Here at Zellies, we get questions all the time about the CWT system, Zellies, and ways to care for teeth and gums. We are always happy to address your personal concerns and questions. Here are a few from Zellies and CWT System user: JT, and Dr. Ellie’s answers to him.
1. Have you considered the ACT product with alcohol to obviate the need for two different mouthwashes? My guess is that we are better off as is, so that the Listerine alcohol is brushed and rinsed away before applying the regular ACT.
You never want to brush after the Listerine because teeth are soft when “soaked” in sometihing acidic like Listerine. On the other hand, Listerine is such a wonderful antibacteria and it is included in my system for this property. After rinsing with Listerine you do not want to leave it on your teeth because of the alcohol, which would dry your mouth not a good thing! Listerine being acidic would normally be a bad thing ….unless you are about to rinse with dilute 0.05 fluroide. In this case, the acidity works to enhance the crystal forming benefits of the fluoride. So…..when you rinse with Listerine and follow it with ACT the bugs are killed and the strengthening effects of the fluroide are enhanced, and no alchol or acidity is left on your teeth. The dual rinse ends up being perfect and I’m not switching ever!
2. Which is better? to retire at night with ACT, or a Zellie after the ACT?
I am not certain. I end up with ACT (which I spit out a couple of times to make sure I don’t leave too much floating around in my mouth). I think a microscopic residue of fluoride on teeth is probably perfect at nighttime. If I drink or eat during the night for any reason I would eat some Zellies before going back to sleep. I have no idea if the combination of xylitol after fluoride would be better for teeth long term….I know people who eat them this way, because they like to snack in bed ! I will have to check their teeth in a few years!
3. Is there any disadvantage to using Kids’ ACT instead of the regular?
The regular green mint, red cinnamon and pink bubblegum Kids ACT all work the same. My daughter-in-law will only use the bubblegum!
I do not recommend the new Restore version it is a different formula.
4. Is the Xylitol benefit of the gum gone with the taste? (I realize that just plain chewing may help in saliva production, but not sure about the diminishing returns of that.) To rephrase: When to spit it out? Guess it’s a personal choice, eh?
Yes, the Xylitol benefit of the gum is gone with the taste.
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I had braces a few years ago to correct my crowded teeth. I had to have my 4 bicuspids removed to correct the problem. The end result was not exactly what I had in mind. It is just that my teeth are not quite as good as I thought they would be. At one time we were going to keep my wisdom teeth and move them up with the rest of the teeth, but we decided to have them pulled. During the process of having my braces on we anchored down with my first molar and moved the teeth forward. My second molar, which was the one in the back of my mouth was left untreated and undisturbed. Now, I have noticed the the back molar is not in line with the rest of the teeth and it just looks very odd because it was not brought forward any. Is there anything I can do to fix this? Is this normal? Can I wear an appliance at night to move these back molars forward and inline. Thanks for your help.
Hi there, It sounds as if this is a question for an experienced orthodontist or cosmetic dentist. I can answer questions about oral health but I could not advise you in this case.A dentist needs to look at the way your teeth bite together and other important things about your mouth. Most orthodontists will give a free consultation and give you their opinions. I would at least get one more opinion – and it may be interesting for you to go to both an orthodontist and a cosmetic dentist.My guess is that there is a way to help you, but without looking I cannot know. Make sure you point out the tooth/teeth that bother you most. Ask questions or write them down before you go to the appointment (Many people become nervous and forget to ask the very question they are concerned about). Good luck and just remember that if you wear braces (especially the tray-type braces) you need to protect your tooth enamel more than ever!Zellies and the complete mouth care system will give you a wonderful enamel protection – and make your whole mouth feel like it has just been cleaned! Take care,Ellie Phillips DDS http://www.Zellies.comwww.CleanWhiteteeth.comDental Health for Everyone! 26 Corporate WoodsRochester NY 14623585-272-1270
Dear Dr Ellie,I chanced upon your blog while looking out for a suitable mouthwash for my 3.5 year old. He is good with spitting out toothpaste and mouthwash, so in order to combat his dental caries, we have been getting him to use Colgate Fluorigard. But in a recent visit to our local dentist (we live in the UK), we were advised not to let him use mouthwash saying that it interferes with gum development. I have not been able to find anything on the Internet regarding this, so I’m not convinced as it seems to be doing a great job in keeping his dental caries at bay. My son is used to rinsing with mouthwash and is unhappy that he cannot do so now. Is there anything you can recommend that is safe for his age? Thanks in advance.Cheers,DoryMilton Keynes, UK
Dear Dory, Dentists are rightly concerned about children under the age of 5 ingesting too much fluoride.At this age, under every baby tooth, there is a permanent adult tooth growing in the jaw.A high concentration of fluoride in the body can interfere with enamel development in these permanent teeth.Too much fluoride can cause faults in the enamel formation – and a tooth that does not have good enamel on its surface. You can get too much fluoride many ways – from drinking dehydrated iced tea, taking fluoride supplements or letting your child eat tubes of toothpaste! You would not want your child to drink this rinse, but it sounds as if your child rinses well and is able to spit out. I tell children to spit three times- just to make sure that all the liquid is out. Don’t let him to rinse afterwards – because the benefit of fluoride continues when there is a residue on teeth for at least half an hour. My kids were able to rinse very young. I allowed them to rinse with fluoride at this age and now they have beautiful teeth.You need to supervise the rinsing, but I cannot imagine any negative aspect to this.My concern is more that your child has experienced tooth decay already. The dangers of amalgam and plastic fillings far outweigh any risk from swallowing a drop of rinse! My advice would be to include xylitol into your child’s diet to control the bacteria in his mouth. The rinsing is building strength and helping to put minerals into the teeth. Xylitol works in harmony with this but also gets rid of harmful bacteria for long term protection of permanent teeth.Good luck – I am interested to hear your son’s progress as his new teeth erupt around six years of age. Keep up the good preventive work!Ellie