#158 | Hidden Elixir of Health: Saliva | Ellie Phillips DDS

Professional Grade Supplements for WiseAthletes

About the guest:

Ellie Phillips DDS is a dentist with over four decades of experience, focusing on empowering patients to stop cavities and heal gum disease naturally. She recommends a specific collection of commercially available oral care products, but ONLY when used in a particular synergistic sequence to balance mouth biochemistry, protect enamel, and fight plaque (without harming nitric oxide production).

DrEllie.com

Dr Ellie's credentials:

• Graduated as a Dentist from Guy’s Hospital Medical School in London
• Worked in three countries: the U.K., Switzerland and the United States during the 40 years of my career, serving a wide array of patients including: special needs, seniors in nursing homes, babies and preschool kids.
• Previously a faculty member at the University of Rochester in New York
• Creator of Zellie’s - a line of dental mints and gum sweetened only with 100% pure xylitol.
• Founding Member of the American Academy For Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH)
• Author of: Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye and Mouth Care Comes Clean

Episode summary:

Dr Ellie is a highly experienced dentist and a leading advocate for people to take such good care of their mouths that they don't need dentists. Dr Ellie agreed to help Wise Athletes by explaining the basics of how the human mouth repairs damage to keep teeth and gums strong and healthy over a long lifetime, while also not allowing oral bacteria to infect the body which leads to heart disease, dementia, and diabetes. Dr Ellie also explains how people undermine those natural functions with entirely avoidable errors....leading to tooth decay, gun disease, and poor nitric oxide production. For the older athlete, oral health is low hanging fruit for higher performance. The upside is a better smile, a healthy mouth, and a long, healthy life.

After talking to Dr Ellie, I am convinced that oral health is a missing pillar of health that is so easy to do right if we only knew what to do. You've come to the right place to find out how.

Impact of Oral Health on Overall Health

• Cardiovascular Disease: Poor oral health, particularly gum disease, has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease. The bacteria from inflamed gums can enter the bloodstream, potentially leading to arterial plaque formation and heart complications.
• Diabetes: There is a bidirectional relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease. Individuals with diabetes are more susceptible to infections, including gum disease, which can, in turn, affect blood sugar control.
• Respiratory Infections: Inadequate oral hygiene can lead to the inhalation of bacteria from the mouth into the lungs, increasing the risk of respiratory infections such as pneumonia.
• Cognitive Decline: Emerging research suggests a connection between oral health and cognitive functions. For instance, a study found that individuals with fewer natural teeth at age 70 had a higher risk of cognitive impairment and mortality.

The 4 Keys To Oral Health: Daily oral care, Good saliva, Lifestyle & daily habits, Repair & Maintenance

Key #1 -- Daily Oral Care -- oh so important. But before you rush to "brush and floss", consider a few important things about your choice of toothbrush and toothpaste and how (or if) you should rinse or floss

Toothbrushes

• Clean Your Toothbrush Every Time.  
• Don't Just Rinse Your Brush. 
• Bacteria Die When They Dry. Allow your brush to dry for 24 hours between uses in a cup or holder so that air can circulate around the bristles.  You need one toothbrush for the morning and one for the evening!
• Never Put Your Toothbrush in a Drawer or Bag. 
• Toothbrush Design. It's more important to brush with a good technique than to buy an expensive brush.

Toothpaste

• Some Toothpaste Can Harm Oral Health. 
• Avoid Toothpastes with: abrasives, peroxide, baking soda, or glycerin.
• Avoid Whitening Pastes. Whitening products are generally too aggressive for enamel and can lead to erosion and fracture after long-term use.
• Avoid Glycerin / glycerol. Glycerin/glycerol seems to interfere with the natural repair and replacement of minerals in teeth.
• Sensitive Toothpaste. Sensitive pastes often contain stannous fluoride - a tin-based product designed to block pores or holes in teeth. These holes formed from loss of minerals and these pastes provide a quick fix, not a solution, to the problem of sensitivity.
• Plaque Control Toothpaste.  Some toothpastes are designed to dissolve the proteins that are an essential component of a healthy mouth ecosystem. Triclosan, a common ingredient in plaque-control toothpastes, has been shown to interact with chlorine in tap water to form chloroform and to potentially disrupt important hormones.  

