I stopped flossing altogether. I'm 70 years old and have stopped flossing years ago. My girlfriend was a dental hygienist and she was a floss nut. She said we need to keep the pockets open and cleaned out. It turns out that nature doesn't want the pockets open. It turns out that when the pockets are open we are susceptible to disease as the video says. So, I went to the dentist this spring to have my teeth cleaned. The hygienists looked at my mouth and asked me when I had my last cleaning. I answered with 1992. She said that she didn't believe me. What's the secret? STOP Eating Sugar. Sugar causes the plaque to grow tremendously and it makes the plaque to grow in your arteries. SUGAR is the worst thing that you can do. Just stop eating sugar and your health will be great. Stop eating sugar.
People also don’t realize that more than 70% of the world has some sort of sugar and gluten intolerance. Your gut has the hardest time to break down sugars. And by cutting sugar your entire immune system and ability to absorb nutrients will ten fold and you will feel so much better
@@dhLotan I haven’t had a dental cleaning in 40+ years and I teach people the advantages of this. There is no science to show cleanings help the long-term outcome for teeth. They can help you delay the demise for gum disease. Why not eliminate plaque and dental problems more effectively ?
I'm a flossing fiend. I floss very, very thoroughly 2-3 times per day. I'm 58 years old and I have not had a single cavity (nor any dental work except cleanings every 3 years or so) since I was 12 years old. I have no gum recession, no plaque, and zero bleeding when flossing... and I use the thicker dental tape.
Same… I’m 53, I grew up very poor and never went to a dentist (at all) until I was 19 and married… My mother was obsessed with not only brushing (when I was growing up) but also flossing, because we had no money for a dentist. my dad abandoned my mom and I and that catapulted us into complete poverty, instantly… I also have teeth that are very close together… it’s painful if I don’t floss after eating… especially something like corn on the cob… Despite growing up with zero dental care, at 53 I have all my teeth and I’ve only had 2 fillings, both at age 20 with my first pregnancy…. I am 100% positive I have healthy teeth from a life long habit of flossing
@@trina7274you sound like my wife regarding quality of teeth. Before she got first kid...she somtimes brushed 4 times a week ....... Only 1 cavity. After 1th kid..... 5 cavities. After 3th kid another 2 or so ....and now .... nothing. Me...... my enamel is , according to couple of dentists too good. With loads of inclusions / valley type which cant be cleaned . Cavities in my molars and teeth could not spread out like the normal do ....but they just ' drill' down to the nerve like a laser drill.... So what happened a lot , I could reconstruct , a tiny looking cavity was left alone by dentists as : its soooo small wait till it gets bigger . But they didnt grow bigger ...only deeper. When 25 years ago we changed dentists as 1th retired , I was so sick of having a yearly check and then couple of weeks right after that ALWAYS had toothache I asked new dentist HOW???? He looked and saw 2 tiny black spots....4 times smaller than his smallest drill..... He said : I drill 4 to 5 times of good enamel away ...lets wait . I told him : DRILL !!! During drilling he said : this is weird....it doesnt spread out like a normal cavity but goes straight to nerve ..... So he kept smelling on drill bit to check or the hole was ' clean ' as he couldnt see ..... After minutes he said : its clean and I am almost hitting the nerve ..... The other spot was the same. So he said : if it wasnt drilled now but you would have waited another 6 months....cavity would have grown in the last couple of weeks of those 6 months like wildfire resulting in a roothcanal treatment. The waiting and not knowing this has ruined my teeth before I knew this ......
When I floss regularly, my gums don't bleed when I do it. If I skip flossing for a prolonged time, the next time I floss I'll draw a bit of blood. To me, this is a sign that the flossing is keeping my gums healthy. In theory I would do it every day, but the reality is more like a few times per week. Could there be a different healthy method? Possibly; but I believe flossing is the right method for me, if not for everyone. Age 50 and I intend for my teeth to outlast me.
I had gingivitis for years until I started flossing. The bleeding and swelling has now stopped. I guess everyone is different. You do what works for you.
same. I had puffy gums and my dentist told me to start flossing which I did, and it considerably improved my oral health and now my gums are healthy. This "dentist" doesn't know what she's talking about.
