Wishing for a healthier mouth in 2017? Want to put an end to gum disease, cavities, and other oral health issues? Take control of your own oral health. You can achieve Ultimate Oral Health this year by understanding these 5 Oral Wellness Points.
5 Oral Wellness Points
- Bacteria Transfer
- Eating Causes Acidity
- Saliva is Your Best Friend
- The Mouth’s Nightmare
- Mouth Health <-> Body Health
Bacteria Transfer
Mouth bacteria are both good and bad. There are substantially more good ones than bad, but the bad ones cause big problems like cavities and gum disease – so they are not welcome visitors in our mouths. These bacteria – good or bad – do not just stay on teeth, they can travel and reach places like our toothbrush bristles. This is why it is vital to clean your toothbrush as often as possible – ideally every day. Also get a new brush as often as possible, especially if you have cavities or are fighting gum disease.
The great news for families and friends is that when your mouth is healthy – you will be sharing healthy bacteria with the people you love. Early childhood is a time when the mouth bacterial composition is designed, and the input from family is very important in this process. Parents can clean their mouth health and feed good bacteria by consuming small amounts of xylitol at the end of every meal. Baby teeth can also be cleaned with a small amount of xylitol, rubbed or wiped over teeth.
Eating Causes Acidity
Every time we eat we can almost assume that acids are generated in our mouths. There are a few exemptions to this, but most foods contain natural or added sugars, carbohydrates or some form of acid. Organic, healthy foods can be as damaging as processed foods for teeth. Green smoothies often rate as some of the most damaging for teeth since kale and spinach contain oxalic acids which can destroy tooth enamel.
Acidity pulls minerals from teeth and also promotes the growth of unhealthy mouth bacteria. The longer the mouth remains acidic, the more damage is caused. Waiting for an hour before cleaning your teeth is allowing damage for too long each day. Eating a little xylitol mint or piece of pure xylitol gum after every meal, snack or drink will take away mouth acidity and also help to mineralize teeth and repair any defects.
[Read more about acidity and your teeth]
Saliva is Your Best Friend
Today there are a number of expensive “re-mineralizing” pastes and gels sold to repair soft, weak or sensitive teeth. Your own saliva contains the ideal mix of minerals and is far better than these artificial products for this job of mineralizing teeth. The problem is that minerals will only go into teeth when the mouth is at a specific and alkaline pH of around 7.4. Fortunately xylitol generates a flow of alkaline saliva in most mouths to bring it to this pH.
When saliva interacts with the surface of teeth, it will help the teeth to harden and become smoother and stronger. It’s important to give your teeth enough time to interact with saliva. Constant snacking and sipping is detrimental to this process and is the reason many people experience sensitive teeth. Saliva quality varies throughout the day and mid afternoon is the ideal time to stop eating and drinking and allow your teeth time to interact with your own natural saliva.
The Mouth’s Nightmare
The most difficult time for our mouth health is while we are sleeping. The mouth automatically becomes drier and our saliva more acidic – two conditions that wreck havoc on our teeth and gums. This is why it is so important to prepare our teeth before we go to sleep, helping them to overcome the difficulties of the hours while we are asleep. It’s no use thinking that you can clean your teeth in the morning and make up for ignoring them at night: it just doesn’t work that way.
It’s vital to clean and protect your teeth before going to sleep each night. Many products today are too acidic for mouth health, especially all the products made to whiten or control plaque in the mouth. Many toothpastes are equally poorly designed for the care that teeth need during the night.
My Complete Mouth Care System was designed specifically to care for teeth and protect them during the night. In fact, it does its job so well, your teeth may be stronger, shinier and look better in the morning than they did when you went to bed!
[Download my free “how to” guide for my Complete Mouth Care System]
Mouth Health <-> Body Health
Many studies point to various connections between mouth and body health. Body health also affects mouth health in a number of ways. Diet and good nutrition is vital if you are trying to correct a problem in your mouth, and I often talk with clients about their digestive health and the need to consider a good vitamin and mineral supplement in addition to a good digestive probiotic supplement.
