Kiss your dentist goodbye by Jerry Brainum

A few years ago, I read a book called "Kiss your dentist goodbye," by Ellie Phillips, DDS. I thought it strange that a dentist would write a book like this unless it was about dentists who commit suicide. But it turned out that Phillips, who has practiced dentistry for over 35 years, describes in the book her system for preventing tooth and gum problems, as well as reducing dental bills to practically nothing. Although she no longer actively practices dentistry, Dr.Phillips does engage in what she calls "preventive dentistry," which involves the prevention of dental problems. Her program was developed through trial and error involving patient responses over a 30-year period. Since I had a tendency toward developing gum problems (I've had two gum transplant procedures), I was especially interested in what Phillips proposed, since she claimed that her program would prevent gum and common teeth problems.

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 . . .