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Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye: A Do-It-Yourself Mouth Care System for Healthy, Clean Gums and Teeth
You can brush, floss, be mindful of your diet and follow all the traditional oral hygiene advice, yet still find yourself needing fillings and ongoing dental cleanings. Dr. Ellie Phillips challenges this conventional dental instruction to “brush and floss,” arguing it can be both ineffective and potentially harmful. In her groundbreaking book, Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye , she unveils the secrets to achieving and maintaining a truly healthy mouth. In this book, Dr. Phillips explains the importance of bacterial balance for oral health, highlighting how it will never be attained through excessive flossing, aggressive cleanings, or the indiscriminate killing of mouth bacteria. She exposes the detrimental effects of certain dental procedures and products, including tooth whitening, bleaching, dental sealants, and certain fluorides. By adopting her practical do-it-yourself daily routine, you can effortlessly reduce plaque buildup, strengthen your teeth, heal and even reverse small cavities, cure periodontal disease, and eliminate tooth sensitivity.
The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 examines the underlying causes of cavities and gum disease―as well as how teeth and gums can naturally heal themselves. It provides a clear picture of why we must rethink our fundamental beliefs about oral care if we want to avoid dental problems and sidestep all the chronic health conditions that are so closely associated with poor oral health. Part 2 provides details of a complete program that has the power to stop, prevent, and even reverse dental problems.
Isn’t it time to bid farewell to cavities, gum disease, and the general health dangers from poor oral health? With Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye as your guide, you will be empowered to take rapid action and dramatically enhance the look, feel, and health of your teeth―at any stage of life, and with the confidence that it is never too late to begin.
The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 examines the underlying causes of cavities and gum disease―as well as how teeth and gums can naturally heal themselves. It provides a clear picture of why we must rethink our fundamental beliefs about oral care if we want to avoid dental problems and sidestep all the chronic health conditions that are so closely associated with poor oral health. Part 2 provides details of a complete program that has the power to stop, prevent, and even reverse dental problems.
Isn’t it time to bid farewell to cavities, gum disease, and the general health dangers from poor oral health? With Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye as your guide, you will be empowered to take rapid action and dramatically enhance the look, feel, and health of your teeth―at any stage of life, and with the confidence that it is never too late to begin.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
290 people are currently reading
662 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
May 5, 2013
I am obsessed with this book. The dental philosophy and science presented here parallels what’s emerging as critical to good GI health. It’s all about creating the appropriate environment to promote healthy bacteria and reduce harmful bacteria. She also reminds us that dental products are like food products where new and improved are not necessarily so. Stick with the dental basics. A simple fluoride toothpaste without all the tartar control and definitely not the tooth whiteners. Simple mouth rinses (have to admit that I’d never heard of CloSYS before but now love it) without all the extra additives. The one part of her recommended plan that is most difficult to implement simply because it’s more difficult to find is the xylitol. I buy my xylitol candies online but you can also find them at Whole Foods and in health food stores.
I stumbled upon this book by chance a week after a cleaning where I had complained that I seemed to be developing some sensitivity. My dentist responded that this just happens with age, a condition I obviously can’t reverse, and recommended I switch to Sensidyne. Tried that for a week and didn’t like the way it made my teeth look or feel. A week later, found this book and her recommended dental plan, tried it out and love it. After a month, my teeth look and feel better. My teeth may not be able to get any younger but apparently the enamel can be made stronger.
Dr. Phillips does an amazing job explaining the rationale and research to support her recommended dental plan. With the exception of her xylitol gums and mints, which I suspect she developed simply because xylitol candies are not easy to find, all of the products she recommends can be easily found in your typical drugstore. My only complaint is that I wish she included more detailed information about the protective and non-protective foods and beverages. Yes, juices and sodas (even diet sodas) are too acidic for teeth and yes, dairy, apples, and bananas are more protective but as a dietitian, I always want more detailed food lists.
I especially appreciate the book because I have many patients with diabetes who have awful teeth and no dental insurance. Diabetes, not surprisingly, causes a higher incidence of dental issues but also poor oral health can make diabetes more difficult to control. Love having alternatives to offer for improved dental health that can be easily implemented to reduce the damage.
If you want to try out her plan without buying her book, visit her website for the details, although I still recommend reading the book to understand the rationale. I highly recommend this book to anyone with teeth, or heck even dentures since gum health, which she covers, is still important, but especially to those with problem teeth or with children with problem teeth.
I stumbled upon this book by chance a week after a cleaning where I had complained that I seemed to be developing some sensitivity. My dentist responded that this just happens with age, a condition I obviously can’t reverse, and recommended I switch to Sensidyne. Tried that for a week and didn’t like the way it made my teeth look or feel. A week later, found this book and her recommended dental plan, tried it out and love it. After a month, my teeth look and feel better. My teeth may not be able to get any younger but apparently the enamel can be made stronger.
Dr. Phillips does an amazing job explaining the rationale and research to support her recommended dental plan. With the exception of her xylitol gums and mints, which I suspect she developed simply because xylitol candies are not easy to find, all of the products she recommends can be easily found in your typical drugstore. My only complaint is that I wish she included more detailed information about the protective and non-protective foods and beverages. Yes, juices and sodas (even diet sodas) are too acidic for teeth and yes, dairy, apples, and bananas are more protective but as a dietitian, I always want more detailed food lists.
I especially appreciate the book because I have many patients with diabetes who have awful teeth and no dental insurance. Diabetes, not surprisingly, causes a higher incidence of dental issues but also poor oral health can make diabetes more difficult to control. Love having alternatives to offer for improved dental health that can be easily implemented to reduce the damage.
If you want to try out her plan without buying her book, visit her website for the details, although I still recommend reading the book to understand the rationale. I highly recommend this book to anyone with teeth, or heck even dentures since gum health, which she covers, is still important, but especially to those with problem teeth or with children with problem teeth.
January 12, 2013
As someone who graduated from a '70's Coke-and-candy childhood with nearly 2 dozen cavities, I've never had a very positive relationship with my teeth. Despite regular brushing and flossing as a responsible adult, nothing has slowed the perpetual cycle of filling repair and replacement I grudgingly have accepted as an annoying fact of my life.
In this book, Dentist Ellie Phillips makes an argument that it doesn't have to be that way. The conventional wisdom that sugar causes cavities is only part of the story. She says that the environment of the mouth, including how acidic it is, has a lot to do with the quality of one's teeth and how long one's fillings last, and that there are steps that can be taken to protect the teeth from the most severe assaults.
Her program involves two steps - a twice daily brushing and mouth rinsing routine and consumption of 6-10 grams of the tooth-protecting natural sugar Xylitol.
Dr. Phillips is clearly what you would call an alternative dentist - she's suspicious of mercury fillings and fluoridated drinking water, and spends several paragraphs promoting the scientifically shaky idea that cancer can't grow in an alkaline environment. I've done enough research on these topics to feel that these positions undermine her credibility.
The book is also not very well edited - it's repetitive and goes into a lot more detail than I expect most readers would care to know.
Those major flaws aside, however, the evidence she presented for why her system was effective in strengthening teeth and preventing tooth decay was solid enough that I have decided to give it a try. Though she is against fluoride in drinking water, she is all for it as a mouth rinse. And while it may seem counter-intuitive that a sugar could protect teeth, there seems to be some decent evidence supporting this theory.
As I've watched the increasingly unpleasant unfolding of dental problems in my family, it seems worth a shot to try something different. If I'm not getting root canals a decade from now, you'll know it worked.
In this book, Dentist Ellie Phillips makes an argument that it doesn't have to be that way. The conventional wisdom that sugar causes cavities is only part of the story. She says that the environment of the mouth, including how acidic it is, has a lot to do with the quality of one's teeth and how long one's fillings last, and that there are steps that can be taken to protect the teeth from the most severe assaults.
Her program involves two steps - a twice daily brushing and mouth rinsing routine and consumption of 6-10 grams of the tooth-protecting natural sugar Xylitol.
Dr. Phillips is clearly what you would call an alternative dentist - she's suspicious of mercury fillings and fluoridated drinking water, and spends several paragraphs promoting the scientifically shaky idea that cancer can't grow in an alkaline environment. I've done enough research on these topics to feel that these positions undermine her credibility.
The book is also not very well edited - it's repetitive and goes into a lot more detail than I expect most readers would care to know.
Those major flaws aside, however, the evidence she presented for why her system was effective in strengthening teeth and preventing tooth decay was solid enough that I have decided to give it a try. Though she is against fluoride in drinking water, she is all for it as a mouth rinse. And while it may seem counter-intuitive that a sugar could protect teeth, there seems to be some decent evidence supporting this theory.
As I've watched the increasingly unpleasant unfolding of dental problems in my family, it seems worth a shot to try something different. If I'm not getting root canals a decade from now, you'll know it worked.
April 5, 2017
I don’t know what to make of this book, as I am not a biochemist. Some very complex science is involved. The author claims:
1- that tooth decay is caused by bad bacteria, not by sugars, and is promoted by missing or acidic saliva.
2- that brushing and flossing are not enough. Rinses also are necessary.
3- that tooth enamel can repair itself if remineralized and alkalized by the proper rinses.
She presents xylitol, a type of sugar, as “a magic bullet” for oral problems, but if xylitol is good for us why is it toxic to animals? She says it stimulates the flow of mineral-rich saliva, but is this the body’s way to dilute something toxic? Her chapter on xylitol left me unsatisfied because it is mostly testimonials. She is not clear on how xylitol works, why it is “tooth friendly.” She says the bad bacteria cannot feed on xylitol. Sounds good, but why can’t they? She says xylitol implants good, protective bacteria, but how can a sugar implant a bacteria? She says xylitol is anti-fungal. If it is toxic to fungi is it toxic to us?