The ideal time to develop mouth health is during the early years of childhood. In many countries xylitol is given to preschool children as xylitol candies during the school day. This has been a public health measure in Finland for about 50 years to prevent cavities, and prepare the mouths of children before the eruption of adult teeth. Healthy adult teeth require less treatment, no sealants and less maintenance care. Healthy teeth and gums will promote better general health and hopefully allow us all to live longer, healthier lives.
Categories: Acidity, Bad Breath, Cavities, Children's Teeth, Common Problems, Complete Mouth Care System, Demineralization, Dry Mouth, Gum Disease, Natural Solutions, Plaque, Prevention, Recession, Remineralization, Sensitivity, Soft Teeth, Staining & Discoloration, Ultimate Oral Health, Weak Teeth, Xylitol
Thank you, Dr. Ellie, and Happy New Year!
Do you recommend any brushing or rinses immediately after getting up in the morning (I wear retainers at night so I’m sure I have plenty of unhealthy bacteria by the time I wake up). I generally do the complete system after breakfast unless I am in a hurry to get out the door (and not eating breakfast at home).
Thanks for your question! I think it would be best to enjoy a Zellie mint as you get up if you want to freshen your breath. Most people find when they have stabilized their mouth health, and by using the Complete Mouth Care System every night, they wake up with a pleasant feel in their mouth. If you are not experiencing this, maybe consider using a few nasal squirts of a xylitol nasal spray, right before bed at night. The problem may be with your sinus health.
Great! Thanks, I will do that. Glad I don’t need to brush before AND after breakfast~
Thank you Dr. Ellie for this very helpful information!
I love receiving your blog posts! Your mouth care system has helped me so much!! Stay encouraged that you are making a BIG difference in people’s lives!
Erin S
Dear Dr. Ellie,
Our household is on your system. I could tell within the first week that it’s everything you say it is. Before your system, I had such rapid plaque build up that I devoted over an hour each evening detail cleaning the daily plaque off my teeth (I invested in professional dental tools to get into all the small spa spaces.) Your system not only takes minutes to do, it also fights off the bacteria instead of just removing it. I am living proof that this system works and plan on writing a more detailed success story soon. Unfortunately, I have only recently discovered your system which leads me to my 18 month old son. I have contaminated his mouth with my bacteria and he has four front cavities. I would love to get your advice and opinion on things like if you think his teeth are too advanced and just doomed then what dental procedures do you recommend we do and don’t do? Do you recommend pulling baby teeth and putting spacers in instead of root canals, etc.? Could I buy your time for a phone consult or visit you? I am desperate and I trust you more than any other in this profession with my child. Thank you and God bless you for your wonderful system.
-Bridget
For an 18 month old, I would focus on regular use of xylitol. Xylitol as a mint, as granules on a toothbrush or even in a sippy cup – a small amount in water.
Sodium Diamine Fluoride (SDF) is a product to investigate – it may be something to consider.
I suggest you apply a small amount of Crest Cavity Protection toothpaste to the damaged teeth if you can. Use a cloth or brush if your son is OK with the taste. If not, try masking the taste with a drop of bubblegum ACT on the toothpaste.
Your dentist may suggest fluoride varnish – which may be a help.
The most important thing is to move forward…don’t worry too much about the damage. If your dentist suggests crowns etc, ask if his or her suggestions are NECESSARY or just for cosmetic value. Years ago, we left damaged baby teeth alone. We improved the mouth health and then these damaged teeth were no big deal!
