Dear Dr Ellie,
I am a college student and so money is tight… Can you tell me: what do you think about brushing teeth in the morning and then at night with the granular xylitol immediately following regular brushing with Crest and rinsing, sort of like an active xylitol rinse, i.e. regular toothpaste brush and rinse, putting a teaspoon of granular xylitol in the mouth, brushing the teeth as it dissloves, spitting out the extra product but not rinsing? The granular xylitol is much cheaper than the Zellies and the rinses and I am hoping this solution will work and save me some cash.
Thank you,
Emma
Dear E,
Your concept works in principle and will achieve a topical effect of xylitol which is good!
There are xylitol mouth rinses available but this is certainly a less expensive option.
A company called Spiffies makes tooth-wipes for babies (a gauze square impregnated with xylitol) that is used to wipe a baby’s tooth after feeding.
I have often suggested these products could also be used for care of special needs children and adults and the debilitated and sick. The flavors are nice and the idea is the same: covering the teeth with xylitol to eliminate harmful bacteria.
I also recommend that anyone who finds these wipes too expensive, dissolve 4 grams of xylitol in a tablespoon of water and use the solution to wipe over teeth.
Research shows that it does not matter how xylitol reaches the bacteria in your mouth: it can be in toothpaste, baked into cakes or eaten as a chewing gum or mint the outcome will be good if approximately 6.5 grams are used daily for at least six months.
Lastly, if you are asking whether I am going to do this myself the answer is probably no.
I am familiar with the feel, and practical outcome from use of the Complete Mouth Care System the chemistry of the rinses used in this system bring additional qualities that xylitol does not offer.
On the other hand, if you can successfully control gum disease and tooth decay just by using xylitol I see no problems with your idea.
Why not try it for a week or so and see how your teeth feel.
A dentist opinion after six months should be the final say as to whether this has offered you enough protection.
If this is not enough protection for your teeth, please get back in touch with me and perhaps we can talk more about my Complete Mouth Care system of rinses- that I know will work. You see, it really depends on the level of your personal “risk factors” for dental problems and I cannot tell this from your e-mail.
So good luck and feel free to call me if you would like to talk some more.
Ellie Phillips DDS
Dental Health for Everyone!
26, Corporate Woods,
Rochester NY 14623
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