Dr. Ellie,
I have bought your book, read it and have some questions about your Complete Mouth Care System that are not addressed there or online.
1. I have dry mouth (I take three medicines and have sleep apnea) and have warned to stay away from Listerine because it contains alcohol. Your website indicates the acidity factor is dealt with by using ACT mouthwash but what about dry mouth?
2. What antiseptic mouthwash could I use instead of Listerine that would not be drying?
3. I was warned about using Crest because it contains SLS which is supposed to be very irritating to mouth tissue and it uses sorbitol for sweetening. Some sources say that sorbitol can be harmful.
Tom’s of Maine makes a non SLS paste with fluoride which is ADA accepted and sweetened with xylitol. Wouldn’t that be safer and still effective ?
4. Most of the dentists I have gone to have stressed flossing saying it is MORE important than brushing. How does your system clean between teeth and gums without using flossing ?
C (in Houston)
Hi C,
Dry mouth is a huge risk factor for dental problems and I am aware of the traditional advice given to patients with dry mouth.
I would suggest my Complete Mouth Care system- if you were my patient .
Unfortunately I am not in a position to get between you and the advice you are being given – if this advice is from your dentist.
Most dentists worry about mouth-drying effects of Listerine, but they have rarely considered the use of a dual rinsing system.
In the system that I recommend, the benefits of Listerine will be enormous – there is no contraindication.
I recommend the Listerine step – even for people who have no salivary glands at all.
If the taste is too strong – I recommend to dilute it with water to taste that is tolerable.
The Listerine step is a quick one – and occurs directly after the Crest toothpaste.
The protection of this toothpaste will protect your teeth from the acidity of the Listerine.
This is why you should not replace the Crest with any other toothpaste.
In my many, many years of recommending Crest ( Original Cavity Protection) there have not been any problems with sensitivity to the tiny amount of SLS in this paste.
I believe that the processing of this paste may be able to bind the SLS – whereas in “modern” pastes SLS can become a major sensitivity problem.
I never recommend any of the newer pastes – only the original crest – often the most difficult to find!
My system has helped people undergoing chemotherapy for head and neck cancer.
Patients have managed to avoid the usual mouth yeast infections by sticking to my xylitol program and the rinse routine.
The regular use of this system along with adequate frequency and amount of xylitol will help you gain control over your oral health with or without flossing.
My system (when used in total) provides a sustainable system for ultimate oral health.
My question to those who are proponents of traditional brushing and flossing – how are THEIR OWN teeth?
Ask some aging hygienists or dentists.
These folks should be experts, but you would be surprised how few in the dental profession enjoy perfect oral health into their 60, 70s and 80s.
Oral health impacts general health – so I hope you will take a look beyond traditional teachings.
That shows something is very wrong with our system of traditional prevention.
It is either unsustainable advice or inappropriate – you decide!
Many thanks for your question,
Ellie
Dr. Ellie Phillips DDS
Solutions for Oral Health
http://www.DrEllie.com
Dr Ellie@drellie.com
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