Quotations by Ellie Phillips

Erythritol is derived from corn, and because the body does not recognize this product, it will be touted as calorie-free. Like all zero-calorie products, this may not be a healthy attribute, and I do not promote erythritol or suggest you mix it with xylitol or allow yourself to be swayed by research that asks you to believe that erythritol is superior to xylitol. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Stop drinking—even water—for at least a few hours in the afternoon. If you need to drink between meals, try water sweetened with some xylitol. To make this, add 1 teaspoon of granular xylitol to 3 cups of room-temperature water. Do not overclean your tongue or mouth. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

A toothpaste’s ideal ingredients would be nonabrasive silica, enough sodium fluoride to strengthen teeth, and no glycerin. In the late 1950s, the original Crest formulation passed randomized clinical trials and showed it could stop cavities before they start. It has been my toothpaste of choice for three decades. If you have gum recession, be sure to avoid any toothpaste that contains glycerin, salt, peroxide, coconut oil, or baking soda, since these can upset biofilm health by dissolving its foundational proteins. If you have a dry mouth or sensitivity, my advice is to avoid all the pastes advertised for sensitive teeth. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Schedule a dental appointment as early in the day and week as possible, ideally after a long weekend when the office air will have settled. Avoid Friday afternoon when office air may be fogged with bacteria. Boost your immune system with a healthy diet and probiotics for several weeks before an appointment. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

A company called Oral DNA has a test called MyPerioPath®, which measures the levels of periodontal bacteria in your saliva. This can alert you if harmful periodontal pathogens are at an unhealthy level, indicating the probability that they are breeding in gum pockets around your teeth. I suggest everyone takes a salivary mouth test for periodontal pathogens along with an oral cancer screening, at least every couple of years. If you have active gum disease, I believe you should consider testing immediately and then monitor your oral health until it is satisfactory and remains stable. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

With healthy gums and pristine teeth, the need for X-rays to check deeper should be adequate at three- to five-year intervals. When all the crevices of molar teeth have been filled by sealants or covered with fillings or dental crowns, this prevents the dentist from being able to visually judge the health of your mouth, as the molar grooves have been eliminated. As a general rule of thumb, pristine teeth will need the fewest X-rays, and this is one reason I strongly oppose the use of sealants, as they increase the need for frequent X-ray assessment for the rest of your life. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Those who have titanium dental implants should be wary of cleanings. With titanium in your jaw, you should be extremely judicious about the frequency of professional cleanings you receive. This is because there is a substantial risk that particles of metal can be scraped off your implant and get into your gum tissue, which could create a new health hazard. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

A few drops of mouth rinse will work just as well as a large mouthful. Most mouth rinse manufacturers encourage you to use as much as possible, but I have found no science to connect the mouth benefits with the volume of rinse used. With any mouth rinse, feel free to be economical with your rinse volume. Maximize the benefits of your final protective rinse by not eating or drinking for at least an hour after you finish the routine, and spit out the last rinse. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

I believe flossing in an infected mouth can be a health problem, and unnecessary flossing or overflossing can easily make teeth sensitive, cause gums to recede, and put people at risk for pushing plaque bacteria into the blood, with the potential to contribute to plaque in arteries or worse. If you have a healthy mouth and like to floss, I believe the best time to floss is when you have toothpaste on your teeth, so a small amount of paste will be pulled and pushed between the interproximal areas between teeth. This way of using floss to move toothpaste could also be useful if you are trying to heal interproximal cavities between your teeth, since it will ensure the toothpaste has access to help mineralize these areas on your teeth. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Today most medications have mouth-drying side effects, and a dry mouth is a risk factor for dental problems. The saliva that protects teeth also protects your esophagus. If the coating is absent from your teeth, it may also leave your esophagus vulnerable to bacterial or fungal infections that create symptoms of acid reflex. It is interesting how dry mouth, dental problems, and acid reflux are so closed linked. [2010] - Ellie Phillips

Some kinds of tooth bacteria are harmful, whereas others are good for our dental health. People can lose healthy bacteria following an abrasive dental cleaning, after taking a course of antibiotics, or when the mouth becomes dry or acidic for long periods of time. During times of change, it's possible for a new type of bacteria to infect your mouth and suddenly cause damage to your teeth and dental health. [2010] - Ellie Phillips