She warns against distilled water and recommends mineral-rich drinking water, but the minerals in water are not organic or bio-available and thus can do us no good. On page 96 she warns that distilled water “can have an aggressive effect on dental enamel.” This is myth! Distilled water is clean water and clean water is not harmful to teeth, regardless of its pH. She seems overly concerned about the pH of foods, but we need a balance, not a 100% alkaline diet. She thinks salt provides valuable nutrients. Again, the minerals in salt are inorganic and indigestible. Only natural foods of plant or animal origin can provide bio-available minerals. And this includes minerals like fluoride. Fluoride from industrial waste cannot possibly do us any good because it is inorganic. The author is not clear on the all-important difference between organic and inorganic minerals. Organic means derived from living matter. Our bodies are living organisms, not machines, designed to live on organic matter.
She endorses commercial products and her own brand of mints. Is this a conflict of interest? Maybe, maybe not.
I cannot judge the claims of this book because they involve complex biochemistry of which I have no knowledge. They boil down to the reactions of bad bacteria to xylitol. So what to do? Questions remain. Maybe her program does protect teeth, but at what cost to the rest of the body? Her recommended rinses include chlorines and fluorines, which are toxic, unless derived from living sources. A book not to believe or to contradict, but to weigh and consider.
1- that tooth decay is caused by bad bacteria, not by sugars, and is promoted by missing or acidic saliva.
2- that brushing and flossing are not enough. Rinses also are necessary.
3- that tooth enamel can repair itself if remineralized and alkalized by the proper rinses.
She presents xylitol, a type of sugar, as “a magic bullet” for oral problems, but if xylitol is good for us why is it toxic to animals? She says it stimulates the flow of mineral-rich saliva, but is this the body’s way to dilute something toxic? Her chapter on xylitol left me unsatisfied because it is mostly testimonials. She is not clear on how xylitol works, why it is “tooth friendly.” She says the bad bacteria cannot feed on xylitol. Sounds good, but why can’t they? She says xylitol implants good, protective bacteria, but how can a sugar implant a bacteria? She says xylitol is anti-fungal. If it is toxic to fungi is it toxic to us?
She warns against distilled water and recommends mineral-rich drinking water, but the minerals in water are not organic or bio-available and thus can do us no good. On page 96 she warns that distilled water “can have an aggressive effect on dental enamel.” This is myth! Distilled water is clean water and clean water is not harmful to teeth, regardless of its pH. She seems overly concerned about the pH of foods, but we need a balance, not a 100% alkaline diet. She thinks salt provides valuable nutrients. Again, the minerals in salt are inorganic and indigestible. Only natural foods of plant or animal origin can provide bio-available minerals. And this includes minerals like fluoride. Fluoride from industrial waste cannot possibly do us any good because it is inorganic. The author is not clear on the all-important difference between organic and inorganic minerals. Organic means derived from living matter. Our bodies are living organisms, not machines, designed to live on organic matter.
She endorses commercial products and her own brand of mints. Is this a conflict of interest? Maybe, maybe not.
I cannot judge the claims of this book because they involve complex biochemistry of which I have no knowledge. They boil down to the reactions of bad bacteria to xylitol. So what to do? Questions remain. Maybe her program does protect teeth, but at what cost to the rest of the body? Her recommended rinses include chlorines and fluorines, which are toxic, unless derived from living sources. A book not to believe or to contradict, but to weigh and consider.
January 20, 2012
I read this book because I was searching for the best dental care regiment on earth (assuming an imperfect diet). . my search is over. This is it. I am now faithfully committed to following the oral regiment (closys, brush, listerine, act, xylitol)for the next 6 months until my next dental visit. If my 6 month experiment is a success and my dental visit proves the system has strengthened my teeth and improved my gum health I will become a HUGE supporter of this book. I will start carrying a backpack full of copies of this book and hand it out to every single person I know that wants to improve their oral care. Healthy Teeth is a Healthy Body.
June 7, 2023
I’m a dentist and I’m afraid this book can put me out of business. Excellent advice and well written.
Read
July 18, 20225 STEP SYSTEM
Use products with 100% Xylitol throughout the day.
1. STEP ONE: XYLITOL
» For maximum effectiveness, have 6 – 10 grams per day.
» Xylitol is great anytime, but especially after meals and drinks.
» Granulated Xylitol or Mints or Gum.
2. STEP TWO: PRE-RINSE
Rinse with CLOSYS® mouth rinse for one minute.
» Do not rinse with water after this step.
3. STEP THREE: BRUSH
Brush with a soft toothbrush and use Crest® Regular Cavity Protection Toothpaste (1-2 Minutes).
» Don’t use Crest® with: whitening, tartar control, stannous fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate or triclosan.
» Keep toothbrush sanitary and clean. Keep it away from the toilet area.
» Do not rinse with water after this step.
4. STEP FOUR: CLEAN
Rinse with LISTERINE® (30-60 Seconds). Only use the Original or Cool Mint flavors with ADA Shield.
» Don’t use LISTERINE® with plaque or tartar control, or whitening.
» Do not rinse with water after this step.
5. STEP FIVE: PROTECT
Rinse with ACT® Anticavity Fluoride Rinse for 1 minute. Only use the Mint, Cinnamon or Bubblegum flavors.
» Avoid all other ACT® formulas.
» Do not rinse with water after this step.
» Try to avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes after finishing with this step.
ZELLIES XYLITOL PRODUCTS ARE
ALWAYS MADE WITH 100% XYLITOL!
From the website: Dr Ellie. c
Daily Oral Care is 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. Toothbrushes get infected from one singe use!
Know THIS If You Have Gum Disease or Cavities. Anaerobic bacteria are the kind of germs that cause gum/periodontal disease and deep cavities. These germs multiply in low-oxygen conditions - especially on toothbrushes that are stored in containers!
Don't Just Rinse Your Brush. Oral bacteria can be difficult to clean and rinsing your brush in hot water is inadequate.
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. Yes, this means you need a toothbrush for the morning and another one for the evening!
Never Put Your Toothbrush in a Drawer or Bag. If you are traveling, don't use those toothbrush covers; instead, take inexpensive toothbrushes and throw them away.
Toothbrush Design. It's more important to brush with a good technique than to buy an expensive brush. Battery or sonic brushes help lazy brushers - but they are not superior to a manual brush. If you have a sonic brush you may want to use it in the morning, but compare with with a good manual toothbrush used at night. (learn the best way to brush your teeth).
TOOTHBRUSH
After decades of evaluation, I endorse Dr. Plotka's Mouth Watcher's toothbrush as one of the best. Use it to massage your gums. Buy two brushes and allow them to dry for 24 hours in-between uses (you should have an AM brush and a PM brush). I also highly recommend getting new toothbrushes every month if you can, or every 2 months at the most.
TOOTHPASTE
Toothpaste Can Harm Oral Health. If you think it doesn't matter which toothpaste you buy, you may end up with sensitive teeth, mouth sores, gum recession, dry mouth or enamel erosion by buying the wrong toothpaste.
When Your Dentist Suggests a Bite or Night Guard. Your real problem may be a toothpaste that is too abrasive or one that contains peroxide, baking soda, or glycerin. Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide can damage the protein layer that is protective of dental enamel, and this will allow minerals to leach out and weaken enamel, which will then be easily brushed away or abraded. This can lead to occlusal wear or the creating of a sensitive groove at the gum line.
Whitening Pastes. Whitening products are generally too aggressive for enamel and can lead to erosion and fracture after long-term use.
If Your Teeth Fracture or Fillings Fail. The problem may be glycerin in your toothpaste. Glycerin/glycerol seems to interfere with the natural repair and replacement of minerals in teeth. The long-term effect can be soft teeth that are easily stained, fractured, or are darker in color.
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. Sensitive pastes often make teeth feel powdery and rough and may make your mouth feel dry and uncomfortable, leading you to buy more expensive products marketed for dry mouth! Don't get into this cycle of ongoing problems!
Plaque Control Toothpaste. Plaque control toothpastes may sound like a good idea - but be very careful. You m ay think the goal is to eradicate disease bacteria, but we now know that it is vital to have a population of healthy bacteria in our mouths for optimal oral health. 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 RINSE
Are Mouth Rinses a Problem? The main question when it comes to mouth rinse is does it benefit or damage my mouth as it interacts with my mouth and teeth? Some mouth rinse interactions can be positive - so don't believe ALL mouth rinses are bad. Mouth rinses are just not all the same, some can help your mouth health, but many can harm.
Acidity: Any liquid that takes your mouth pH below 6.5 will damage the roots of your teeth and at a pH of 5.5 minerals will be stripped from teeth, making them softer and more likely to stain. 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 glycerin as an ingredient in your oral care products since it may inhibit, delay, or prevent teeth from natural repair (remineralization).
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.
Our Saliva. 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 its composition is most healing. At night our saliva usually becomes acidic. This is why 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
Use products with 100% Xylitol throughout the day.
1. STEP ONE: XYLITOL
» For maximum effectiveness, have 6 – 10 grams per day.
» Xylitol is great anytime, but especially after meals and drinks.
» Granulated Xylitol or Mints or Gum.
2. STEP TWO: PRE-RINSE
Rinse with CLOSYS® mouth rinse for one minute.