Don’t you wonder, if instead of flossing, you used a strong antiseptic mouthwash the benefit to your gums would’ve been the same. Swishing a strong antiseptic wash e.g. a26% alcoholic Listerine, for a minimum of 30 seconds (feels like such a long time) it can kill or minimize the number viral & bacterial colonies that cause gum inflammation & infection? Flossing can be damaging if not done Ultra- carefully & gently. Floss can tear into highly vascular gum tissue. Give me Alcohol wash any time over a dirty piece of string.
@@StaticBlasterShe has a point. The possibility of pushing the bacteria up into the gum pocket and into the bloodstream. She isn't totally against flossing, but basically to dislodge food particles in places you have one and done very gently.
@@or6144 No she doesn't have a point. The idea is absurd. I never heard of anyone being afraid of "pushing bacteria up into the gum pocket." Plus, bacteria are super small. The odds of you "pushing up bacteria" is unlikely. Additionally, it's called rinsing your mouth out with water multiple times before brushing and sometimes I use Listerine after I floss.
I just started her system 2 weeks ago and the puffy red gum spots have calmed down to normal color. One of my molars was feeling sensitive to chewing and is now getting better. My teeth feel glassy and are whiter. I’ve never liked flossing and what she says makes sense. Her beautiful, shiny teeth were a testimony enough for me to at least give her system a try.
True. If your dog accidentally ingests, give them sugar or any carbohydrate asap to counteract. Dogs will produce insulin in response to xylitol. This can cause a fatal drop in blood sugar. So you can counteract by giving carbohydrates.
I'm a retired dental nurse. Dental floss cuts the gum (gingiva) if used incorrectly. Most people don't know how to use dental floss properly. Yes, use floss to dislodge pieces of food, if swooshing with water doesn't help. When over using floss onto the gum, you cause recession of the gum and exposure of the roots. The roots do not have enough enamel protection at that level and therefore you invite decay.
I'm lucky I didn't destroy my gums, chalk that up to being very young i suppose. But I had the worst idea of flossing starting out, emulating what was commonly shown in media: that old back and forth method that's basically slowly sawing away at the gum. Took me an embarrassingly long time to learn you're just supposed to carefully run it down the sides of your teeth.
@@TheTrueNehmees! Why did the commercials show us that incorrect method? Don’t be embarrassed. I thought you had to do that to be thorough. It’s really hard now because my teeth are so far apart because a dentist thought they were too far apart and put what looked like a vibrating pizza cutter in between them. I never had trouble using Glide dental and. Now, large chunks of food get painfully stuck in my gums for days, if I don’t floss. It shows bright or dark, between my teeth. To make matters worse, I have lost teeth because a dentist inappropriately refused to crown my teeth before extracting impacted wisdom teeth and the surgeon inappropriately pulled them. I lost molars on every side at 19 and have spent my life savings to keep the rest of my teeth in my mouth as long as possible. When my surgeon was crying as I came to, I thought he was a kindly person. I should have known he was afraid of being sued because I had told them both all my teeth would crumble out. I will continue to remove food from my mouth, so I don’t smell like an open sewer and walk around in pain. Thank you for the information, so I will be careful doing so.
@@juodagalvesniegena714 receding gums are caused by for example : (1) incorrect brushing & flossing, (2) getting older/wear & tear, (3) genetic factors, (4) anatomical dentition/structure, (5) lack of brushing, (6) bad diet e.g. soda & acidic drinks, candy, (7) TOBACCO ! & alcohol, (8) irregular dental (preventative) treatment. I could go on. Have you tried using inter-proximal brushes like 'Piksters'? Ask at your chemist/pharmacy or local supermarket. There are many brands and they come in sizes. If your teeth are close together you need a fine brush No. 1 and if wider wider No. 4 and so on and so forth. Good luck
I'm a dentist. It´s tough to accept that flossing is inappropriate in a healthy gum. But I´ll take another look at this, just to get the new facts about it. Thank you for the video.
