A year or so ago, our dad gifted us a booked called ‘Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye’ by Dr. Ellie Phillips. Having had sensitive teeth and a healthy fear of the dentist for most of my lifetime, I delved in, excited to learn about how I could avoid dental trips (though we love our dentist!) As I read the book, I started the oral hygiene regimen that I now practice at least twice a day, whether home on or on the road. I was able to make my pearly whites whiter than ever and I even REVERSED a cavity! The magic ingredient to my success? Xylitol.
Xylitol has an unfortunate name that lends the air of a scary pharmaceutical product. But it’s actually a naturally occurring sweetener, a small amount of which we produce in our own bodies, and one that’s produced in lots of fruits and vegetables as well. Xylitol is added to various foods, drinks, mints and gum, and is usually extracted from hardwoods or corncobs. Xylitol has many benefits: it tastes delicious, has fewer calories than sugar, is considered safe for diabetics and individuals with hyperglycemia, and to my delight, is great for your teeth!
As our pal Dr. Ellie says,
‘Bacteria absorb xylitol as they would sugar or starch. Unlike sugar or starch, xylitol does not provide bacteria with an energy source. In fact, xylitol starves harmful bacteria and also prevents them from processing other sugars, which stops their acid production.
Xylitol stimulates a flow of saliva from special glands around the mouth. Teeth begin to remineralize and become smoother. Bacteria are less able to stick to this shinier surface and less plaque forms on teeth. This is good news for people who have endured a lifetime of dental problems and weak and sensitive teeth. Six months of consuming xylitol regularly will clean your mouth of harmful bacteria and help strengthen teeth, reduce sensitivity and helps heal early cavities.’ (http://www.zellies.com/faq/)
Zellies is a small company run by Dr. Ellie Phillips and her family, and they make wonderful products using 100% xylitol. Check ’em out and get those lovely teeth shiny and happy! Just be careful with your pups–xylitol is highly toxic to dogs! No xylitol for our Pupshaw 🙂