» Do not rinse with water after this step.
3. STEP THREE: BRUSH
Brush with a soft toothbrush and use Crest® Regular Cavity Protection Toothpaste (1-2 Minutes).
» Don’t use Crest® with: whitening, tartar control, stannous fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate or triclosan.
» Keep toothbrush sanitary and clean. Keep it away from the toilet area.
» Do not rinse with water after this step.
4. STEP FOUR: CLEAN
Rinse with LISTERINE® (30-60 Seconds). Only use the Original or Cool Mint flavors with ADA Shield.
» Don’t use LISTERINE® with plaque or tartar control, or whitening.
» Do not rinse with water after this step.
5. STEP FIVE: PROTECT
Rinse with ACT® Anticavity Fluoride Rinse for 1 minute. Only use the Mint, Cinnamon or Bubblegum flavors.
» Avoid all other ACT® formulas.
» Do not rinse with water after this step.
» Try to avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes after finishing with this step.
ZELLIES XYLITOL PRODUCTS ARE
ALWAYS MADE WITH 100% XYLITOL!
From the website: Dr Ellie. c
Daily Oral Care is 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. Toothbrushes get infected from one singe use!
Know THIS If You Have Gum Disease or Cavities. Anaerobic bacteria are the kind of germs that cause gum/periodontal disease and deep cavities. These germs multiply in low-oxygen conditions - especially on toothbrushes that are stored in containers!
Don't Just Rinse Your Brush. Oral bacteria can be difficult to clean and rinsing your brush in hot water is inadequate.
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. Yes, this means you need a toothbrush for the morning and another one for the evening!
Never Put Your Toothbrush in a Drawer or Bag. If you are traveling, don't use those toothbrush covers; instead, take inexpensive toothbrushes and throw them away.
Toothbrush Design. It's more important to brush with a good technique than to buy an expensive brush. Battery or sonic brushes help lazy brushers - but they are not superior to a manual brush. If you have a sonic brush you may want to use it in the morning, but compare with with a good manual toothbrush used at night. (learn the best way to brush your teeth).
TOOTHBRUSH
After decades of evaluation, I endorse Dr. Plotka's Mouth Watcher's toothbrush as one of the best. Use it to massage your gums. Buy two brushes and allow them to dry for 24 hours in-between uses (you should have an AM brush and a PM brush). I also highly recommend getting new toothbrushes every month if you can, or every 2 months at the most.
TOOTHPASTE
Toothpaste Can Harm Oral Health. If you think it doesn't matter which toothpaste you buy, you may end up with sensitive teeth, mouth sores, gum recession, dry mouth or enamel erosion by buying the wrong toothpaste.
When Your Dentist Suggests a Bite or Night Guard. Your real problem may be a toothpaste that is too abrasive or one that contains peroxide, baking soda, or glycerin. Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide can damage the protein layer that is protective of dental enamel, and this will allow minerals to leach out and weaken enamel, which will then be easily brushed away or abraded. This can lead to occlusal wear or the creating of a sensitive groove at the gum line.
Whitening Pastes. Whitening products are generally too aggressive for enamel and can lead to erosion and fracture after long-term use.
If Your Teeth Fracture or Fillings Fail. The problem may be glycerin in your toothpaste. Glycerin/glycerol seems to interfere with the natural repair and replacement of minerals in teeth. The long-term effect can be soft teeth that are easily stained, fractured, or are darker in color.
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. Sensitive pastes often make teeth feel powdery and rough and may make your mouth feel dry and uncomfortable, leading you to buy more expensive products marketed for dry mouth! Don't get into this cycle of ongoing problems!
Plaque Control Toothpaste. Plaque control toothpastes may sound like a good idea - but be very careful. You m ay think the goal is to eradicate disease bacteria, but we now know that it is vital to have a population of healthy bacteria in our mouths for optimal oral health. 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 RINSE
Are Mouth Rinses a Problem? The main question when it comes to mouth rinse is does it benefit or damage my mouth as it interacts with my mouth and teeth? Some mouth rinse interactions can be positive - so don't believe ALL mouth rinses are bad. Mouth rinses are just not all the same, some can help your mouth health, but many can harm.
Acidity: Any liquid that takes your mouth pH below 6.5 will damage the roots of your teeth and at a pH of 5.5 minerals will be stripped from teeth, making them softer and more likely to stain. 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 glycerin as an ingredient in your oral care products since it may inhibit, delay, or prevent teeth from natural repair (remineralization).
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.
Our Saliva. 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 its composition is most healing. At night our saliva usually becomes acidic. This is why 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
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2020
Really interesting!!
P. 58: “Anytime your mouth’s acidity level falls below 6, you should be worried about your teeth.”
P. 59 “The biggest difference from holistic medicine is that vinegar and lemon juice -often used to control acid reflux and promoted for alkalizing the body-are acidic liquids that can damage tooth enamel if not washed away. Steps should always be taken to quickly remove the acidity of citrus and vinegar from around teeth... Women have to worry more about fighting mouth acidity than men do”. I noticed my mouth health decline during pregnancy and in my late 30s, so this feels very true!! Relaxation promotes alkalization: gardening, prayer, exercise...
Xylitol is good for oral health.
Not all plaque is bad... There is actually healthy plaque!
Clean and disinfect toothbrushes and household eating utensils to eliminate transfer of harmful bacteria among family members.
!!Frequent use of baking soda and peroxide sensitized gum tissue and may result in gum recession!!
Reducing periodontitis may help diabetic patients stabilize blood sugar levels!!
Patients with medical conditions like diabetes or heart disease must take preventive dental action quickly to rid their mouths of harmful bacteria and damaging mouth conditions.
DO use fluoride rinses, DO NOT drink fluoridated water, and beware the interactions of fluoridated water and aluminum (cookware, etc.)
Spit twice to make spitting effective.
Chapter on sealants seems a little controversial to me, partly because I and my children have already had sealants.
Teeth bleaching damages your gums irreversibly.
Cariostatic foods stop cavities from forming: cow’s milk (can counter the effects of acidic or sugary foods eaten while drinking milk), cheese (especially can counter effects of acidic wine pairings, or protect teeth after a meal), dark chocolate, fresh apples (polyphenols), tea (polyphenols), trigonelline (ingredient in coffee), licorice, real cranberry juice (NOT Oceanspray/commercial cranberry juice cocktails)
**Dr. Ellie’s Complete Mouth care system** p.162
P. 58: “Anytime your mouth’s acidity level falls below 6, you should be worried about your teeth.”
P. 59 “The biggest difference from holistic medicine is that vinegar and lemon juice -often used to control acid reflux and promoted for alkalizing the body-are acidic liquids that can damage tooth enamel if not washed away. Steps should always be taken to quickly remove the acidity of citrus and vinegar from around teeth... Women have to worry more about fighting mouth acidity than men do”. I noticed my mouth health decline during pregnancy and in my late 30s, so this feels very true!! Relaxation promotes alkalization: gardening, prayer, exercise...
Xylitol is good for oral health.
Not all plaque is bad... There is actually healthy plaque!
Clean and disinfect toothbrushes and household eating utensils to eliminate transfer of harmful bacteria among family members.
!!Frequent use of baking soda and peroxide sensitized gum tissue and may result in gum recession!!
Reducing periodontitis may help diabetic patients stabilize blood sugar levels!!
Patients with medical conditions like diabetes or heart disease must take preventive dental action quickly to rid their mouths of harmful bacteria and damaging mouth conditions.
DO use fluoride rinses, DO NOT drink fluoridated water, and beware the interactions of fluoridated water and aluminum (cookware, etc.)
Spit twice to make spitting effective.
Chapter on sealants seems a little controversial to me, partly because I and my children have already had sealants.
Teeth bleaching damages your gums irreversibly.
Cariostatic foods stop cavities from forming: cow’s milk (can counter the effects of acidic or sugary foods eaten while drinking milk), cheese (especially can counter effects of acidic wine pairings, or protect teeth after a meal), dark chocolate, fresh apples (polyphenols), tea (polyphenols), trigonelline (ingredient in coffee), licorice, real cranberry juice (NOT Oceanspray/commercial cranberry juice cocktails)
**Dr. Ellie’s Complete Mouth care system** p.162
October 19, 2011
Xylitol! Wish I had read this 20 years ago but glad I found it now.
March 27, 2019
I can't believe I read a book on dentistry and oral care (almost) from cover to cover! The information in this book was incredibly helpful and even interesting. My husband and I are trying to take better care of our oral health, so we might just give Dr. Ellie's system a try for 6 months and see how it goes.
September 5, 2017
A fast and clear read. Confirmed what I've heard and found on research myself but I'm looking forward to trying her process for the benefits.
October 20, 2025
591-Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye-Ellie Phillips-Health-2010
Barack
October 19, 2025
Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye, first published in 2010, explores how easy it is to reduce plaque buildup, strengthen tooth enamel, repair minor cavities, eliminate tooth sensitivity, and improve overall oral health. Learn which products can hinder your efforts and the risks of using bleaching, dental sealants, and fluoride incorrectly.
Ellie Phillips, educated at King's College London and the University of Rochester, founded Zellies in 2002 to develop, market, and promote xylitol oral care products. That same year, she published her first book, Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye, which aims to help patients understand good home care and explains how her " Complete Mouth Care System " uses over-the-counter products and xylitol mints and gum to protect gums and teeth from disease and damage. In January 2025, she published the second edition of Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye (a completely rewritten book), incorporating new scientific knowledge and answering many questions raised in the 20 years since the first edition.