I have been sticking to your advice and I am so grateful and thankful for you. I have a huge cloud over my head and you are a big ray of sunshine! My daily struggle and heartache is that with a 20 month old it is hard to know if his teeth are too damaged. He can’t tell me if they hurt and when he’s teething I’m not sure if it’s teething pain or cavity pain. How do I know if they cause him pain? What do teeth usually look like when they are too damaged? I have pictures I took of his teeth if there is a way I could send them to you? I took him to a dentist in December 2016 and she said that the current state of his teeth were ok IF I stopped breastfeeding. I have continued breastfeeding but started your program. He pushes at his nose and then wipes down to his front teeth often. With your experience, is this a sign of pain? I am heartsick and don’t know what to do. I know you can’t answer every person because there’s only so much time in a day and you have already so kindly replied to me. If you would accept taking a look at his photos then I would definitely reimburse your time! Thank you again
-Bridget
PS I know it seems like my sons teeth should be fine if I saw the dentist in December but the dentist couldn’t get a detailed look into my sons mouth. I believe they have worsened since then. His front top tooth has a ‘large’ chip with the back of it a deep dark yellow. The teeth next to the top front teeth each have a large yellow hole in the back of them. Thank you.
-Bridget again
There are only two ways for teeth to deteriorate: more damage or less protection. There are two ways to improve the health of teeth: protect them from damage by adjusting diet and using xylitol…and add protection. I’d suggest you wipe these front teeth with Crest Cavity Protection toothpaste twice each day. If he does not like the taste, add a little bubblegum ACT to the mixture….or some xylitol to the toothpaste….
Hello Dr. Ellie,
My wife recently discovered you and your oral health system and has begun to use it. I am also intrigued by what she has shared, but I have one thing holding me back. I had a heart valve replaced about 18 months ago, and since then I have been trying to do what I can through diet to improve my cardiovascular health. I have read about the benefits of leafy green vegetables in increasing nitric oxide in the blood-stream. I have also read that some antiseptic mouthwashes can drastically reduce the population of oral bacteria responsible for changing the nitrates in the leafy greens to nitrites and starting the process that eventually results in nitric oxide production.
My question is whether starting your system, which includes using Closys and Listerine, would have the same effect of reducing the bacteria that help in nitric oxide production while killing off the bacteria responsible for tooth decay (I know that the studies I have been reading about all used mouthwashes that contained chlorhexidine, and that Closys and Listerine don’t contain that ingredient). I would appreciate any light you could shed on this.
Frank H
Hi Frank. This is a very smart question! On the reverse side – you know ho important it is to reduce any inflammation, to minimize your risk for CVD. Periodontal perfection must be your goal and for this I recommend my Complete Mouth Care System!
You may want to have an oral DNA test to find out the levels of periodontal pathogens in your mouth. (www.OralDNA.com – my periopath test.)
I have used my Complete Mouth Care System for three decades and when I tested for Nitric Oxide I was satisfied that these rinses are not a problem. Closys turns to oxygen and only targets anaerobic bacteria. Listerine does not destroy biofilm but targets (with the essential oils it contains: eucalyptus, menthol and thymol) the outer shell of spore-type bacteria which are usually spirochetes and immature cocci in plaque.
The bacteria on the tongue that are involved in the process of converting nitrates to nitric oxide do not appear harmed and may, in fact, be promoted by this system. I wrote to Listerine to see if they had definitive studies – but they did not respond.
Thank you for sharing such helpful info!
What to do about the sorbitol in ACT Anticavity? (Isn’t sorbitol food for the bad bacteria, as you’ve written in “Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye”?)
Consuming sorbitol is very different from using it as an ingredient in the rinse. Yes, I wish it were xylitol – but that would probably double its price!
Hello,
I wasn’t sure where to ask this question.
Is there a way to reverse/repair craze lines? I have gone through several mouth guards (I spit them out at night and my dog thinks they’re a chew toy). I’ve noticed in the recent months I’m not grinding as much but do have craze lines on my 2 front teeth.
Also is a painful cavity a sign it’s progressed too far for natural repair?
Hi Andrea. My reply is basically the same reply I give about how to stop cavities. Cavities, craze lines and enamel fractures are all about a dental imbalance in one simple equation: damage vs. repair. Teeth are like your bones…they are dissolved every day just a little bit. Nature intends that they repair back again. Problems start when this equation is not working properly either because there is too much damage or not enough repair.
If you were one of my clients, we would work through the things you do each day…call it a “day in the life of your tooth”…Ha! How much damage is your tooth enduring?