Mouth Rinses -- Not all mouth rinses are a problem

• Watch the Acidity. Many well-known mouth rinses (even "healthy" ones and ones advertised for dry mouth) are acidic, some with a shocking pH as low as 3.3! Whitening products can be acidic with a pH below 2.0.
• Some Mouth Rinses Strip Teeth of Protective Proteins. Avoid rinsing with hydrogen peroxide or baking soda - especially if you have sensitive teeth, gum recession, or a groove at the gum line.
• Some Mouth Rinses Contain Glycerin.  Avoid
• Strong Antiseptic or Antibiotic Mouth Rinses. Some rinses wipe out disease bacteria and at the same time they damage the healthy bacteria that are an essential part of a healthy mouth ecosystem.  Avoid chlorhexidine

Flossing

• Is Flossing Necessary? "Floss" was designed to clear food particles when dentists thought food particles caused gum disease and cavities. Now we know these are bacterial infections and that floss is not the best tool for resolving this bacterial infection.
• Is Flossing Dangerous? If you have a highly infected mouth with cavities and gum disease the act of flossing could push these life-threatening bacteria into your blood (bacteremia).
• Hydro-/Liquid Flossing. "Water-picking or hydro-flossing" may stop gum pockets from healing - possibly by damaging fragile periodontal fibers that are trying to "zip-up" gum pockets around teeth. If your gums are unhealthy, do NOT use this equipment!

Key #2 -- Saliva  -- Our mouths are bathed in saliva, a liquid that is perfectly equipped to balance and restore any minerals that acidity leached from our teeth.

Our Saliva is the perfect rinse

• Our own mouth liquid can be the perfect and most healing mouth rinse.
• Allow teeth time to interact with your own saliva - especially in the afternoon hours when saliva composition is most healing.
• At night our saliva usually becomes acidic. It is vital to prepare our teeth well before going to bed at night and use products that promote mouth health and natural repair (especially if you are a mouth breather or snore).

Saliva pH

• Our mouths are bathed in saliva, a liquid that is perfectly equipped to balance and restore any minerals that acidity leached from our teeth.
• After meals it can take an hour for healthy saliva to wash over teeth and replenish lost minerals. This process is called re-mineralization and when it occurs correctly it can be a healthy process that allows teeth to stay young, strong and healthy. 
• The caveat is that this rebuilding must occur immediately after damage and that the amount of repair must equal or exceed the amount of damage.
• Problems will occur when there is more damage than repair for some reason.

Neutralize Saliva

• Healthy saliva is a naturally balanced liquid super-saturated with calcium and phosphates that have the capacity to repair and replenish any minerals that were lost from teeth.
• Nothing manufactured comes close to the ability of healthy natural saliva to deliver minerals to teeth in this process called re-mineralization. Only when the amount of damage is greater than the ability of saliva to repair this damage does our dental health deteriorate.

Saliva is Diluted by Constant Sipping Habits. Stop sipping drinks throughout the day; instead, drink adequate amounts of liquid at meal times. At least stop sipping for an hour or two after lunch.

Non-Water Drinks Strip Teeth of a Protective Protein Layer and Cause Excessive Damage. Even “body-healthy” liquids – like lemon water and cider vinegar – can adversely affect mouth health.

• Acidic water (many bottled and tap waters are acidic. Water will become acidic if citrus lemon or orange slices are added).
• Alcohol - all kinds
• Juices
• Coffee & Teas (including black tea and green tea)
• Carbonated drinks - especially with citrus flavor
• Kombucha
• Energy drinks

Key #3 -- Lifestyle & Habits either help or hurt

Avoid Practices / Habits that lead to Mouth Dryness Some people have a face or jaw shape that puts them at increased risk for mouth breathing – which reduces saliva’s ability to heal their gums or strengthen teeth. Others have difficulty breathing through their nose because of allergies or sinus issues. Dry mouth usually leads to sensitivity, staining, bleeding gums and tooth fractures.

Avoid Practices / Habits that lead to Mouth Acidity How long is your mouth acidic each day? Acidic conditions dissolve minerals out of teeth and leave them soft, more likely to stain and more likely to erode and wear. Acidity provides the conditions for harmful bacteria to multiply – leading to bleeding and the onset of periodontal pocketing and gum disease. 