Table of Contents
Part One: The Building Blocks of Better Mouth Care
1. The Dentistry Dilemma—One Step Forward, Three Steps Back?
2. Watch Your Mouth—What's Visible, and Invisible, Within Our Mouths
3. Saliva's Got a Secret—And It's Time to Spit It Out
4. Flossing, Fillings, and Fluoridation—The Three “Fs” of Dentistry
5. Dental Science + Common Sense = Something to Chew On
Part Two: The Complete Mouth Care System ™
6. The Tooth and Nothing but the Tooth—My System, Step by Step
7. Xylitol—The Most Powerful Friend a Mouth Can Have
8. When Your Mouth Goes South—How to Stop High-Risk Dental Issues
9. The Four Keys to Preventive Mouth Care—Unlocking All the Doors
10. You and Your Dentist—Can You Ever Be Friends?
I was inspired to read this book about teeth because I had some dental problems in August. I didn't have health insurance at the time, so I kept putting off seeing the dentist. The delay only worsened. In October, I finally made up my mind and paid for a dental appointment out of pocket. I asked myself: Why didn't I learn about dentistry sooner? Throughout our lives, teeth, skin, eyesight, blood pressure—which one hasn't been with us for decades? If we could spare even a week to systematically read a book and understand the underlying principles and maintenance methods, it might seem insignificant in the long course of a lifetime. But the health benefits it brings could last for decades. So why do we so often neglect this small yet crucial task? I suspect it's because of the illusion of knowing. We often say, "I know I need to brush my teeth," "I know I need to floss," and "I know I need regular cleanings." But this "knowing" often leads to a dangerous sense of security. It's precisely because we think we know that we overlook details. Take dental implants, for example: have you saved the model, material, and date of implant? If you need to change doctors in ten years, will you be able to accurately provide this information? If a problem arises with a dental implant, can you determine whether it's an emergency or just something to watch for? I often find myself failing at this. This leads me to believe that this isn't just a dental issue, but rather a widespread laziness in "health management." Thousands of years of medical and clinical experience have amassed a rich body of knowledge, yet we often overlook this progress. Isn't it ironic? We trust doctors but don't trust ourselves to learn; we rely on external fixes but don't cultivate internal awareness. But true health isn't maintained by others; it's accumulated through our own small, personal choices. Dental problems, vision, blood pressure—these problems never erupt overnight; they're the result of small, day-to-day deviations. Good habits build resilience and health, while bad habits build fragility and wear. Ultimately, our health isn't determined by a single treatment, but by the seemingly insignificant choices we make every day. I wonder if we're too easily swept along by inertia. Our repetitive lifestyle, eating habits, and daily routines are silently shaping our bodies. Yet, we rarely pause to reflect on whether this habit is correct. Reflection alone isn't enough; the key is action. Perhaps starting today, I can stop saying, "I know I need to brush my teeth," and instead ask myself, "Am I brushing according to best practices today?"
The health of your mouth isn't just about the small room in your mouth; it's like a connected apartment: one type of room is the visible room—teeth, gums, tongue, buccal mucosa; the other type is the invisible yet interconnected corridors and tubes—the throat, nasal cavity, sinuses, and ear canal, each with its own doors and windows, through which air and bacteria flow. I ask myself: When something hurts, is it necessarily that it's broken? Just like when I write code, I always mistake the function on the crash stack for the "culprit," only to spend a long time fixing it and discover the real bug is in an earlier line. Similarly, if we have a sore throat, it could be irritation from postnasal drip or an increased bacterial burden caused by periodontal inflammation. Once the acid-base balance, saliva volume, and bacterial ecology in the mouth are imbalanced, the problem will be transferred to the next door. If you clean the "visible" rooms first—gently clean, floss properly, restore saliva flow, and reduce nighttime dry mouth—and then inspect the "invisible" hallways—reducing nasal congestion, noting the color of your mucus, and assessing for acid reflux—you can often pin the problem down at its source. Why do we always "fix whatever hurts"? Because we save time, because we believe "what we see is what we see." But health is a web; if I focus on just one point, I'll trip over the other end. So, what does it mean to "take good care of your mouth"? Perhaps it's not a single, drastic treatment, but rather treating the visible and invisible parts as one, performing a little bit of correct, gentle maintenance every day, allowing the system to restore stability on its own. Once you've straightened out this interconnected apartment, the door will stop creaking and the draft in the hallway will ease.
The author reminds us that saliva is actually the first line of defense for oral health. When tooth decay or minor gum lesions begin to develop, saliva is often the first to sound the alarm . Saliva isn't a static fluid; it changes subtly throughout the day: it's more acidic in the morning, becoming less acidic in the afternoon. Production decreases at night, leading to a frequent dry mouth upon waking. Why is saliva so important? It not only keeps the mouth moist but also maintains the acid-base balance, allowing tooth enamel to reharden after acidification after meals. I made a mistake last night. With the cooler weather, I turned the heat up to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (about 23.9 degrees Celsius) and added an extra blanket. I woke up repeatedly in the middle of the night with a dry mouth, like I had a heat stroke. The next day, I woke up with a dizzy headache that lasted all day. So, when I feel dry mouth in the middle of the night, it's my body's way of telling me it's out of balance. What can I do? I should lower the room temperature, open the door for ventilation, and drink plenty of water to restore my body's balance. Saliva isn't just water; it's a mirror of our physical condition. When saliva production decreases and the mouth becomes dry, it's not just a minor problem; it's a signal—a reminder that our bodies are experiencing unhealthy conditions due to dehydration, overheating, or stress. Similarly, the reason we shouldn't brush our teeth immediately after a meal is related to saliva. This is because the oral environment becomes acidic after a meal, softening the surface of tooth enamel. Brushing immediately is like polishing a piece of wet glass. Wait until the saliva neutralizes the acidity before cleaning to protect your teeth.
When I first came to the United States, I didn't have a habit of flossing. Back in China, the dentist might not have reminded me to floss often enough, or I might have ignored the reminder. Once I was reminded, I started flossing daily. Later, during a cleaning, the dentist told me, "Your teeth are in better condition than average for someone your age." That was when I truly realized the value of flossing. The author emphasized three key points that stood out to me: first, protecting yourself from plaque; second, working to reverse the formation of cavities; and third, stimulating your gums to empower them to fight and repair themselves. In other words, she focuses on "systemic defense" rather than single-point removal. Bacteria don't just live between teeth; their larger habitat is in saliva. If the harmful bacteria in saliva aren't suppressed, new plaque will quickly form, no matter how frequently you brush and floss. She reminds us that the real battle isn't on the surface of our teeth, but in the balance of our oral ecosystem. And so I understood: what we need isn't just "cleaning"; it's "care." The author also addresses two often overlooked concepts: the "myth of dental fillings" and "a new understanding of fluoridation." She questions people's blind reliance on dental fillings to compensate for failed tooth protection and reminds us of the importance of using fluoride correctly—excessive use can damage tooth enamel, while proper use can enhance defense.
The author repeatedly emphasizes the protective effects of xylitol on teeth. The reasons for this are primarily threefold. The first is biochemical. The main culprit of tooth decay is Streptococcus mutans, which breaks down sugars—particularly sucrose and glucose—to produce acid, which in turn corrodes tooth enamel. While xylitol is structurally similar to glucose, it is a five-carbon sugar alcohol. After bacteria "eat" it, they are unable to convert it into energy, instead exhausting themselves in this inefficient metabolism. In other words, xylitol acts as a clever decoy, starving bacteria to death in their futile efforts. This reduces acid production and inhibits their reproductive capacity. The second is physiological. Chewing xylitol stimulates the salivary glands to secrete more saliva, which is the mouth's best defender. It neutralizes oral acidity, restoring pH to neutrality, and provides calcium and phosphate ions to help remineralize tooth enamel. Even better, xylitol's sweetness encourages people to chew longer, thus prolonging the protective effect of saliva. The third is ecological. The author mentions research showing that chewing xylitol three to five times a day for five to ten minutes each time can significantly alter the oral microbiome: harmful bacteria decrease, beneficial bacteria increase, and overall diversity is restored. In other words, xylitol isn't just a weapon for killing enemies; it's also a means of harmonizing them, restoring a well-balanced oral ecosystem. I'm wondering if dental health isn't about eliminating all bacteria, but rather about teaching them to coexist peacefully. In summary, the core principle of xylitol is a "philosophy of prevention." When we go to the dentist, we're merely repairing problems; the true fate of our teeth lies in those daily bites of food, those few minutes of chewing, and those few glasses of water we drink. Like any other bodily function, dental health isn't the result of a single treatment, but rather the accumulation of a daily lifestyle. But I often make the mistake of viewing health as an "event" rather than a "habit." A doctor can fix a bad tooth, but they can't fix my addiction to daily laziness. If we can cultivate a rhythm of self-repair in the subtle details of life, such as chewing a few more xylitols or drinking one less sugary drink, those inconspicuous moments may be the turning points that will benefit you for a lifetime.