Throughout life, all the products we consume affect our teeth. Sometimes, acidic apple juice, sports drinks, sodas, coffee, and beer harm our teeth. At other times, our teeth may benefit from mineral-rich drinking water, vegetable juices, dairy products, xylitol, and alkaline soups and broths. [2010] - Ellie Phillips

Dental problems in a dry mouth may actually be made worse with excessive toothbrushing or the frequent use of mouth rinses like Listerine, which itself has an acidity level capable of dissolving tooth enamel if it remains, undiluted, on teeth for a long period of time. [2010] - Ellie Phillips

Ideally, you should take a mouth acidity (pH) reading in the morning, right after you wake up. This will give you a recording that is independent of changes caused by eating or drinking. Begin the test by spitting a small amount of saliva into a spoon and dipping a strip of litmus paper (or a litmus stick) into the liquid. If you test your resting or morning saliva and find it's neutral or alkaline, you will generally have good salivary protection for your teeth. If you find your saliva is acidic, you may be at higher risk for cavities and tooth decay. A true healthy mouth ideally has a resting acidity measurement of close to pH7. Any time your mouth's acidity level falls below the number 6, you should be worried about your teeth. [2010] - Ellie Phillips

Measuring the pH of my saliva has shown me how it becomes more alkaline about half an hour after I have taken vitamins, when I relax in a sauna, or when I bask on the beach during vacation. Many forms of relaxation, including gardening and exercising, likewise seem to have positive alkalizing effects on my saliva. People need to realize that there is no single salivary pH and that one reading that shows a normal pH is not a guarantee that it will remain healthy. Regular readings will help you determine how much protection you have naturally for your teeth and when you may want to be particularly careful during times of more mouth acidity. [2010] - Ellie Phillips

The public has been conditioned to believe that dental cleanings are for the benefit of their teeth. The truth is that professional cleanings may reduce deposits, but they cannot stop the regrowth of acid-loving bacteria, and cleanings themselves cannot strengthen or protect your teeth. No amount of brushing, flossing, or professional cleanings can completely rid your mouth of bacteria. Unless you remove the conditions that promote harmful bacterial problems, more harmful bacteria will grow back and any cycle of damage will be repeated. [2010] - Ellie Phillips

Avoid mouth acidity as much as possible and encourage healthy plaque by consuming sufficient 100% xylitol each day, especially after meals and beverages. At least 6-10 grams of xylitol per day is recommended in (at least 5-6) divided doses. Mints, gum, breath sprays or granular xylitol are all acceptable. My general recommendation is to dissolve one teaspoon (4 grams) of granulated xylitol in 6-8 ounces of water and drink this each morning. This can be repeated again in the afternoon, or mints and gum can be eaten at the end of snacks or meals. Frequency is believed to play a major role in reducing plaque. [2010] - Ellie Phillips

To prevent gum disease, watch for the first signs of infection (bleeding gums) and take action immediately. When you prevent or stop gum disease at the early stage, you avoid all the problems that aggressive periodontal bacteria can inflict on your gums, bones, and health. When your teeth have multiple exposures to xylitol each day, totaling at least 6.5 and 10 grams of xylitol, studies show that you can radically change the kind of bacteria in your mouth within one year. The next thing to do is visit a dentist as soon as possible to have an evaluation to learn about remedies that can help return your mouth to health. [2010] - Ellie Phillips

Mouth rinses and toothpastes contain various kinds of fluoride. I recommend only sodium fluoride, which has been studied for decades and is the most stable and safe. And it will not stain teeth, a problem that can occur with other kinds of fluoride, particularly stannous fluoride. [2010] - Ellie Phillips

I advise patients to avoid high-concentration fluoride products and look for lower-dilution products, such as ACT, with 0.05% fluoride, which, ironically, can be more effective in strengthening your teeth than gels and pastes that contain ten times the concentration of fluoride. Try to keep fluoride in contact with your tooth surfaces for as long as possible; the longer the duration of contact, the stronger your tooth enamel will become. The more often you rinse with fluoride, the more help you give your teeth. Rinsing several times a day will speed and improve results in you're trying to strengthen your teeth or repair damage. [2010] - Ellie Phillips