Acidic damage happens with every meal, sip of coffee, lemon juice, apple cider, fruit etc etc. It is the duration – the length of time that your teeth are exposed to acid attack that matters. Every exposure – even if you eat a slice of orange quickly – is one hour of damage. Every sip of coffee – the same. Zellie’s mints and gum are used to stop the acidic damage instantly. So you can eat and drink your meals and not have to worry. Eat what you like, drink lemonade and then end the acidity with a Zellie mint or gum to end the damage in one minute!
My Complete Mouth Care System is a special system to boost the repair mechanism. The details of why and how it works are in my book, Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye…but if you use this – you will be maximizing the night time and some other period in the day to put minerals INTO your teeth. (This is the second part of that initial equation).
Finally check out this blog post about sipping – even water: https://ultimateoralhealthguide.com/2013/03/14/how-sipping-snacking-are-weakening-your-teeth/
when you talk about drinks being acidic is mineral water included? i keep mineral water all day long with me to sip on it. I am also using a product called xylimelts at night to keep the mouth hydrated with Saliva. one xylimelt contains 550 mg of xylitol and acacia gum, cellulose gum, calcium carbonate and magnesium stearate. helpful or harmful is my question??
Any xylitol is good – frequency is more important than “dosage” but xylimelts offer an option.I would want to know what you are looking to do – do you have weak teeth, cavities or periodontal problems. Realize that mineral water is often acidic – but they all vary. Italian mineral waters are usually alkaline with lots of minerals in them -but popular US brands are often “sparkling” water that is very acidic. If you have citrus lime or lemon added – then you have extreme acidity!
The main thing I teach is that it is YOUR SALIVA that is paramount for tooth healing. YOUR saliva has the healing power to put minerals back into your teeth – NOT the liquid you are drinking. What you drink may be of some importance from a standpoint of how much damage it causes – on a scale from 0 to 7……Fro example lemon juice, grapefruit juice, soda and apple juices rate the worst!
You need to add up how long each day your teeth are under attack. Then you add up how much time your teeth spend healing ….which is when they are in direct contact with UNDILUTED saliva in your mouth. This means – how much time – every day – do you and your teeth live without the interruption of food and drinks? If you would like to learn more about my coaching programs please explore the http://www.DrEllie.com site and this is the kind of thing I teach in detail to help you avoid unnecessary dental treatments!
Would you say that abstaining from sugar is a necessity for healing cavities, or is an overall healthy diet good enough? I’ve tried quitting sugar a few times and last about two weeks until I get fed up with being starved 24/7 and go back to it. A fair amount of what replaces sugar during those periods is bread and other grains, so I doubt I’m taking in more nutrients than before. I’m a constantly nauseous person and find that not eating sugar can somehow make it even worse, including blistering acid reflux that can’t be relieved because most antacids contain sucrose.
I’ve been swishing with xylitol granules several times a day and avoiding sugar for almost two weeks, but have started to question if the xylitol itself is doing most of the work to keep my mouth alkaline and if I could fare better by eating some sugar again and improve the rest of my diet while continuing the frequent xylitol usage.
I constantly feel horrible, in a different way than the expected side effects of sugar detoxing, so I assume there’s a better way to go about this. If eating nearly anything produces acid, and you rinse with xylitol immediately afterwards, I fail to see too much of a difference between someone eating a potato vs. chocolate. What do you think?
I agree that our teeth and our bodies see a potato or chocolate are similar – (but maybe the chocolate has more vitamins 🙂
On the other hand, sugar can cause us harm in a variety of ways and in the mouth ANY sugar (whether it is a snack of healthy fruits or a cracker, bread or plain white sugar) will FEED harmful sticky bacteria that damage teeth and mess with our blood sugars. The ONLY exception is xylitol – a pentose sugar that is neither “sugar” nor a “sugar alcohol”.
In the 1960s there were studies that suggested xylitol was the perfect sweetener for diabetics because it was low calorie, low Glycemic Index and actually stabilized blood glucose.