The author proposes a "complete oral care system." The process consists of four steps: the first is a pre-brush rinse. The author recommends using a mouthwash called Closys for one minute before brushing to adjust the oral environment, reduce acidity, and inhibit the activity of harmful bacteria. The second step is brushing. Here, the author emphasizes brushing the gum line and the inside of the teeth. Many people only brush the visible area, ignoring the thin line where the gums meet the teeth—where bacteria are most likely to colonize. The author also advises against the so-called "dry brush" method, believing that the abrasiveness without toothpaste or water is too strong and can damage tooth enamel. She recommends Crest Cavity Protection fluoride toothpaste, emphasizing the importance of fluoride, which helps remineralize tooth enamel. Furthermore, the author reminds that toothbrushes should generally be replaced every 6 to 12 weeks; if the toothbrush is not cleaned thoroughly, it may even need to be replaced as often as monthly. The third and fourth steps involve two mouth rinses. The first rinse is an antibacterial mouthwash containing essential oils (such as Listerine) to kill plaque-causing bacteria. The second rinse is a minty fluoride mouthwash (such as ACT Sodium Fluoride Rinse) to help saliva return calcium and phosphorus to the tooth surface, strengthening tooth enamel and reducing sensitivity. The overall process involves a one-minute pre-rinse, two minutes of brushing, and two 30-second rinses each.
At the end of the book, the author summarizes the "Four Principles," the four core pillars of maintaining oral health. The first key is "How to Clean Your Teeth Effectively," focusing on establishing an effective daily oral care routine. The author isn't content with generalizations like "brush your teeth morning and night," but instead emphasizes a scientific sequence and rhythm—for example, rinsing your mouth first, then brushing, then rinsing again, and chewing xylitol after meals to neutralize acidity and stimulate saliva secretion. She believes that the accumulation of these details is the key to maintaining healthy teeth. The second key is "The Power of Saliva to Improve Oral Health." This gave me a new understanding of the significance of saliva. I had never seriously considered that this seemingly insignificant fluid is the driving force behind the oral cavity's self-repair. It balances acidity and alkalinity, promotes remineralization, and inhibits bacteria, serving as our body's natural defense system. The third key is "What to Eat: A Healthy Diet and Meals." Teeth aren't just passively supported in our mouths; they are also shaped by our dietary choices. Acidic carbonated drinks erode tooth enamel, while tobacco stains teeth, constricts blood vessels, and promotes bacterial growth. The author reminds us that our eating habits are, in themselves, our most everyday "oral experiments." To achieve healthy teeth, we must first consider: Are you feeding your teeth friends or enemies? The final key is "body healing," which considers teeth within the context of the entire body system. The author explains that dental health is linked to digestion, immunity, sleep, stress, and even cardiovascular health. This makes sense—the body is never a compartmentalized collection. Tooth decay may not just be a dental issue, but a sign of the entire body. When we learn to brush our teeth as children, we often simply imitate our parents, who may not truly understand. Doctors only repair damage but rarely teach us how to maintain the system. As a result, we assume that "knowing" equals "doing," but in reality, we only understand it vaguely. Reflecting on my habits over the years, I find that I often remain at a vague level when it comes to health issues—I seem to understand the principles, but lack the methods. It's like someone who hasn't even passed a driver's license may have a general understanding of traffic rules but struggles to discern when to slow down or change lanes. This book made me realize that perhaps I should relearn how to "use my body." Rather than blindly following experience, I should re-establish order in my life from a scientific, systematic perspective. Perhaps, not just for my teeth, but also for my vision, blood pressure, and sleep, I should find a similar book and read it carefully.
October 25, 2023
I have to divide my review in two parts because apprently it is "too large" for Good Read readers to digest,. which I do not believe, but anyway, that is why it is in two parts.
The tile of this book is amusing but somewhat misleading, or better said the extent to which it is misleading is debatable and therein lies my first criticism of this book. But first things first: in Kiss your Dentist Goodbye Ellie Phillips, a dentist who has been hugely successful on social media and with her, I think two books, presents what the blurb calls “a do it yourself mouth care system for healthy, clean gums and teeth”. This system is what she calls the “smart mouth” system which argues strongly for prevention rather than cure. Her beliefs and arguments arise form experience, negative experience, of standard dental procedures based on dealing with systems of decay and evincing little or no interest in addressing the causes of decay. In this sense she is arguing very much in the spirit of what can be called a revolution in health care approaches, away from treating symptoms and towards examining and preventing causes.
Put in a nutshell, her health care system aimed at preventing decay and especially periodontal disease, consists of taking a number of specific mouth washes (in a prescribed order) and the use of xylitol to reduce acidity in the mouth. Dr. Phillips is moderate in her opinions about fluoride, surprisingly sceptical about the benefits of flossing and very enthusiastic indeed about xylitol. She believes that while sucrose and glucose are indeed detrimental for oral health, it is overlooked that it is less the corrosive ability of the acid in sugar as the fact that it destroys the healthy biofilm by lowering the ph of the mouth. The importance for her of xylitol is that it restores oral ph to a health level, which enables crisitilisation to take place and enamel to be repaired.
I am summarising very simply. Those who seek more detail, may read the book.
Here I come to my difficulty in giving a valuation to this book. On the one hand I entirely endorse her approach and philosophy that we need much more responsibility for our oral health than people have done in the past. The record of dentistry is appalling. Online I have heard stories that dentists actually used to give children sweets as a treat after dental treatment (this is hard to believe), Ellie Phillips herself claims that into the 1950's NHS dentsts were remunerated according to the size of the fillings which they used (wtf!!??). Can such a blatant moral hazard as such a fee settlement have been even possible? Perhaps it can. Punch and Judy toothpaste for children in the 1950's contained sugar. Dentists to this day show for the most part little interest in their patient's diet and seldom if ever wish to see what the biofilm of their patients looks like under a microscope.
Phillips is polite about this, too polite in my opinion, which brings me back to the misleading title. The title suggests that the book will be a swinging attack on dental practice but it hardly works like that and far from kissing the dentist goodbye, Dr Phillips hopes that her readers “will surprise your dentists” by showing him/her how healthy their gums have become after following the smart mouth system.
Another point which makes me uncomfortable. She is very specific about brands which she recommends for her mouth wash programme and gives us two names: Listerine, Closys; of the third mouth wash she is non-specific and simply includes on the list “a bottle of 0.05% sodium fluoride anti-cavity rinse”.
Listerine and Closys? Is there no conflict of interest in making such specific recommendations in a supposedly objective book about medical care? Who knows? One thing is for sure: the two aforenamed companies will have profited mightily from the recommendations of a very influential health professional. Listerine is manufactured by Johnson and Johnson,not a company which inspires confidence in me. Johnson and Johnson has a notorious talent for narrowly and dubiously evading prosecutions, one thinks of the tainted talcum powder scnadal, the viral vector covid vaccine withdrawn in some places owing to an apprent risk of Guillain-BarrBarré Syndrome, the same Johnson and Johnson which was involved in a billion dollar lawsuit for its alleged involvment in intentionally promoting opioid addiction. It is disappointing that Doctor Ellis is not able to suggest an alternative to a Johnson and Johnson product.
Dr Ellis's suggestion when talking about toothpaste (p172) “my suggestion would be to use as few chemicals as possible in your mouth!”) sits uneasily with all the chemical which will be used in her mouth care system. And what about chemicals? Her mouth care system involves, presumably the repeated destruction of bacteria on the gums and teeth and tongue. Is this natural and even desirable?
Where I think she is spot on, is in recommending the cleaning of tooth brushes every night in a sterile solution. Why does no dentist recommend that?
What about the bacteria? Which bacteria are causing the damage? So far as Doctor Phillips is concerned, it is if my memory serves me well Streptococcus mutans. I tried to find the bacteria she referred to in her book and cannot and I can find no bacterium in the index. Like nearly all dental professionals, she does not seem to be especially interested in naming pathogens. A pity. Not everyone focusses on Streptococcus. Doctor Bonner from Canada for example (who unlike Doctor Philipps is a keen advocate of flossing) is obsessed with the role played in periodontal disease by a species of Entamobea, Entamobea gingivalis. Doctor Phillips does not deign to mention Entamobea once, just as, so far as I recall, Doctor Bonner does not deign to name Streptoccus once. They cannot both be right to ignore totally the pathogen named by the other.
In one respect I think that Dr Philipps is right: that is in the benefit of xylitol has been a game changer for me and a I am deeply grateful that I heard about it from her. It is inexpensive, easy to obtain and pleasant in the mouth and since sucking it I find that I have a dry mouth much less frequently than before. Equally in one respect I think that Dr Phillips is wrong, namely in her dismissive attitude to flossing. It is simply not true that what she calls the “liquid floss” Cloysis removes all food remains between the teeth. It does not. It cannot. I have one place where only a floss removes all food particles. It seems to me that Dr Phillips is making the cardinal error here of assuming all patients are alike, in this case assuming their teeth are all similarly straight and not tight together (as mine are) and a mouth wash will do the job of a floss for all patients all the time. I agree with her about water picks though. There are in my experience exactly what she calls them, namely “messy” also I would add, ineffective and a waste of money. Thsoe are my personal experiences which is rather the point: everyone is different and all health professionals should not just be aware of that, but work on that basis too.
To conclude: this is a polemical book with some good advice but which an intelligent person should not take as gospel.
What I long for on this and many other subjects is a proper debate where people like Dr Bonner and Dr Philipps for example, would present their cases, cases often convincing yet often mutually exclusive.
One thing is certain however. The days of the “God in white” dentist or doctor are gradually drawing to a close. The time is coming when patients will act in their own interests instead of waiting till they are sick and then running to their dentist or doctor and imploring them to “do what you want with me boss, just take the pain away. Give me a pill! Take it out! CURE ME! Thats your job oh master!!” and the doctor or dentist then procedes to apply a costly and possibly harmful treatment or intervention which could have been avoided if the patient had taken due care of his/her health in the first place. “Kiss your Dentist Goodbye” is written in the tradition of a growing awareness of the need for self-healing and prophylactic recommendations and despite its faults, should be welcomed for that reason.
