The following was a series of questions asked of Dr. Ellie recently by a concerned mother. If you have questions you would like directly answered by Dr. Ellie Phillips, you can comment below or emailellie@zellies.com.
We may use your email on our blog or on:www.zellies.com, as we feel there are many people who may benefit from the answers, but your privacy is important to us, and we take special care to omit your personal information when we post. If you do not want your email used in this way, please just let us know and we will respect your request. - Zellies Web Manager. Why do my kids have cavities?
ANSWER: Your kids have cavities if their teeth are damaged more than they are "rebuilt" or "repaired" at the end of each day. The health of a tooth depends on the health of its outer surface - the enamel. Enamel is damaged by mouth acids but naturally repaired by minerals in the mouth.
Damaging acids are produced by harmful bacteria, or they come from acidic foods or (most often) from acidic drinks. If, as a parent, you can tip the balance away from damage and help your kids teeth enjoy more repair - their cavities can reverse and may disappear.
If you allow bad bacteria to produce acids or if you allow your kids to sip on acidic drinks (apple juice) without adequate protection (without xylitol after the juice) - then you will have weakening of the outer enamel and cavities will form.
How strictly do i need to limit their sugary/sticky food intake? and are dates and raisins just as bad as candy?ANSWER:
If you read the answer above you will not find the word sugar. Sugar itself does not harm teeth .
Sugar feeds harmful bacteria in the mouth - the ones that produce the acids to damage and weaken enamel.
Without harmful bacteria, sugar, dates, raisins and other sugary things will not harm teeth.
The only way that I know to eradicate harmful bacteria on teeth is to consume at least 6.5 grams of xylitol daily for at least 6 months. Xylitol will work best if this dose is spaced out several times a day and it works especially if consumed at the end of a meal, snack or drink.
(Harmful bacteria triple in numbers at the end of a meal when they feed on sugars and carbohydrates in the meal to give them energy.) As harmful bacteria absorb xylitol, the xylitol immediately stops their acid production and makes them less able to stick to teeth and form plaque.
Worry about keeping harmful bacteria out of your children's mouths - then you can worry less about the items that your kids are eating at their meals.
What are the worst foods for dental decay?ANSWER:
The worst foods for dental decay are acidic drinks- especially if children sip them constantly.
Apple juice is extremely acidic and contains sugars that feed harmful bacteria in the mouth ( and ear tubes ). If kids drink a lot of apple juice they often have bad teeth and ear infections.
Sodas are also very acidic - even diet ones. Fruited waters, vitamin waters and sports drinks are all very acidic.
If I were a parent I would get some pH testing paper and test the acidity of the drinks that I keep in my refrigerator.
If your kids have cavities - the chances are that they are drinking acidic drinks.
Note: Tap water in some areas is very acidic. Healthy juices - lemonade and teas can also be acidic.
Do I need to give them fluoride water or fluoride tablets?ANSWER:
I do not believe in fluoride supplements or fluoride water (the "Spring" fluoridated water found in stores is made by CocaCola! Ha!)
I only believe in the use of ACT rinse from the age of 6 years - rinse well and spit out well.
Before a child is able to rinse and spit - if you need the help of fluoride to remineralize and help repair teeth - consider brushing teeth with a drop of ACT on a toothbrush - morning and night.
How do I "get rid of" the caries disease? how difficult is it to get rid of and what are the biggest factors to consider?
ANSWER:
Xylitol is your natural ally and friend! Space out a total amount of 6-8 grams xylitol each day after meals.
It can be granular on a spoon, with fruit dipped into it, made into a drink, or eaten as a chewing gum or candy mint.
It takes time: in 5 weeks you will have eradicated the harmful bacteria from the teeth, and in 6 months you will have eradicated them from the saliva, nose, ear tubes etc. When these bacteria have gone from the mouth - the disease will have gone. Healthy bacteria will now cover your teeth and protect them.
Only when your teeth are cleaned at the dentist - or if you take a course of antibiotics - will you find yourself at risk of becoming infected again with harmful bacteria.
Is it really that important to sanitize the toothbrushes?
ANSWER: This depends on where you store your toothbrushes ( how close is the toilet?)
Who lives in your home and do they all have healthy teeth and gums?
Do you travel in hotels - this is a contagious infection and it can spread from one brush to another.
I would be a little less concerned if your entire family has healthy teeth, the toilet is in another room and you do not travel .
I would still advise you to clean your toothbrush with Listerine at least twice a week - even if you live in ideal conditions.
Does my toddler need a fluoride toothpaste, or is xylitol/licorice extract ok?ANSWER: I do not know if this xylitol/licorice is made into a paste with abrasives. Many "healthy" pastes from the health food stores are way too abrasive for anyone's teeth. If your toddler is in need of a filling - then I would brush his teeth with a drop of ACT on the toothbrush.
The use of dilute sodium fluoride and xylitol will hasten the healing process for his teeth and help to make them stronger and more acid-resistant.
Licorice and xylitol are antibacterial - but do not have the remineralizing effect you need if his teeth already have cavities in them.
Will I ever be able to loosen up and not have to give them xylitol after every snack?ANSWER: Ask yourself what you want to achieve for your children's teeth.
As a mother of five, I am proud to see their beautiful teeth when they smile..
My children have had very few cleanings at the dentist. My children are the beneficiaries of my preventive knowledge.