I'm thinking it really depends on the floss, if we're talking your typical cheap waxed floss using tougher strands probably not good for gums and I've always felt that way, but I'd been using iirc Dr. Collins Periofloss but found something similar locally I've been getting that's very spongy and soft and never breaks or shreds on me despite lots of fillings inbetween my teeth and how close they are, Radius sponge floss is what I use now. Earthpaste is great too and they started adding silver in it(helps control bad bacteria without being too harsh on the good) and I like ultra soft tapered bristles preferably infused with charcoal, helps keep the brush smelling fresh. I'm fine with the soft non-tapered charcoal Colgate brush I've been getting locally, I just go really easy on brushing to start until the bristles soften more. Also the Radius floss is more natural(or at least free of anything plastic-like) than the Periofloss so I like that. One of my dental hygienists years ago too was kinda amazed at my results considering my history for getting cavities that need to be filled consistently(at 37 in my lifetime including fixing fillings I've probably had like 70+ done, lost 7 or so in my baby teeth just to get 9 more not long after), I'd always deny the fluoride and would never use any at home and was using Earthpaste. For years after my checkups were perfect, basically no enamel left on my teeth and demineralized brown spots. Doing strict keto at times helped but even when I got back on a sugar habit sometimes I'd only brush before bed and not always that, at least rinse my teeth. But I was confident that the main thing was getting enough vitamin K2 Mk-4 naturally from things like fermented skate liver oil, vitamin D3, magnesium, ect. Granted another change was stopping carbonated sugary drinks totally and being strict on sweets too, not just changing to Earthpaste and improving diet in general, but I think the problem is more so lack of nutrients and losing enamel. At one time I even had a loose broken filling that would kinda pop up, still wasn't strict about sugar(actually was doing zero-sugar almost zero-carb keto most that time until the last 2 months or so, was taking fermented skate liver oil again which I hadn't in years) or brushing at least morning and night for several months(for most those months I was good about avoiding carbs, snacking, and only 1-2 meals and brushing after until last 2 months) and my x-ray showed no decay at all when I finally got in to get it looked at and fixed, I've only really had broken fillings fixed since. TBH I go years at times without getting check-ups if I don't think I really need one, deep fillings turning into abscesses or crowns are a main concern for me but I have really great dental insurance and a $2000 limit on a card specifically for dental care so don't worry about paying for it. Sorry my comments can get long lol. People also definitely overlook the health of their digestive system in general and how that can affect oral health, like having candida. That can increase sugar cravings using the gut/brain axis leading you to eat more of it so it's not just the microbiome in the mouth that can be problematic. Now that I think about it, it makes sense that people naturally have a strong aversion to people with visibly poor oral health, because kissing them can transmit that.
Most dentists are morons. Find the books, "Root canal coverup" and "Hidden Epidemic" and you will realize that you are killing people when you perform root canals.
I stopped flossing because it always inflamed my gums. I started using a water pic which effectively gets everything out without any irritation. I've known about xylitol for some time but should use it more regularly. Looking forward to this video to see what else I can do to support my oral health. Thanks for sharing information based on science!
@@littleme3597 "IRRIGATE" YOUR NERVES ? 😂 🤣 😂 WHAT DOES THAT MEAN ? ANYWAY YOUR CROWNS ARE SEALED WHEN THEY'RE GLUED IN PLACE. THERE ISN'T ANYTHING GETTING IN THERE. L.O.L.
Since I started flossing I've stopped my gums from bleeding. Without flossing I would have continue having bleeding teeth. So for me flossing has been very very important for my teeth gums and oral health.
@@colinthomson5358 I did have a lot of bleeding on my gums, but since I went to see a hygienist, he cleaned up all the plaque away from my teeth and he said my bleeding around the teeth was caused by me not flossing. Just cleaning your teeth with a toothbrush without flossing is foolish because you're not taking away the food deposits between the teeth which causes bacterial build up and gum disease. I also feel very annoyed by the person in this video advising against flossing because she is talking absolute nonsense and my personal experience proves my point.
She is wrong wrong wrong. You don't damage your gums by flossing properly. You can't let food particles rot between your teeth. Flossing gets plaque off and gums do not bleed......do not bleed. She tries to sell her product. Period.
My gums feel better when I floss. I've gone to bed and my gums wanted to be flossed...massaged. I do not use waxed floss. But it feels good. I haven't had a cavity since I was 14. My teeth are excellent. To each his own..
I have been using your mouth care system for two months and have seen a dramatic improvement in my gums! I was a person who flossed after every meal, but it didn't fix my gums. Thank you so much, Dr. Phillips, for being willing to share your knowledge. I will share this with my family and friends.
