Quotations by 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. [2025] - 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. [2025] - 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. [2025] - 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. [2025] - 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. [2025] - 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. [2025] - 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. [2025] - 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. [2025] - 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. [2025] - 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. [2025] - 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. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Adults will benefit from using a dilute 0.05% sodium fluoride rinse without alcohol the last thing before going to bed. If you rinse and spit out but don't wash your mouth or drink anything more, a thin residue will cover your teeth for many hours during the night. The residue helps minerals in saliva rebuild damaged tooth enamel to improve the condition of your teeth while you're sleeping. The treatment will be especially helpful for people with tooth damage caused by dry mouth, acid reflux, or trauma to teeth from a hard bite. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

If you're going to bleach your teeth, understand what you're doing and evaluate the risks. During bleaching you can upset or kill the nerve of a tooth, which could potentially require a root-canal treatment or even an extraction. Everyone who bleaches their teeth will damage their enamel to some extent. Bleaching decreases the hardness of the teeth, demineralizing and weakening them. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Most whitening products contain peroxide as the main ingredient. The problem with peroxide is created by something called a hydroxyl-free radical, a by-product of bleaching that causes damage to the gum--damage that may be permanent. In addition, many whitening toothpastes contain abrasive polishing agents to remove some of the surface layer of your tooth, the part most often stained. But remember, this layer offers your tooth the most protection from infection and a barrier to make teeth less sensitive. I consider that a very well-known brand of whitening mouth rinse should be considered a co-carcinogen and that using the product may increase your risk for oral cancer. Stay clear of products that claim to whiten teeth. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Sweeteners like stevia and xylitol are derived from natural sources and are healthy and safe sugar substitutes, despite the fact that they have such off-putting and chemical-sounding names. Artificial sweeteners, on the other hand, often have alluring names like Splenda, Sweet'N Low, and Equal. There are great differences for teeth between the effects of consuming the natural and dentally beneficial sugar substitute xylitol and xylitol's ugly stepsister, the artificial sugarless sweetener called sorbitol. Sorbitol can cause gastric problems like bloating and stomach cramps at low dosage. Many people who consume sorbitol find they develop acid reflux symptoms. Don't believe that when a product says it's sugar free it means it's "safe or good for teeth." Sugar-free products, especially chewing gum and diet drinks, may contain sorbitol. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Few mineral waters are alkaline, and even tap water may be acidic. As a generalization, the more expensive bottled waters, originating from various regions of the world, seem to be alkaline. Evian is a brand of bottled water and is mildly alkaline, with a pH of 7.2, and Fiji water from the island of Fiji, has a pH of 7.4. People who wake and need a drink during the night, people with a dry mouth, or those who are dehydrated or sick may want to take particular interest in the pH value of the water they are consuming. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Citric acid is damaging in any mouth, and in a dry mouth, where it is not diluted or washed off teeth by saliva, the damage will be more extreme. Many fruits contain citric acid, as do the drinks made from them: grapefruit, oranges, limes, or lemons. Other foods, such as bananas, almonds, potatoes, vegetables of all kinds, fresh apples, and even pineapple, can make the mouth alkaline. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Several foods are not only safe for teeth but also have tooth-protective or anti-cavity features: 1) Cow's milk; 2) Cheese; 3) Dark chocolate; 4) Certain plant fibers and leaves (sugarcane, fresh apples, tea, etc.); 5) Intense sweeteners (glycyrrhizin from licorice root, thaumatin, miraculin, etc.); 6) Propolis. Finishing a meal or a snack with something dentally healthy can alter the chemistry of your mouth and leave it safe for teeth. Know at least one or two foods that you like and which are safe for teeth so that you can eat these to complete any meal or snack made up of foods that are damaging. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

In general, a toothbrush head should be less than one inch in length and should have a handle that allows a firm grasp. The bristles must have rounded ends to avoid damaging the gums. I suggest looking for "caretaker" brushes with small heads and longer handles. [2025] - Ellie Phillips

Brushes should be cleaned daily, using an anti-bacterial or other sanitizing method. Toothbrushes can be cleaned by swishing the bristles of the brush in ½oz undiluted antibacterial rinse (Listerine) for 30 seconds. Rinse away the disinfecting liquids under running tap water. Store the brush head up, in a cup, allowing the bristles to air dry completely between each use. If your storage conditions are damp or wet, mold or bacteria will grow easily on your brush, even under a cover or in a bag. Depending on their bathroom conditions, some families may be able to keep their toothbrushes cleaner by storing them in a kitchen area. The makers of the UV sterilizers for toothbrushes are now making small portable units for traveling toothbrushes, and the units seem to work well. [2025] - Ellie Phillips