The tile of this book is amusing but somewhat misleading, or better said the extent to which it is misleading is debatable and therein lies my first criticism of this book. But first things first: in Kiss your Dentist Goodbye Ellie Phillips, a dentist who has been hugely successful on social media and with her, I think two books, presents what the blurb calls “a do it yourself mouth care system for healthy, clean gums and teeth”. This system is what she calls the “smart mouth” system which argues strongly for prevention rather than cure. Her beliefs and arguments arise form experience, negative experience, of standard dental procedures based on dealing with systems of decay and evincing little or no interest in addressing the causes of decay. In this sense she is arguing very much in the spirit of what can be called a revolution in health care approaches, away from treating symptoms and towards examining and preventing causes.
Put in a nutshell, her health care system aimed at preventing decay and especially periodontal disease, consists of taking a number of specific mouth washes (in a prescribed order) and the use of xylitol to reduce acidity in the mouth. Dr. Phillips is moderate in her opinions about fluoride, surprisingly sceptical about the benefits of flossing and very enthusiastic indeed about xylitol. She believes that while sucrose and glucose are indeed detrimental for oral health, it is overlooked that it is less the corrosive ability of the acid in sugar as the fact that it destroys the healthy biofilm by lowering the ph of the mouth. The importance for her of xylitol is that it restores oral ph to a health level, which enables crisitilisation to take place and enamel to be repaired.
I am summarising very simply. Those who seek more detail, may read the book.
Here I come to my difficulty in giving a valuation to this book. On the one hand I entirely endorse her approach and philosophy that we need much more responsibility for our oral health than people have done in the past. The record of dentistry is appalling. Online I have heard stories that dentists actually used to give children sweets as a treat after dental treatment (this is hard to believe), Ellie Phillips herself claims that into the 1950's NHS dentsts were remunerated according to the size of the fillings which they used (wtf!!??). Can such a blatant moral hazard as such a fee settlement have been even possible? Perhaps it can. Punch and Judy toothpaste for children in the 1950's contained sugar. Dentists to this day show for the most part little interest in their patient's diet and seldom if ever wish to see what the biofilm of their patients looks like under a microscope.
Phillips is polite about this, too polite in my opinion, which brings me back to the misleading title. The title suggests that the book will be a swinging attack on dental practice but it hardly works like that and far from kissing the dentist goodbye, Dr Phillips hopes that her readers “will surprise your dentists” by showing him/her how healthy their gums have become after following the smart mouth system.
Another point which makes me uncomfortable. She is very specific about brands which she recommends for her mouth wash programme and gives us two names: Listerine, Closys; of the third mouth wash she is non-specific and simply includes on the list “a bottle of 0.05% sodium fluoride anti-cavity rinse”.
Listerine and Closys? Is there no conflict of interest in making such specific recommendations in a supposedly objective book about medical care? Who knows? One thing is for sure: the two aforenamed companies will have profited mightily from the recommendations of a very influential health professional. Listerine is manufactured by Johnson and Johnson,not a company which inspires confidence in me. Johnson and Johnson has a notorious talent for narrowly and dubiously evading prosecutions, one thinks of the tainted talcum powder scnadal, the viral vector covid vaccine withdrawn in some places owing to an apprent risk of Guillain-BarrBarré Syndrome, the same Johnson and Johnson which was involved in a billion dollar lawsuit for its alleged involvment in intentionally promoting opioid addiction. It is disappointing that Doctor Ellis is not able to suggest an alternative to a Johnson and Johnson product.
Dr Ellis's suggestion when talking about toothpaste (p172) “my suggestion would be to use as few chemicals as possible in your mouth!”) sits uneasily with all the chemical which will be used in her mouth care system. And what about chemicals? Her mouth care system involves, presumably the repeated destruction of bacteria on the gums and teeth and tongue. Is this natural and even desirable?
Where I think she is spot on, is in recommending the cleaning of tooth brushes every night in a sterile solution. Why does no dentist recommend that?
What about the bacteria? Which bacteria are causing the damage? So far as Doctor Phillips is concerned, it is if my memory serves me well Streptococcus mutans. I tried to find the bacteria she referred to in her book and cannot and I can find no bacterium in the index. Like nearly all dental professionals, she does not seem to be especially interested in naming pathogens. A pity. Not everyone focusses on Streptococcus. Doctor Bonner from Canada for example (who unlike Doctor Philipps is a keen advocate of flossing) is obsessed with the role played in periodontal disease by a species of Entamobea, Entamobea gingivalis. Doctor Phillips does not deign to mention Entamobea once, just as, so far as I recall, Doctor Bonner does not deign to name Streptoccus once. They cannot both be right to ignore totally the pathogen named by the other.
In one respect I think that Dr Philipps is right: that is in the benefit of xylitol has been a game changer for me and a I am deeply grateful that I heard about it from her. It is inexpensive, easy to obtain and pleasant in the mouth and since sucking it I find that I have a dry mouth much less frequently than before. Equally in one respect I think that Dr Phillips is wrong, namely in her dismissive attitude to flossing. It is simply not true that what she calls the “liquid floss” Cloysis removes all food remains between the teeth. It does not. It cannot. I have one place where only a floss removes all food particles. It seems to me that Dr Phillips is making the cardinal error here of assuming all patients are alike, in this case assuming their teeth are all similarly straight and not tight together (as mine are) and a mouth wash will do the job of a floss for all patients all the time. I agree with her about water picks though. There are in my experience exactly what she calls them, namely “messy” also I would add, ineffective and a waste of money. Thsoe are my personal experiences which is rather the point: everyone is different and all health professionals should not just be aware of that, but work on that basis too.
To conclude: this is a polemical book with some good advice but which an intelligent person should not take as gospel.
What I long for on this and many other subjects is a proper debate where people like Dr Bonner and Dr Philipps for example, would present their cases, cases often convincing yet often mutually exclusive.
One thing is certain however. The days of the “God in white” dentist or doctor are gradually drawing to a close. The time is coming when patients will act in their own interests instead of waiting till they are sick and then running to their dentist or doctor and imploring them to “do what you want with me boss, just take the pain away. Give me a pill! Take it out! CURE ME! Thats your job oh master!!” and the doctor or dentist then procedes to apply a costly and possibly harmful treatment or intervention which could have been avoided if the patient had taken due care of his/her health in the first place. “Kiss your Dentist Goodbye” is written in the tradition of a growing awareness of the need for self-healing and prophylactic recommendations and despite its faults, should be welcomed for that reason.
September 11, 2024
I rarely give a five star review on a book that isn't one of my crime books.
Every American should read this book and every mom or dad of children should read this book.
I was seriously angry when I started reading this book because again the medical community is lying to us, not telling us what we need to know, and not explaining this simple program to protect our teeth for life.
Sugar is the most corrosive thing to your teeth right? I mean that's what they've told us.
Well it's an abject lie. A myth of grand proportions!
What damages teeth is an acidic mouth, meaning our spit is acidic, or and a dry mouth. Now that's not to say that other things can't happen but that's basically what causes damage to our teeth and cavities and all that.
By following Dr. Phillips program, one can create a program of protection for your teeth so sugar and /or acidic foods can not energize the bad bacteria in your mouth to grow rapidly and out of control.
In addition, xylitol which is one of the key things of her program, has been found to help with diabetes because it has no negative impact on diabetes, ear infections, prevention of ear tubes in children, throat infections, nasal / sinus infections and on and on and on.
Yet, Dentist don't tell you this. They either don't know or they don't believe it.
The damage I have suffered to my teeth has come as a direct result of the dentist at the VA and for the first time I have hope that I might be able to turn this around before it's too late.
If you have periodontal disease, gum disease or you're getting lots of cavities, this is a must-read-book for you.
I have to say, once I got past my anger, this was actually an enjoyable book to read with so much information that I could walk away with and utilize instantly.
I highly recommend this book.
PS I would also recommend that you take her program to your dentist especially if you have a biological dentist as you really need a dentist to keep an eye on your progress when you're using the rinse. That is something that should not be used half hazzardly but under the watchful eye of a dentist.
Every American should read this book and every mom or dad of children should read this book.
I was seriously angry when I started reading this book because again the medical community is lying to us, not telling us what we need to know, and not explaining this simple program to protect our teeth for life.
Sugar is the most corrosive thing to your teeth right? I mean that's what they've told us.
Well it's an abject lie. A myth of grand proportions!
What damages teeth is an acidic mouth, meaning our spit is acidic, or and a dry mouth. Now that's not to say that other things can't happen but that's basically what causes damage to our teeth and cavities and all that.
By following Dr. Phillips program, one can create a program of protection for your teeth so sugar and /or acidic foods can not energize the bad bacteria in your mouth to grow rapidly and out of control.
In addition, xylitol which is one of the key things of her program, has been found to help with diabetes because it has no negative impact on diabetes, ear infections, prevention of ear tubes in children, throat infections, nasal / sinus infections and on and on and on.
Yet, Dentist don't tell you this. They either don't know or they don't believe it.
The damage I have suffered to my teeth has come as a direct result of the dentist at the VA and for the first time I have hope that I might be able to turn this around before it's too late.
If you have periodontal disease, gum disease or you're getting lots of cavities, this is a must-read-book for you.
I have to say, once I got past my anger, this was actually an enjoyable book to read with so much information that I could walk away with and utilize instantly.