My youngest children did not have fluoride supplements. They used xylitol and ACT and then the
Complete Mouth Care System as they became old enough. These kids will never have cavities and will proably avoid dental treatments for life, able to enjoy white, shiny teeth.
Pricless!
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
Why do my kids have cavities?
ANSWER:
Your kids have cavities if their teeth are damaged more than they are "rebuilt" or "repaired" at the end of each day. The health of a tooth depends on the health of its outer surface - the enamel. Enamel is damaged by mouth acids but naturally repaired by minerals in the mouth.
Damaging acids are produced by harmful bacteria, or they come from acidic foods or (most often) from acidic drinks. If, as a parent, you can tip the balance away from damage and help your kids teeth enjoy more repair - their cavities can reverse and may disappear.
If you allow bad bacteria to produce acids or if you allow your kids to sip on acidic drinks (apple juice) without adequate protection (without xylitol after the juice) - then you will have weakening of the outer enamel and cavities will form.
How strictly do i need to limit their sugary/sticky food intake? and are dates and raisins just as bad as candy?
ANSWER:
If you read the answer above you will not find the word sugar. Sugar itself does not harm teeth .
Sugar feeds harmful bacteria in the mouth - the ones that produce the acids to damage and weaken enamel.
Without harmful bacteria, sugar, dates, raisins and other sugary things will not harm teeth.
The only way that I know to eradicate harmful bacteria on teeth is to consume at least 6.5 grams of xylitol daily for at least 6 months. Xylitol will work best if this dose is spaced out several times a day and it works especially if consumed at the end of a meal, snack or drink.
(Harmful bacteria triple in numbers at the end of a meal when they feed on sugars and carbohydrates in the meal to give them energy.) As harmful bacteria absorb xylitol, the xylitol immediately stops their acid production and makes them less able to stick to teeth and form plaque.
Worry about keeping harmful bacteria out of your children's mouths - then you can worry less about the items that your kids are eating at their meals.
What are the worst foods for dental decay?
ANSWER:
The worst foods for dental decay are acidic drinks- especially if children sip them constantly.
Apple juice is extremely acidic and contains sugars that feed harmful bacteria in the mouth ( and ear tubes ). If kids drink a lot of apple juice they often have bad teeth and ear infections.
Sodas are also very acidic - even diet ones. Fruited waters, vitamin waters and sports drinks are all very acidic.
If I were a parent I would get some pH testing paper and test the acidity of the drinks that I keep in my refrigerator.
If your kids have cavities - the chances are that they are drinking acidic drinks.
Note: Tap water in some areas is very acidic. Healthy juices - lemonade and teas can also be acidic.
Do I need to give them fluoride water or fluoride tablets?
ANSWER:
I do not believe in fluoride supplements or fluoride water (the "Spring" fluoridated water found in stores is made by CocaCola! Ha!)
I only believe in the use of ACT rinse from the age of 6 years - rinse well and spit out well.
Before a child is able to rinse and spit - if you need the help of fluoride to remineralize and help repair teeth - consider brushing teeth with a drop of ACT on a toothbrush - morning and night.
How do I "get rid of" the caries disease? how difficult is it to get rid of and what are the biggest factors to consider?
ANSWER:
Xylitol is your natural ally and friend! Space out a total amount of 6-8 grams xylitol each day after meals.
It can be granular on a spoon, with fruit dipped into it, made into a drink, or eaten as a chewing gum or candy mint.
It takes time: in 5 weeks you will have eradicated the harmful bacteria from the teeth, and in 6 months you will have eradicated them from the saliva, nose, ear tubes etc. When these bacteria have gone from the mouth - the disease will have gone. Healthy bacteria will now cover your teeth and protect them.
Only when your teeth are cleaned at the dentist - or if you take a course of antibiotics - will you find yourself at risk of becoming infected again with harmful bacteria.
Is it really that important to sanitize the toothbrushes?
ANSWER:
This depends on where you store your toothbrushes ( how close is the toilet?)
Who lives in your home and do they all have healthy teeth and gums?
Do you travel in hotels - this is a contagious infection and it can spread from one brush to another.
I would be a little less concerned if your entire family has healthy teeth, the toilet is in another room and you do not travel .
I would still advise you to clean your toothbrush with Listerine at least twice a week - even if you live in ideal conditions.
Does my toddler need a fluoride toothpaste, or is xylitol/licorice extract ok?
ANSWER:
I do not know if this xylitol/licorice is made into a paste with abrasives. Many "healthy" pastes from the health food stores are way too abrasive for anyone's teeth. If your toddler is in need of a filling - then I would brush his teeth with a drop of ACT on the toothbrush.
The use of dilute sodium fluoride and xylitol will hasten the healing process for his teeth and help to make them stronger and more acid-resistant.
Licorice and xylitol are antibacterial - but do not have the remineralizing effect you need if his teeth already have cavities in them.
Will I ever be able to loosen up and not have to give them xylitol after every snack?
ANSWER:
Ask yourself what you want to achieve for your children's teeth.
As a mother of five, I am proud to see their beautiful teeth when they smile..
My children have had very few cleanings at the dentist. My children are the beneficiaries of my preventive knowledge.
My youngest children did not have fluoride supplements. They used xylitol and ACT and then the Complete Mouth Care System as they became old enough. These kids will never have cavities and will proably avoid dental treatments for life, able to enjoy white, shiny teeth.
Pricless!