Dear Dr. Ellie,
I was so happy my Aunt picked your restaurant for lunch a few weeks back so I got to meet you and learn of Zellies. The lunch was very good too! I read your book and I am very pleased with the Zellies mints I bought. I am now watching my overall mouth pH. Looking for additional products with xylitol especially mouthwash, I found and am using biotene. I was surprised that you recommend the listerine which has alcohol. I used to use listerine but was wondering if my gums were getting burned even though I could not feel it. What are your findings on biotene? Also I found a artesian water called evamor at a local store in Knoxville TN. It was not listed on the link you show. It has a pH of 9 but no funny taste. I believe the source is 1800 ft below New Orleans. The web site on the water is liveacidfree.com. Thanks again for all you do and getting the word out on xylitol!
Evanne- TN
Dear E,
Thanks for your question about Listerine.
Yes, Listerine is both acidic and contains alcohol which can dry the mouth.
The alcohol content is actually good as far as making it antibacterial although the main ingredients in Listerine that make it work so well are the essential oils it contains.
BUT I love Listerine for its cleaning and antibacterial properties although I never recommend leaving it on your teeth ( especially if you have a dry or naturally acidic mouth) if you do …..I believe it can indeed contribute to the acidic and dry mouth problems.
For this reason we NEVER recommend leaving Listerine on your teeth.
FOLLOW the Listerine with a gentle dilute fluoride rinse (ACT) and you will be astounded how nice and clean your teeth feel.
I have a booklet coming out which describes the whole process in detail and it will be on the website to print out soon. I view cleaning teeth like cleaning skin: Cleanse Tone Moisturize.
You would never dream of leaving an alcohol containing toner on your skin yet under a moisturizer it makes your skin clean and fresh. Same with Listerine use it before the ACT and FEEL the difference!
Biotene is OK. I have tried the product and yes, it contains xylitol…..but you should try my method for an amazing feel!
I would be happy to talk on the phone if you have more questions just let me know.
Thanks again for your interest,
Ellie Phillips
Categories: Uncategorized
Listerine dries your mouth and it kills “all” bacteria, good and bad.Listerine basically leaves your mouth defenseless to fight against the harmful bacteria that cause gum disease and tooth decay.You view cleaning teeth like cleaning skin: Cleanse – Tone – Moisturize. You wouldn’t clean your skin with alcohol…
Listerine is very effective at riding the mouth of bacteria — and you are right – by itself, you would damage the teeth over time. Which is why we use ACT immediately following. The ACT brings the mouth back to a neutral pH and bathes it in fluoride so that the teeth can remineralize. Your mouth will naturally produce the good bacteria over time.And you would be surprised how many facial cleansers contain alcohol! They too are very effective and it is always recommended that you moisterize after them as well!I hope this helps you understand the process more. Feel free to email webmgr@zellies.com or call 585.272.1270 if you would like more information.
Why would you buy two products (Listorine & Act)when you can effectivly use just one (Biotene).
Q: Why would you buy two products (Listerine & Act)when you can effectively use just one (Biotene). A: My system will not give just one dental benefit , – it is a system that achieves total dental health.My system was not born from a competition between products – ( for example people have asked me if Closys is better than Listerine or like your question, is Biotene better than two rinses). Without long term clinical trials, I could not answer those questions. Besides the answer is not relevant to my system. What I do know, is that everyone who uses my system in the correct way has seen exceptional results. I do not know the results achieved by using Biotene regularly. I cannot tell you if using Biotene for twenty years will give you whiter, stronger, healthier teeth, healthy gums, healthy skin of your mouth and tongue and a fabulous feeling each time you brush and clean your teeth. I know this will happen if you use my system. I have tried Biotene, I think it is safe and it contains xylitol. I do not know how Biotene interacts with the other oral care ingredients in my system. BUT…. I do know that Listerine effectively prevents gum disease and its interaction with ACT makes teeth more acid-resistant and super strong. The interaction of Listerine and ACT is special and makes teeth smoother (and therefore brighter), stronger and more dense (and therefore whiter in color) and more resistant to future acid attacks( far less chance of any future damage). You see, the “system” that I offer is designed to work, one product with the next .For the benefits to be seen and felt on your teeth you have to put away the old products you have used for years – and try the products in the way I recommend. Once you FEEL the difference you will know what I mean. If you are satisfied with Biotene and you have no dental issues – then don’t worry about my suggested system.If you have bad breath, gum problems, pocketing, bleeding gums, weak or sensitive teeth then try the system I recommend. That is all I can say. I wish everyone dental health and using my system will help anyone achieve this. My goal is empowerment of the patient and dental health for everyone – especially those without a dentist to help them. Thank you for your question – I hope I have answered it adequately -I am happy to discuss this in person if you would like to chat on the phone.Ellie
Hi Dr,-I have semi transparent teeth and receding gums from years of severe acid reflux.Would you still recommend your plan as mentioned above? Is it safe for me to use the Listerine and then the ACT when my teeth are already transparent?Thank you and thanks for a fabulous website!