I highly recommend this book.
PS I would also recommend that you take her program to your dentist especially if you have a biological dentist as you really need a dentist to keep an eye on your progress when you're using the rinse. That is something that should not be used half hazzardly but under the watchful eye of a dentist.
January 9, 2013
We usually only think of the slogan caveat emptor（buyer beware) when we are buying a product - a used car or electronics.
Capitalism and competition are great for manufacturing and most kinds of businesses. Competition is good when you're trying to increase efficiency, not so much so when you're in competition with your doctor or dentist. It may seem far-fetched to think that we're in competition with our healthcare practitioners; but when there are huge conflicts of interest, competition is almost inevitable. And where there is competition, deception (both self and other oriented) seems inevitable.
If we have health problems, our doctors make more money. If we have dental problems, our dentists make more money. When we have cavities or major health problems, it financially benefits our dentists and doctors. At least with doctors, some of this competition is taken away because of the law against them selling us the medicines that they prescribed. In many ways dentists don't have this deterrent. And it can be even worse with alternative healthcare practitioners, acupuncturists and herbalists who sell us products based on their own diagnosis.
Anyway, this book seems to solve the dental part of the problem. I read this book last summer and our family has been following the suggestions ever since. I don't think our dental health has ever been half as good as it is now. I whole-heartedly recommend buying and reading this book as soon as you can!
Capitalism and competition are great for manufacturing and most kinds of businesses. Competition is good when you're trying to increase efficiency, not so much so when you're in competition with your doctor or dentist. It may seem far-fetched to think that we're in competition with our healthcare practitioners; but when there are huge conflicts of interest, competition is almost inevitable. And where there is competition, deception (both self and other oriented) seems inevitable.
If we have health problems, our doctors make more money. If we have dental problems, our dentists make more money. When we have cavities or major health problems, it financially benefits our dentists and doctors. At least with doctors, some of this competition is taken away because of the law against them selling us the medicines that they prescribed. In many ways dentists don't have this deterrent. And it can be even worse with alternative healthcare practitioners, acupuncturists and herbalists who sell us products based on their own diagnosis.
Anyway, this book seems to solve the dental part of the problem. I read this book last summer and our family has been following the suggestions ever since. I don't think our dental health has ever been half as good as it is now. I whole-heartedly recommend buying and reading this book as soon as you can!
April 17, 2017
A two hundred page advertisement for xylitol.
The book has some interesting information on dental health and dental products with her personal recommendations. She discusses toothbrushes, paste, washes, fluoride, and common dental techniques with her recommendations and advice as a dentist.
However, the book would be far more useful if it weren't for Dr. Phillips' obsession with xylitol. Dr. Phillips preaches xylitol incessantly and even infers it would be healthy to consume a quarter pound of this substance daily. I found it no surprise whatsoever when I checked one of her recommended websites and discovered that Dr. Phillips is either the owner or primary spokesperson of a company that sells xylitol products.
The book has some interesting information on dental health and dental products with her personal recommendations. She discusses toothbrushes, paste, washes, fluoride, and common dental techniques with her recommendations and advice as a dentist.
However, the book would be far more useful if it weren't for Dr. Phillips' obsession with xylitol. Dr. Phillips preaches xylitol incessantly and even infers it would be healthy to consume a quarter pound of this substance daily. I found it no surprise whatsoever when I checked one of her recommended websites and discovered that Dr. Phillips is either the owner or primary spokesperson of a company that sells xylitol products.
November 11, 2024
After coming across her YouTube page by accident and listening to a few of her videos, she had me intrigued because she was not saying anything absurd and I had read many of the things she was already discussing. There is a lot of varying information going around about death and I do believe the dental industry is simply a money-making entity for many businesses. The ADA is not always correct, just like many fields of medicine later make amends of formerly accepted schools of thought. Do your own research, check out what she is saying, look at the articles she cites and make your own conclusions. Be informed. I am excited to try her system for a solid year, for me and my family. I have been using it for 2 weeks and have already noticed a difference in my tooth sensitivity lessening.
Read
April 8, 2012I am quitting giving star ratings, I think. This book is as dry as you would expect a book about dentistry to be. However, she makes a good point about the acidity pH levels of your mouth and its relation to tooth decay. I would recommend it to anyone who is struggling with cavities, because it has some good insight on mouth chemistry, a holistic dental approach, and fluoride. (She is neither a hater nor heavy proponent of fluoride, which to me seems a balanced perspective.)
Read
January 14, 2019This system works for me. I've been using it for about six years. Pulled this off the library shelf along with 4 others on tooth maintenance after my then-dentist told me I'd need special scaling treatment for receding gums, et. al. Didn't need gum treatment after using this system. Author notes that most dentist income is from repairs/replacement not prevention. Follow the money?!
December 30, 2025
Read the book and have followed the advice for about 3 months.
For the first time in my life my dentist complimented my teeth and oral hygiene!
Also, you can get all the information you need from Dr.Ellies TikToks. No need to actually read the book unless you want to learn about the science behind the system.
For the first time in my life my dentist complimented my teeth and oral hygiene!
Also, you can get all the information you need from Dr.Ellies TikToks. No need to actually read the book unless you want to learn about the science behind the system.
Want to read
February 23, 2010Aaahhhhh the world of xylitol.....very exciting stuff!
June 11, 2011
Her system totally cured my VERY sensitive teeth in 5 days. Easy to do.
October 8, 2011
Excellent system. It really works.
February 13, 2014
4 months into this regimen and my teeth are so damn smooth. Also a noticeable cavity is visually reversing and gums are really healthy.
September 22, 2023
Amazing treatment for lifelong protection of teeth
It is amazing that there's a treatment for teeth that if begun in infancy will protect teeth for the rest of your life.
Personal experience: My parents were very interested in protecting my dental health from infancy. They did not allow me to eat candy, chew gum and drink soda for the first nine or ten years of my life. As a result I had perfect dental health! Then I got braces to straighten my teeth, went away to boarding school where I became addicted to chocolate candy and would buy it every chance I got and drank soda whenever available! I faithfully brushed my teeth, but still got a few cavities! This was before flossing was taught. In my adult years my oral health became worse and now I have caps on my back teeth and a bridge on four of my front upper teeth.
I just discovered Ellie Phillips' mouth care system on YouTube about 2 months ago and have been trying to follow it ever since. It's rather late in life for me, I'm 73/74 years old, turning 74 this month. I didn't really understand it till I finished reading this book. At first I was doing everything she recommended except for the xylitol mints/gum and doing the system twice a day. I didn't know how to obtain xylitol at first, got my first bottle from Walmart, took about a week to get it, then I ordered it from Zellies, their largest offering, but they were backlogged and it took a couple of weeks, in the meantime I found it on Amazon and got it within two days! About halfway through this book I realized that I really needed to do the whole system twice a day and have been faithfully doing so for about 3 days. It is already making a difference!
Even with doing it just once a day, at first, I noticed that plaque was not forming on my teeth and I was not flossing! My gums stopped bleeding. The worn parts of my bottom teeth were beginning to fill in and they are beginning to look whiter, this accelerated as I started doing it twice a day! The Cherry Berry flavor of Xylitol is my favorite so far, in fact I have a hard time not eating more than two at a time, not that eating more is a problem other than the fact that they are very expensive and eating more uses them up more quickly than otherwise!
If there were affordable candy, muffins and drinks using only xylitol as their sweeteners I would definitely buy them, still have a sweet tooth! Perhaps Zellies could diversify in this area?!! Hint, hint!!!
Learned in this book that the human body produces 15 grams of Xylitol every day so it is a natural sweetener for humans.
Just remember, our pets are not human! Do not feed xylitol to them! It will make them sick!
This book is definitely a worthwhile read! Enjoy!!!
It is amazing that there's a treatment for teeth that if begun in infancy will protect teeth for the rest of your life.
Personal experience: My parents were very interested in protecting my dental health from infancy. They did not allow me to eat candy, chew gum and drink soda for the first nine or ten years of my life. As a result I had perfect dental health! Then I got braces to straighten my teeth, went away to boarding school where I became addicted to chocolate candy and would buy it every chance I got and drank soda whenever available! I faithfully brushed my teeth, but still got a few cavities! This was before flossing was taught. In my adult years my oral health became worse and now I have caps on my back teeth and a bridge on four of my front upper teeth.
I just discovered Ellie Phillips' mouth care system on YouTube about 2 months ago and have been trying to follow it ever since. It's rather late in life for me, I'm 73/74 years old, turning 74 this month. I didn't really understand it till I finished reading this book. At first I was doing everything she recommended except for the xylitol mints/gum and doing the system twice a day. I didn't know how to obtain xylitol at first, got my first bottle from Walmart, took about a week to get it, then I ordered it from Zellies, their largest offering, but they were backlogged and it took a couple of weeks, in the meantime I found it on Amazon and got it within two days! About halfway through this book I realized that I really needed to do the whole system twice a day and have been faithfully doing so for about 3 days. It is already making a difference!
Even with doing it just once a day, at first, I noticed that plaque was not forming on my teeth and I was not flossing! My gums stopped bleeding. The worn parts of my bottom teeth were beginning to fill in and they are beginning to look whiter, this accelerated as I started doing it twice a day! The Cherry Berry flavor of Xylitol is my favorite so far, in fact I have a hard time not eating more than two at a time, not that eating more is a problem other than the fact that they are very expensive and eating more uses them up more quickly than otherwise!