Flossing isn't about healing your teeth directly. It's about removing carbs from your mouth that bacteria feeds off. The bacteria produce acid which damages your teeth over time. That's what floss prevents. Flossing will also break the film that protects the bacteria from your saliva. So then after flossing water or mouth wash can wash away the plaque easier.
I eat an animal based diet and my dental health has improved even my receding gums are healing but i do get food stuck between two of my teeth where i always need to floss!!! Think i should get hold of that water cleaner thingy
the food that gets stuck between teeth is usually meat, or maybe a popcorn hull or apple peel, not things that contain a lot of carbs. things that stick to the chewing surfaces usually have more carbs, foods like pretzels, potato chips, bread. i use a floss pick occasionally when i need it, i like the glide brand because it's thinner to get in tighter gaps. really the only time carbs stick to the teeth is when dentists leave uneven surfaces and materials that aren't smooth like the original tooth
Also another good tip is take your fingernails and go around your gums to see if there is any hard build up. And scrape it off with your fingernails. Saves a dentist cleaning.
@saratemp790 Do take care first to rinse fingernails first in hydrogen peroxide to avoid adding more bacteria. Also fingernails can further irritate the gums if they are broken or uneven and can scratch the gum tissue. 💖🙏🏼
Please read the dental diet. This book changed our oral health. I’m still flossing until more studies come out saying that it’s not beneficial for oral health. We only floss after dinner, and we try to floss as gentle as possible. Mainly just to get the food out. I know flossing too much is also not healthy. Basically excessive of anything good or bad is not beneficial.
It is impossible for those people who experience acidic saliva to simply control plaque with their diet. if you have alkaline and healthy saliva, and a mouth anatomy that allows you to breathe through your nose ( and you do not have allergies etc.) or take medications..... then yes, diet may be adequate. The problem is for women who are pregnant, for people on meds that dry their mouth, or those with other risk factors that make their mouths dry or acidic. The ideal help for these people is to use xylitol at the end of meals. i'm in total favor of eating a healthy diet - and our diet will affect our salivary health, but for those who are not ready to change their diet, the cool news is that xylitol is amazing and helps everyone - smokers, drinkers, poor eaters, poor flossers........everyone young and old.
@@dr.elliephillips thanks for the info. I'm cavity prone with several cavities a year it seems with dental checkups always being bad news. I've flossed before bed and brushed twice a day since early twenties. At almost 50 I have multiple root canals and a bunch of crowns. I decided at the beginning of this year to start chewing gum after meals to help remove food from in between my teeth, they can catch a lot depending on type of food. As it turns out I chose mentos gum which has xylitol as the first ingredient. It also has aspartame which I hate, but am now switching brands to no aspartame, just xylitol. Anyway, I had no cavities for my March checkup! Also there were a handful of times I didn't brush in the morning in the months prior to the checkup, just chewed the gum. I drink coffee primarily in the morning with just whole cream, but now make sure to always chew after coffee. FWIW, I've cut out sweets and avoid foods with sugar and seed oils (which is a huge amount of food choices, that crap is in everything) and have been doing that for a year. I now hate junk food and processed food and have little to no desire for it because I know what's in it and have come to loath it. Because it's not fit for consumption. Anyway, it's terrible that the dental industry/profession has pushed what it does- fluoride, mercury fillings, etc. all thanks to the ADA and profit. To think that most of my cavities could have been avoided. Such a shame. I've learned that "experts" are not to be trusted. The arrogance, ignorance and corruption across the board with professionals and "experts" is staggering.