Xylitol was said to cut sugar cravings when consumed exclusively in place of sugar for 3-4 months.
In the mouth, xylitol FEEDS healthy GOOD bacteria that help to protect our teeth – it is also helpful for digestive health.
I’d suggest you consider learning as much as you can about how to use xylitol for oral and general health and consider – at the same time – ways to improve your digestive health with a probiotic designed for colon health.
If you focus on eating healthy, use xylitol, and take digestive probiotics every night, I think you will make it through a month and be surprised at your progress. If you want my help, I offer a coaching program that includes how nutrition can improve oral and digestive health – and how to control sugar and soda cravings.
Dear Dr. Ellie, I have read your book and followed your program for a few months and was well impressed with the results. Recently I found out I’m allergic to Fragrance and Thimerosal, the latter also known as Sodium2-(ethylmercurithio) Benzoate according to the info sheets I got from the allergy clinic. Is this substance the same with ‘sodium benzoate’ which is listed as an ingredient in both your recommended mouthwashes? If yes, is it possible to replace the mouthwashes with anything?
I’d very much appreciate your advice!
Thanks in advance!
You will have to evaluate the benefit of a healthy mouth vs. your worry about these ingredients. Many people have to work with this dilemma – and that includes most of us who eat and live “organic” and really wish there was another option for “green” act and “blue” Listerine!
The problem is I know of NO OTHER product or system that is as unbelievably effective for putting minerals back into teeth and promoting a healthy mouth.
Anyone with allergies has to remember that a bacterial imbalance in the mouth can affect the health of the ears, nose and throat. We know that children using xylitol have over 40% less chance of middle ear infections.
I’d recommend using frequent small amount of pure Zellie’s mints and gum (Zellies because they are one of the few xylitol gums with no added glycerin) and combine with a xylitol nasal spray or xylitol sinus wash (Xlear make a good one). If you have acid reflux try to look up holistic cures for this..rather than use medications.
I believe that if you have a healthy mouth, and add these natural nose, sinus and throat therapies for an adequate amount of time (give Nature at least 90 days to work)….you should be encouraged and maybe start to end these problems.
One more thing – ensure you are using a great digestive probiotic to help boost your immune system when you throw everything at your allergies!
I had a root canal about 7 years ago. A different dentist said it was poorly done. Later the crown came off. My new dentist said there was not enough tooth left for a new crown and suggested either extraction, partial or implant. I have been feeling poorly for no obvious reason and was wondering if bacteria at the root canal site could be causing this. I also read that xylitol could possibly help with the bacteria. What do you recommend for the failed root canal, and what kind of dental pro should I seek? I am also suspicious of several amalgam fillings for heavy metal toxicity. I’m not aware of any biolological dentists in my city.
Thank you,
Jack Lithgoe
Baton Rouge
Hi Jack – get an infected old and poorly done root canal OUT of your mouth ASAP. Before the extraction do all you can to boost your immune system and take probiotics, adjust your diet, take some good vitamin and mineral supplements and sit in the sunshine if you can. Prepare for this extraction at least two or three weeks ahead of time – like you were going into a marathon running race. Let me know how your extraction goes – but you do not want to leave a “dirty” root canal in your mouth – EVER – and it’s been there for seven years.
Dr Ellie, is it possible to consult with you? I have tried so many things, perfect diet, holistic mouth care, etc but have 5 root canals, missing teeth, decay in all teeth, and am in danger of losing more teeth (possibly because of autoimmune condition). Since a lot of my issues are beyond prevention now, I’m having trouble making decisions regarding treatment – ie pull root canal teeth because of link to autoimmunity, is biomimetic dentistry the best approach to repairing decayed teeth, what materials to use, are implants okay, etc.
Can you send me a personal email to ellie@zellies.com and I can try and arrange how we could talk together. I am happy to help you.