Transparent teeth – Wow! You should get a copy of my book Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye to find out what else may be damaging your teeth besides acid reflux.You may be using abrasive toothpaste, baking soda, peroxide, whitening strips, citrus fruits, acidic drinks, etc…If you have dry mouth from medications or mouth breathing….. this will make things worse. I assume you have more than one thing going on.I assume your teeth are sensitive to hot and cold. You are correct that Listerine full strength may be too "acidic" for such damaged teeth.On the other hand this is a "catch 22" since Listerine + ACT will help to build stronger, more "acid-resistant" teeth. Imagine your teeth are going to the gym – You have skinny teeth with no strength. You need to build up strength and toughness of your teeth with a series of weight lifting exercises! You look at the heavy weights (undiluted Listerine) and are unable to lift them. Start with the lightest weights and slowly build up. Dilute the Listerine – a few drops in a cup of water. Use this between the Crest regular paste and the ACT rinse. Slowly build up – adding a little more Listerine to the water each day. Think of the gym. Think of making your teeth stronger little by little. One day, maybe in six months – you will be able to tolerate Listerine at full strength. Remember to immediately follow Listerine with ACT – and let ACT "soak" into your teeth before you spit it out.Zellies gum and mints will be very useful to you to combat this mouth acidity problem. Give yourself time – it has taken years for your teeth to reach this point – now you must do something – and it will take a year or so to heal them.No bleaching!!! No baking soda!!! Be careful to get the exact products and use as recommended!www.ZelliesCleanWhiteTeeth.com Best Wishes,Ellie http://www.zellies.com26 Corporate WoodsRochester, NY 14623
what about retainers, is Listrne safe to use on it?
Hi Samantha — Yes, Listerine is safe on retainers (take the retainer our and soak for an hour in a small bowl)- just be sure to rinse the retainer afterwards in water and let dry.
Is Listerine really necessary now that ACT Total Care (Alcohol Free) treats the following?:-Strengthens Enamel-Rebuilds Enamel-Helps Prevent Cavities-Kills Bad Breath Germs-Freshens BreathWhat ingredient(s) in ACT Total Care serves to kill the bacteria in the mouth?
You can use whatever mouth rinses you like, but I have studied these products for 30 years – and will continue to use my specific system – for a number of reasons.Studies show that Total Care ( a sort of ACT with Listerine mix) works 7 times better than ACT alone.Using one rinse followed by the other (in the way I recommend) has not been tested in any study – since I don't have the money to pay for this test!BUT iIf we did a test – I believe that the results from using my system would show that the results are 15 or 20 times more effective than ACT alone (or Total Care).If you are a woman and use toner followed by moisturizer – do you want to mix these items together to save a minute of your time? I don't.I want to apply one product followed by the other – (particularly if I trust the explanation of WHY this system will stop me from getting wrinkles – for the rest of my life!)If you want a full explanation of the biochemistry of teeth and WHY my system works – check out my book, Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye.It will tell you how I "discovered" that using two rinses was better than ACT alone – back about 30 years ago.Why did it take the giant company of Proctor and Gamble to recently "discover" that Listerine works better with dilute fluoride to harden teeth?You would imagine that they know the biochemistry of teeth.Interestingly I met and chatted with the VP of Proctor and Gamble in 2008 and told him about my system! Maybe he listened! Ha!Best Wishes,EllieDr.Ellie Phillips DDSSolutions for Oral Healthwww.DrEllie.comDr Ellie@drellie.com
I really want to do the system. But can not find full instructions. It seems I am to brush-swish Listerine-swish act-eat zellies? Is that right? How long ea. swish? How long after before you can eat or drink? Use full strength Listerine? I want this especially for gum issues. Deep pockets, one especially at a longtime broken perm. bridge in rear of tooth. Got a little pus if I push on it from where the gum meets the tooth, and also from a tiny tiny hole about 1/8 ” above gumline. Never could afford dental for quite a few yrs. but now I do have some insur. Currently dentist has asked me to do a chlorhexidine swish for 2 min. twice a day. Then come in in about 3 wks. and see his periodontist before we make an appointment when he says he can repair the bridge. I got the stuff, read up on it, and now I am afraid to use it. Want to know about your system very much.
Women have used a similar regimen for skin – starting with a deep clean (Closys and brushing) followed by a toner (Listerine) and finally a moisturizer (ACT). Use Closys for a full minute and ensure you rinse vigorously with Listerine. Do not use water between the steps.
Zellies are best at the end of meals – and they help make plaque slippery so that it is easily rinsed off your teeth at the end of the day when you use the “System”. Here is a link to more details: LINK