If there were affordable candy, muffins and drinks using only xylitol as their sweeteners I would definitely buy them, still have a sweet tooth! Perhaps Zellies could diversify in this area?!! Hint, hint!!!
Learned in this book that the human body produces 15 grams of Xylitol every day so it is a natural sweetener for humans.
Just remember, our pets are not human! Do not feed xylitol to them! It will make them sick!
This book is definitely a worthwhile read! Enjoy!!!
September 29, 2025
I can summarize it for you. "You have any dental problem? Oh! use my complete dental care system! Here's some xylitol for you!"
How does it work? It promotes saliva production to "flush" your mouth so it less acidic and help demineralization of your teeth. How's that demineralization mechanism works? She didn't explain that, no charts, no graph, no visualization in any way. "But I promise it works! Look at these research, It reduce cavities!" Uh, yeah how severe that cavities are? How exactly it helps? How long that process happens? How's. The. Mechanism. Works. AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO TELL THAT TO US ELLEN???
What about the overview of xylitol in general with warning, side effects, precautions, interactions, other uses? None. Dosing? just a few grams. A whole chapters for adults and children, yet no clear dosing for each criteria. You tell me that infants, toddler, teenager, adult women, adult men, and elderly has the same few grams dosing??? EXACTLY HOW MUCH IS THAT? YOU CALL THAT DOSING?
"But look at ALL this proof! I told you all of their stories. My clients, my kids, my neighbors! They have better teeth because they use my dental care system!" Is this book just a showcase of how GREAT you are with your otherworldly, extraordinary, defying gravity mouthcare system? Even when the entire dentistry world scrutinized you, you defend it with all your heart because somehow you are the chosen one.
Isn't this book supposed to explain why and how it works Ellen? LIKE OKAY IT WORKS BUT HOW. DOES. IT. WORKS.
This book would be a 50 pages pocketbook (even less) if the author isn't such a narcissist.
How does it work? It promotes saliva production to "flush" your mouth so it less acidic and help demineralization of your teeth. How's that demineralization mechanism works? She didn't explain that, no charts, no graph, no visualization in any way. "But I promise it works! Look at these research, It reduce cavities!" Uh, yeah how severe that cavities are? How exactly it helps? How long that process happens? How's. The. Mechanism. Works. AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO TELL THAT TO US ELLEN???
What about the overview of xylitol in general with warning, side effects, precautions, interactions, other uses? None. Dosing? just a few grams. A whole chapters for adults and children, yet no clear dosing for each criteria. You tell me that infants, toddler, teenager, adult women, adult men, and elderly has the same few grams dosing??? EXACTLY HOW MUCH IS THAT? YOU CALL THAT DOSING?
"But look at ALL this proof! I told you all of their stories. My clients, my kids, my neighbors! They have better teeth because they use my dental care system!" Is this book just a showcase of how GREAT you are with your otherworldly, extraordinary, defying gravity mouthcare system? Even when the entire dentistry world scrutinized you, you defend it with all your heart because somehow you are the chosen one.
Isn't this book supposed to explain why and how it works Ellen? LIKE OKAY IT WORKS BUT HOW. DOES. IT. WORKS.
This book would be a 50 pages pocketbook (even less) if the author isn't such a narcissist.
September 27, 2025
What if everything we’ve been blamed for in dentistry is actually ignorance? This book floored me!
Dr. Ellie Phillips argues that modern dentists are trained mainly to “drill and fill,” then blame patients when brushing and flossing alone don’t work. It’s a sad and growing problem: Americans are told to “try harder,” only to have their dentist "find" new, costly problems to fix at every visit.
Dr. Phillips says that it was never supposed to be that way! She explains the biochemistry of oral health and shows how to activate the body’s natural ability to keep teeth clean and strong. She also shares surprising research on the benefits of Xylitol given to children after lunch in some countries with astounding results. (Yes, I’m ordering it immediately!)
Packed with compelling research and non-invasive strategies, this book offers practical help for anyone, at any stage of dental health. I first picked it up after a pediatric dentist pushed aggressive procedures for my children that didn’t sit right with me. Walking out of that office and into this book gave me tools I can actually use.
I gained empowering, practical methods I’m now putting into practice with my family, and I’m so grateful I trusted my instincts. I highly recommend reading this book.
Dr. Ellie Phillips argues that modern dentists are trained mainly to “drill and fill,” then blame patients when brushing and flossing alone don’t work. It’s a sad and growing problem: Americans are told to “try harder,” only to have their dentist "find" new, costly problems to fix at every visit.
Dr. Phillips says that it was never supposed to be that way! She explains the biochemistry of oral health and shows how to activate the body’s natural ability to keep teeth clean and strong. She also shares surprising research on the benefits of Xylitol given to children after lunch in some countries with astounding results. (Yes, I’m ordering it immediately!)
Packed with compelling research and non-invasive strategies, this book offers practical help for anyone, at any stage of dental health. I first picked it up after a pediatric dentist pushed aggressive procedures for my children that didn’t sit right with me. Walking out of that office and into this book gave me tools I can actually use.
I gained empowering, practical methods I’m now putting into practice with my family, and I’m so grateful I trusted my instincts. I highly recommend reading this book.
July 23, 2022
This book isn't perfect, but unlike many self-help books it does offer real practical advice, I learned something new, and I'm walking away from the book with a new set of habits I'm willing to try.
Yes, it reads like a 200-page add for Xilitol. Yes, it feels repetitive at times. And yes, it's kind of shady that she doesn't acknowledge that she seems to be the owner/spokeswoman for a xilitol candy company, whose products she is hawking. Yes, her evidence is more anecdotal ("Ive seen so many have people have success") than scientific (referencing high quality studies/published research). But I can live with all that. All of the basic tenants of her advice seem to stand up to scrutiny.
My only quibble is that for all she talks about re-mineralization, she doesn't talk about NovaMin or nHCA at all. Come on!
Since reading this, I've started using CloSys as a prewash rinse. I give my toothbrush head a little Listerine bath daily. I feel more informed/confident in the toothpaste I've chosen to use (Elims, with Xilitol and nHCA). And I've stocked up on Xilitol candy - not the author's but there are lots of other good brands out there.
Yes, it reads like a 200-page add for Xilitol. Yes, it feels repetitive at times. And yes, it's kind of shady that she doesn't acknowledge that she seems to be the owner/spokeswoman for a xilitol candy company, whose products she is hawking. Yes, her evidence is more anecdotal ("Ive seen so many have people have success") than scientific (referencing high quality studies/published research). But I can live with all that. All of the basic tenants of her advice seem to stand up to scrutiny.
My only quibble is that for all she talks about re-mineralization, she doesn't talk about NovaMin or nHCA at all. Come on!
Since reading this, I've started using CloSys as a prewash rinse. I give my toothbrush head a little Listerine bath daily. I feel more informed/confident in the toothpaste I've chosen to use (Elims, with Xilitol and nHCA). And I've stocked up on Xilitol candy - not the author's but there are lots of other good brands out there.
May 18, 2025
She makes a good case for her protocol, and the book was interesting (though way too wordy). However I was skeptical of trying some of her recommended products because of the additional inactive ingredients—lots of artificial colors & chemicals I typically avoid in personal care products. But, I figured that since its all topical use and will be rinsed out well, that it would probably be okay and worth it for the improvement in dental health she promises. So I ordered the products and for the first 2 days I was just using Closys and the Crest toothpaste, didn’t start the final 2 rinses yet. And within those 2 days I developed FOUR canker sores along the sides of my tongue. Its the worst pain I’ve had in as long as I can remember. I can’t talk, I can’t eat, and can barely drink, for going on a week now. And I’ve never had canker sores before so I’m not prone to them. I did some research and turns out that sodium laurel sulfate can cause canker sores for a lot of people, and that is an ingredient in the Crest toothpaste that was not in my prior toothpaste. So I’m pretty sure that is the culprit and I won’t be continuing the protocol, except for perhaps the xylitol.
September 11, 2025
Each time I go to the dentist, I have cavities (as does my youngest child). Every time I ask about preventative measures, I'm given the same list (brush, floss, rinse with ACT fluoride) and then told "some people just have bad teeth."
It seems unlikely in today's wealth of scientific knowledge that the best response is "you're SOL - you have bad teeth."
This book asserts that the development of cavities has to do with the acidity of the saliva in your mouth and and how that produces bacteria.
She does repeat herself. A lot. It also reads like an advertisement for xylitol and her own brand of mints/gum.
I do like that she is a middle ground in some ways as she does not discount fluoride completely and it is a part of her recommended system.
It seems unlikely in today's wealth of scientific knowledge that the best response is "you're SOL - you have bad teeth."
This book asserts that the development of cavities has to do with the acidity of the saliva in your mouth and and how that produces bacteria.
She does repeat herself. A lot. It also reads like an advertisement for xylitol and her own brand of mints/gum.
I do like that she is a middle ground in some ways as she does not discount fluoride completely and it is a part of her recommended system.
August 20, 2023
This was a provocative and interesting book, challenging dental orthodoxy in a clear and convincing way. I heard the author being interviewed by Dr. Peter McCullough and I was intrigued enough to get the book and to order myself some xylitol mints. The author makes a strong case for promoting oral health by encouraging a mouth full of healthy bacteria. Apparently, the natural sugar xylitol discourages the growth of Streptococcus mutans, one of the principal causes of dental caries, gum infections and bad breath. I wasn’t one hundred per cent convinced of all her arguments, but it’s no mystery to me that if dentists embraced her program, they might have less work to do.
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