I enjoyed hearing your view on flossing. I have been in the dental technology field for over 45 years and attended many dental conventions. I've had orthodontic work done and have spent a lot of time in a dental chair. I abandoned flossing and I also abandoned toothpaste. The saliva remineralizes every day. Toothpaste is too abrasive and removes the mineralization process, making the enamel surface vulnerable to acids. I have been using coconut oil and a pinch of baking soda to brush my teeth, once or twice a day. I increased my vitamin C intake and I avoid junk food. I eat healthy and don't drink anything sweet. I once went over 2 years with a cleaning and when I went, there was no blood in the spitbowl. That's when I realized I didn't need to go in any regular basis. The coconut oil leaves my teeth smoother than anything I ever used. You just can't spit into the sink. I occasionally use a Waterpik. My gums are pink and healthy, minimal recession (due to age) and occasionally whiten them. I never use mouthwash or toothpaste as it is bad for oral biome. I don't chew gum because I'm not interested in wearing away enamel. I don't know much about xylitol, and have to do more research on it. You ask why dentists don't discuss alternatives for oral care. That's easy! Why would they kill the goose that lays the golden egg? A healthy patient is a lousy customer. So, on my end I do not recommend using any toothpaste, maybe just occasionally. I'm almost 70 years old and have every useful tooth in my mouth (not counting the ones removed for orthodontic reasons.) I'm glad to know I'm not the only person who doesn't floss. All I could picture is the damage flossing does to the gingival tissue, digging in and spreading more debris and creating more recession due to gingival irritation. So, the only time I floss is when brushing doesn't remove meat or other fibrous foods. Thanks for posting your video!
The best dentist in the world! I've been on your system for 2 years now and I have almost no bleeding at all when I brush my teeth. I used to always have some bleeding and now it's gone. I also feel confident that my teeth are not just going to deteriorate for no reason. You are empowering people and that is amazing.🥰
This is interesting. I am 60+. I just went to a dentist after 30 years of not going. I had to go bc my crown just cracked. I was shocked the dentist said I didn't need a cleaning, everything looks really good? I said I hardly floss, just brush two times a day. She said well eating right and brushing is all it takes. I don't think the dentist wants to interfere with whatever is working.
Oh wow! This is a great story. I’m so glad you have such an honest and concerned dentist! If you want to thank him - many DDS have enjoyed my book Mouth Care Comes Clean. 😁👍
Thank you so much for your information and for being a perfect example of a caring dentist and a person with great dental hygiene. You have won me over! What you are saying aligns with what I have suspected for years. I do get things caught in between two of my teeth and need to floss to get it out after eating meat, but I will not floss anymore with just any old floss. I chewed xylitol gum before going in to get a cavity filled and my dentist told me that the cavity was healing over and the healed part was so hard that she could not drill into it. That got my attention to using xylitol for dental hygiene. Thank you so much for backing up what I suspected the whole time! Xylitol really helps with dental hygiene. I hate flossing and feel like it didn't help except to get the meat from in between my teeth on occasion. You are such a cool dentist!! Keep informing everyone! You are brave to go against the dental community and you need to be awarded for it! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!
Not everyone has your genetics and you can seriously damage someones life saying this stuff. Unless you have 15 different bridges in your mouth please floss. Big cavities in all my uppers at 18 and bleeding gums and my diet stayed horrible tons of soda(36 now and composites held up so there is that). I still have all the teeth that where worked on(some that where not where extracted years later after the 08 recession) and my gums are pink and don't bleed.
This explains why I had no plaque build up on my teeth last time I went to the dentist. I hadn't been for four years, (my dentist closed during COVID)and I expected the worse. Instead, the dentist said I had very little plaque, no cavities. I use Xylitol every morning to sweeten my coffee since I gave up cane sugar. Every few days I also brush with a mix of coconut oil and baking soda to help whiten my teeth. That was another thing the hygienist noticed, my white teeth. No more flossing. Thanks for sharing this information, I'm going to pass it on to my family.
Try usind Stevia instead of Xlylitol. The last one is not a good idea. And I do not agree about not flossing. How else you get rid of food stuck between your teeth??? This lady is not quite honest.
@@Marianna7117 She said that flossing works for when you had something stuck between your teeth but she would try other ways first. As to saying that Xylitol is not a good choice, well some are allergic to stevia like myself. I just started using the gum with Xylitol. I have not studied Xylitol as a sugar substitute but will, thanks.
I'm always told by every dentist floss stops tartar. It doesn't. I always have tartar on back of bottom teeth. Flossing doesn't stop it. Gravity and acid in the saliva are the culprit. I've always taken very good care of my teeth and tired of dentists telling me I'm not doing enough. Thank you for this video
I don't mind going to the dentist as overall I have a healthy mouth and haven't had a cavity in 20 years as I brush daily. I go to the dentist every six months and it boggles my mind when they complain about a slight amount of tarter on the back bottom of my teeth, just do your job as that's why I come to you every six months for my maintenance cleaning as they give me lectures on brushing and flossing better. The very thing they are complaining about is what gives them a job.