Hi dr Ellie, I have been following your dental programme, but an old cavity had been ‘working’ in one of my teeth and it was so deep that the dentist said it might require root canal. He cleaned it thorough, put a filling and warned the tooth might be very sensitive and applied a fluoride varnish. It’s been indeed very sensitive and was wondering if his suggestion is good: to not rinse the toothpaste after brushing teeth in the evening. Woudn’t that damage the teeth?
I would have you use my Complete Mouth Care System – EXACTLY as suggested. There is no reason to leave toothpaste on teeth when you use my system it magnifies the re-mineralization from the paste. I don’t understand his suggestion at all.
Dr. Ellie, I have been using your system for about a year now. I had periodontal surgery about 10 years ago and within the last 3 years had more problems and had laser surgery. I still have some issues with gum pockets, but my teeth feel cleaner than ever. My question is about the toothpaste. I have had root sensitivity since I had the initial surgery because my gums were cut back. Wish I hadn’t had that done. I tried the Crest toothpaste but really need toothpaste for sensitivity. What do you feel would be the best sensitivity toothpaste to use with this system?
I am sorry that you are struggling with sensitivity and with periodontal disease. This is a complicated disease that can become very expensive over the years. I would like to suggest that you need to review exactly what you are doing with “my system”. Often people do not understand that there are tiny things about the method of use that are VITAL for someone with dental problems. In a totally healthy mouth you may make some “mistakes” with my system and be perfectly fine. If you still have sensitivity after ten months on “my system” then something about how you are using it is not right.
Sensitive toothpaste is a complete scam – and it only puts a “band-aid” on your sensitive teeth – they will never heal properly. Usually, the consequence of sensitive paste is that your teeth will have a rough feeling, food will stick, and often the mouth feels dry and uncomfortable with bigger problems eventually happening. I would love to help you review what you are doing, and perhaps discuss things about your diet and nutrition that are important if you want to re-grow and repair gum tissues.
After 8-12 weeks on my system (using it EXACTLY in the method that works) people always find they no longer have pocketing, no more need for dental “cleanings” and their teeth not only feel totally comfortable but look whiter and stronger in the mirror. If you do not see these kind of changes – perhaps something is not happening the way it should. I wonder how did you “learn” about my system of mouth care? Did you read the booklet/book? I now offer personal one-to-one coaching if you are interested.
OHHH..YES..This is the best solution for my actual problem.NIce post
I am very intrigued after reading about your system and am thinking of trying it out. I understand that it is to improve the health of teeth but was wondering about the effect on gums. I didn’t see anything about flossing but my daughter and myself have both been told by the dentist to floss due to gum issues. Is flossing a part of your system? Or does your system also improve gum health?
Haha! I have never recommended anyone should floss – and I do not floss myself. I work to change the ecosystem of the mouth – and floss does not have any way to do that. Ensure you follow all the steps – and you may want to sign up for my video boot camp:https://drellie.com/programs/
Nice post.
Xylitol gives me major stomach upset. I had to quit gum (I chewed trident) because of the xylitol content. It’s been 6 months since I quit so I thought I would try again. I ordered your zellies mints and have had 2 per day. I’m really noticing the digestive distress again (rolling stomach, gas, bloating). Is it worth it to do the rest of the system if I can’t tolerate the xylitol? I haven’t invested in the other items because I wanted to see if I could use the xylitol first.
Hi Lisa. First of all, trident advertises that it is made with xylitol – but it is actually mainly SORBITOL with a flake of xylitol. Not good.
Now you are using Zellies – that is good! However, I suggest you do two things. #1, start by thinking about your digestive health. I recommend you take some colon health probiotics, and introduce some green veggies at every meal FIRST. Once you have been doing this for a month, try having a Zellie mint (one or two only) at the END of each meal – not between meals. Aim for max 6 mints a day for the first month. Zellie’s are actually prebiotic – which means they will feed the good bacteria ( that you “planted” by using the digestive colon health probiotic).
Once you have done this you should find that you can eat Zellie’s between meals. The only people who have trouble with xylitol are usually people who have a leaky gut or poor digestive health. Ironically xylitol can help these folks get better but they have to start slowly and start by helping their digestion with probiotics.