Many drinks and foods are acidic –even healthy ones – and periods of acidity will need to be balanced or else they will cause serious mouth problems. Foods that contain sugar or carbohydrates create acidity in the mouth. The problem is not short spells of acidity but the creation of extended periods of mouth acidity – by sipping or snacking over many hours. 

To-Do's to limit acidic conditions and give teeth time to interact with undiluted saliva.

• Chew xylitol gum or eat a xylitol mint frequently during the day to stimulate a flow of alkaline saliva into the mouth. This helps control long periods of mouth acidity after eating or drinking and creates ideal conditions for the replacement of minerals into teeth. 
• Topical use of a little sodium fluoride toothpaste or a 0.05% sodium fluoride rinse has been shown to work synergistically with xylitol. This means it will speed and improve the absorption of minerals into teeth. We do not recommend drinking fluoride but the topical use of tiny amounts of fluoride can help teeth to attract minerals from saliva and into the tooth’s surface.
• End your meals with a tooth-protective or alkaline food (celery, cheese) and a swish of alkaline water and/or a xylitol mint or piece of gum. .
• Before sleeping - prepare your teeth for a long night – a time when your mouth may be very acidic and dry (especially if you are a mouth breather or snore).
• A xylitol nasal spray may help with nasal congestion and encourage more natural breathing, while you sleep.
• A good oral probiotic (formulated with xylitol) may be helpful for people with a dry mouth or acidic saliva. Use this only after you have implemented all the other changes

Key #4 -- Repair & Regeneration -- Dr Ellie's System

Pre-Brush Rinse

CloSYS is a gentle mouth rinse that reacts with your saliva during the first 30 seconds it is in your mouth to create oxygen – and if you keep the rinse in your mouth an additional 30 seconds, the oxygen will help to disrupt harmful mouth bacteria of cavities and in periodontal pockets. The mouth’s most harmful bacteria thrive in low oxygen – so remember – a timed 60 seconds (not shorter and not longer) will give you terrific results with no harm to healthy mouth bacteria.

Tooth Brushing & Gum Massage

The mechanical (brushing) is not so much to “clean” teeth, but to achieve a gum massage. The aim is to stimulate circulation in the gum tissues around teeth. Most people are told to use a soft brush – but this is inadequate for this purpose and will not achieve the circulation and blood flow necessary for gum healing. 

Providing that you protect teeth from abrasion damage by using the CloSYS pre-rinse, you will safely be able to use dense (a firmer) brush without fear. Always select a high quality brush and be sure to have a new brush regularly (especially if you are fighting cavities or gum disease) and allow brushes to air dry for 24 hours between uses.

Crest Cavity Protection Regular Paste is proven to help mineralize teeth and on the tube it is able to claim that it  “helps stop cavities before they start.” This specific Crest formula is different from more modern formulations which are not recommended as part of this system. For amazing results, use the Crest Cavity Protection Regular Paste that contains sodium fluoride, silica, and has no glycerin.

Target Specific Bacteria

Listerine is a misunderstood mouth rinse! Listerine is an essential oil rinse with a strong taste. It is a very important part of the Complete Mouth Care System, especially for anyone fighting cavities or gum disease. Two formulations are suggested: Original or Cool Mint. Don’t use other formulations – no matter how “natural” they appear. 

The essential oils in Listerine effectively target (reducing by 99.9%) specific plaque-forming bacteria called streptococcus mutans. Left unchecked, this bacterium matures every 12 hours to form complex bacterial masses responsible for cavities, gingivitis, bad breath and potentially more serious periodontal gum disease. Listerine does not harm the mouth’s diversity of good bacteria or the mouth’s production of nitric oxide. This is a completely false myth.

Promote Mineralization Daily

ACT is a dilute 0.05% sodium fluoride rinse, with a comparable fluoride dilution as water that is recommended for drinking. Do not consume unnecessary fluoride, but topical fluoride rinse is a vital finale. ACT encourages minerals from saliva to be absorbed into teeth where they can naturally repair, strengthen, and beautify tooth enamel. Natural mineralization will occur for hours after providing you do not eat or drink anything afterward. This is how it is able to help enamel resist acidic damage and how it can help to heal cavities and naturally whiten your smile. Extra mineralization is the natural way to reduce tooth sensitivity – and this can occur in less than a week when you use the entire system of care.

Related episodes:

• Episode 103 | Better Bloodflow & Healing from Nitric Oxide | Beth Shirley RPh CCN

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*This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.