Dear Dr. Ellie:
I drink lots of water daily and would like to know if I should eat a xylitol mint after each time or is it when I drink something other than water and have something to eat.
– A
Dear A:
It may be useful to check the acidity of the water you are drinking – it may surprise you to find that some water is very acidic!
If your water is acidic – you need to protect your teeth when you drink it – just like anything acidic.
Evian and Fiji waters are alkaline ( their pH is usually 7.2-7.4 and is probably noted on the label or website)
Your teeth will benefit from alkaline water.
Another idea is to put a small amount of xylitol crystals into the water that you drink.
This can be sipped during the day – so that you consume 1-2 teaspoons over the course of the day.
Xylitol added to water is very useful to do if you have gum disease or gum inflammation – it is very cleansing and healing for the mouth.
Older adults will usually benefit from using xylitol in water in this way.
Thanks so much for your question,
Ellie
Dr. Ellie Phillips DDS
Solutions for Oral Health
This site is privately and personally sponsored, funded and supported by Dr. Ellie Phillips. There are no financial or personal ties to Johnson and Johnson or to Pfizer Corporation and the endorsement of their products is based on clinical observation, and independant ADA endorsement. To contact Dr. Ellie, email webmgr@zellies.com![]()
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