I had heavy tartar until I started taking vit C and then the tartar accumulation stopped. When I stopped the vit C years later,the tartar came back ( also developed joint problems) I was taking about 3 grams daily.
I began your program about a month ago and thought that I would not be able to go without flossing, but wow, I floss occasionally now, and my teeth feel smooth and clean. Thank you Dr. Ellie Philips!
If my teeth were prefect then things might be different, but I have cavities, and had to get the water pick out and the floss because food does get wedged in-between my teeth. That said, I did see how my gum ressetion got improved, but now I'm a bit concerned about the mouth micro-bacteria that is tied to good gut health. @@ShepherdMinistry
I love flossing! It makes my teeth and mouth feel free. I can feel the yuck in between my teeth. It makes my teeth feel tight. And it feels relieving to floss. Like a relaxing high. That's why I do it. I can't imagine not doing it.
I can't stand flossing and the more I do it the worse my gums get. I I have found using a tooth pick is the BEST and why our Greats all did it in the past. Anyone flossing I get it you want that FEEL and some do. Try tooth pick. it works great and it's a lost art that ppl have forgot
Not everyone is ready for this information based on some of the comments. However, I appreciate the knowledge. It is reassuring to see that people are stepping out to properly educate everyone. People like you are a threat to the establishment, that is why you have been met with so much opposition. You are helping to spread light in this era of darkness. Thank you for sharing your knowledge ❤
Yes and I pray this truth and light will spread over every mountain of society including medical, education, justice, social services and education. It is time.
Well said! I just skip the naysayers and skeptics. My opinion is give it a genuine try between regular dental checkups and see what happens before throwing shade at her. Dr. Ellie is a God send to me and my family. All 3 of us are on her system and I shared her knowledge with my mom whom has also gotten her system. Many thanks to this incredible woman for sharing her wisdom with whomever will hear her and do as she suggests. ❤️
I stopped using string floss about 10 years ago because I was unhappy with the bleeding caused by the floss slamming down between my narrowly spaced teeth. I switched to a water flosser and the difference was almost immediate. No more bleeding and the amount of food particles that wash out is impressive. I also use a Braun Oral-B electric toothbrush. On subsequent visits to a Dentist, the hygienist is very impressed at how clean my teeth are.
I use the GRANDADDY of all waterpiks, I use the showerhead on the "pulsed mode" where it's like 3 giant waterpiks at the same time, and best of all when you get water everywhere it doesn't matter since you are in the shower. I go over all my teeth with this for about 1 - 2 minutes. It's the cleanest my mouth has ever felt. I even have 1 cavity with an 3mm gap that would destoy the tooth in a month or 2 but it's been slowly HEALING since being kept very clean over the last 2 years. I always brush after meals too. So despite what's told, teeth can heal. I drink only distilled water which may also help, rarely any pop. My teeth used to also be really loose for a while but they tighened back up since I've been doing this. I also use coconut oil swishing too, that probably helps too.
The floss on a pick can damage gums. I tried it once and ouch. Lol. It's best to use waxed thread floss from a spool and gently slide the floss between the teeth, especially after a fried chicken dinner. 😊
I both use different types of floss for different areas, as well as a waterpik with adjustable water settings. The Waterpik does a good job he still get build up and need to floss. Those people that floss live longer.
@@geminisunleomoon I had the same result, my gums hurt for hours after flossing(wax floss). I'm thinking it makes the gap between the gun and teeth bigger so probably not good.
I always felt that flossing was not effective because you first injure the gums and second push bacteria further into the gum, but since my dentist recommended it I started doing it regularly. Ever since I became a regular user of floss my gums got worse and I couldn’t understand why, now it makes sense.
@@main2333 Exactly. flossing is for swiping along the ide of the tooth, and to dislodge food particles. if a person does a rinse with baking soda or an antibacterial rinse with xylitol, there will be no problems with biofilms, etc. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4232036/
I’ve been a dentist since 1977. Almost all my patients with dentures were the ones who did not floss. Of the great bulk of my patients, the ones who currently had periodontal disease were, again, the ones who had never flossed regularly. Then there were the ones with simple gingivitis. They did not floss regularly either. Next were the ones who religiously used toothpicks after every meal. Most of these had beautiful gums, but some had grooves in their interproximal areas from overzealous toothpicking. Then there were the ones who had used dental floss daily (and correctly) since childhood - these had enviable gingival health. So just from my own clinical observations I would say a person who does not use dental floss is a great candidate for gum disease, although toothpicks and water picks do help somewhat.
