Kiss your dentist goodbye by Jerry Brainum

She called her program, "The complete mouth care system," since it not only covers teeth and gums but also other problems, such as  dry mouth. Using her 4-step program also prevents halitosis, or bad breath, which is epidemic today mainly related to periodontitis, or gum inflammation.  Like it or not, people that you meet tend to judge you by the appearance of your teeth, and teeth that look stained, or missing teeth, detract greatly from your appearance. This could lead to rejection even before another person gets the chance to know the real you. You will never hear your dentist tell you about Phillips' program for obvious reasons: it's not in his or her best interests to reduce tooth and gum problems. The title of Phillip's book, Kiss your dentist goodbye," is a bit of an exaggeration, but not much. Her program will indeed minimize dental visits and reduce or eliminate costly dental procedures if followed precisely.

Before I explain exactly how Dr.Phillip's program works, you should know the science behind it. Phillips program is based on the elimination of nearly all pathogenic oral bacteria. Such bacteria produce acids that erode teeth enamel and are also largely responsible for conditions such as gum recession that leads to lost teeth. The combination of dry mouth and increased oral acidity is the root cause of most dental problems, so Phillip's program focuses on maintaining an oral pH that is more alkaline. Anything below a pH of 7 is considered acidic; above 7, is in the alkaline range. Teeth surfaces start to get damaged when pH drops to 6.5, and the teeth erode at a pH of 5.5 or less.

So what are the specifics of Dr.Phillip's Complete Mouth Care System? It involves the use of three over-the-counter products that aren't expensive, and a type of sugar called Xylitol. Xylitol is classified as a sugar alcohol but contains 40% fewer calories than sucrose or table sugar. But it has some interesting properties in relation to tooth and gum protection that don't exist in other sugars. While most sugars are converted into acidic compounds by oral bacteria, xylitol cannot be metabolized by the oral bacteria that are associated with tooth and gum disease. Not only that but consuming xylitol rapidly converts the oral environment from acidic to alkaline. Various studies show that consuming 2 teaspoons a day of xylitol or 6-10 grams for 5 weeks will gradually reduce oral pathogenic bacteria. After 6 months of regular ingestion of xylitol, 95% of pathogenic bacteria will be gone. The oral bacteria that cause tooth and gum disease cannot metabolize xylitol like they can with other sugars. As a result, they die off with regular ingestion of . . .