onions, dried cherries, sultana raisins, and blueberries are similarly beneficial for wound healing. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Gum recession can cause pain and tooth sensitivity, but it's not an indicator of poor mouth health. In fact, recession often occurs in healthy mouths from overuse of the wrong kinds of products (like baking soda, whitening pastes, or peroxide) or an excessive amount of flossing. Filling the erosion grooves in enamel is often a recommendation. This type of filling on the sides of teeth is called a Class V (five) filling, and they often fail and need constant replacement-which risks the health and vitality of these teeth. Ask your dentist why he/she recommends the filling of these eroded areas, and maybe discuss what he/she thinks about the idea of a delay in treatment. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Consider carefully that some dentists do not believe that cavities or gum disease are preventable or reversible. You should also remain aware that there is another available treatment that flow a thin plastic sealant material into the open porosities of a cavity. This is not a good solution, since it can act as a kind of plaque magnet to attract decay in this area of the mouth. A small cavity in a permanent adult tooth can naturally reverse in a few months, which is why any motivated patient should weigh the risks of sealants and "small" fillings, and consider carefully that any treatment will be irreversible, especially if you allow a tooth to be randomly drilled. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

It's usually best, whenever possible, to save teeth rather than extract them too quickly. Implants are always at high risk for periodontal gum disease. Regular dental cleanings are also riskier for people with implants, as particles of titanium from the screw can be shaved off by hygiene instrumentation and cause tissue reactions that are similar in nature-and impact-to an exaggerated auto-immune response. You may want to ask your hygienist if she or he will use what is referred to in the oral health industry as a special dental implant scaler to avoid this kind of implant scratching or possible complications. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

How can one decide the best dental treatment to select? In view of all these choices and considerations, my advice is to empower yourself with as much knowledge as possible-and to always seek out counsel, or at least a second opinion, from a specialist like an endodontist or prosthodontist. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Science does not support six-month professional cleanings as a benefit for a healthy mouth. Frequent cleanings could weaken teeth, thin your enamel, and cause sensitivity by the removal of a vital protein layer, which may leave your mouth more vulnerable to damage and cavity bacteria. Frequent cleanings help patients who are at high risk. This makes sense, as the burden of infection is temporarily lightened—but it's not taken away. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Dental disease is preventable, and cavities in the early stages are completely reversible. With correct care, a cavity can be stopped and reversed, heal naturally, and never need a filling. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

I believe almost all dental materials, be they silver or white, are dangers to our health, since there is mercury in amalgam (silver) fillings and the plastic compound BPA in white plastic fillings and in sealants. Ceramic material is unyielding, and the constant biting contact against a hard crown can cause fractures of opposing natural teeth. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

A healthy mouth feels clean and comfortable, it has no plaque, no calculus buildup, no recession, and no sign of cavities, bleeding gums, or periodontal problems. A healthy mouth does not need a cleaning, which could potentially scratch or thin the enamel; more importantly, a cleaning may remove the thin layer of healthy protective proteins and the good bacteria that are the foundation of a healthy mouth ecosystem. Your mouth certainly should be professionally evaluated at regular intervals by your dentist, and at these appointments, I encourage patients to inquire if their mouth needs a “cleaning”. If your mouth is unhealthy, a cleaning will remove diseased plaque from around your teeth and gums for a time, and this will temporarily help to limit the amount of damage and inflammation in your gums.  [2018] - Ellie Phillips

You may want to have a saliva test to check the levels of mouth bacteria we know are implicated in a variety of chronic health problems. An ultrasonic scan can show plaque deposits in your carotid arteries, and A1c or C-reactive protein blood tests can indicate the level of inflammation in your body. When these tests are combined, they can give a useful warning or indication of the presence of chronic inflammation, which could have a serious impact on your life now or in the future. [2018] - Ellie Phillips