I WAS on the path of pretty serious periodontal disease, ( pockets and bone loss due to poor dental hygiene). Was referred for gum surgery). Since I'm a lab geek and know the main problem are those nasty anaerobic bacteria. It was time to change my BEHAVIOR. Brushing and flossing 2twice daily, has led to easy peasy dental visits. No more bleeding gums and now just stable oral health. I will look further into what she is saying, I'm just skeptical since I fixed my own gums being proactive and flossing was a big part of it.
@@jondixon5123 Also, if you developed any pockets of 4mm plus depth, using a rubber tipped Proxabrush or even a toothpick to gently massage a teaspoonful of baking soda and peroxide down the pockets is a great anaerobe killer. The pockets should eventually recede to 2mm to 3mm health. Most importantly to know is that simple brushing and flossing CANNOT reach the bottom of a 4mm pocket.
You can't win. If i don't give links I get thousands of emails asking what to buy. If I suggest Amazon links - now I'm working for added income. Please...I would be better to bag groceries for Whole Foods if I was really interested in making money.....
I’ve always believed firmly on flossing. I was skeptical, But decided to try one month without flossing because of gum recession. I have noticed my gums are starting to heal. I’m actually surprised and will try your complete mouth care. Thank you for this.
This woman (I would not call her a dentist) is an ignorant lunatic. It's also unfortunately true that we don't know the optimal force that should be used in brushing and flossing. The dental community generally does a very poor job in research.
This is so fascinating. Dealing with gum recession and plaque even though I brush twice a day and floss every night. Just bought her system already feeling things turn around!
@@dr.elliephillips It's all about money. Dental tech for for 40 yrs. What Sandy said is absolutely true. I f you've been in the world long enough, and you obviously have, you've seen the shift. It's quite obvious!
@@ehtrudawg6089 The blame is diffuse - the underlying problem is training that dental student receive....focused on treatments of course. In 1970 there was a minimal intervention movement - but leadership died in an airplane accident which is so sad. I believe this was moving us towards prevention - with new science about caries management by risk assessment and improved standards for fillings and cutting teeth.
I stopped flossing and switched to Soft Picks and I believe it helped repair my gum recession. My dentist continues to rave about how great my teeth look. They still tell me to floss bc they have to, but they also tell me "keep doing what you're doing."
@@countryroadstakemehome no, they're called "soft picks" 😀. They are a soft flexible rubber that go between the gums. Check em out if flossing isn't working for you. I'm not talking about the proxy brushes that are small and have a metal wire in the middle.
This is all about money, obviously. Big business doesn't want us to be healing ourselves at home, they want business from us. Thank you for the wonderful video of information!
It's ironic but I visited a new dentist about 20 years ago and the hygenist, who was an older women, who displayed lots of wisdom, had a microscope and showed me samples of the bacteria in my mouth, before and after she cleaned my teeth. Before she cleaned my teeth, she took a sample, put it under a microsope which was magnified on to a tv screen and she pointed out the most deadly ones and what they could potentially do to me....which was pretty scary. Then she cleaned my teeth, took another sample, and the most harmful bacteria was literally, lifeless! Before I left her office, she gave me some free samples of toothpaste and mouthwash, and both of these had xylitol in them. At the time, I thought it was just to sweeten the taste. I had no idea it actually killed harmful bacteria!
That sounds just like me! That was my job as a dental nurse and dental health councillor in Bristol UK in the 1980’s. It was an electron microscope and yes we took samples and showed the patient their own bacteria and then the difference after treatment. I was a young woman then though.
I just started using toothpaste with xylitol and mouthwash with xylitol. My teeth and gums never felt so clean, they are really, really white, I’m impressed every time I clean or rinse my teeth. A fabulous side effect of no longer using regular mouthwash is that the sink drain doesn’t gather odours and never needs cleaning, which was always a thing that gathered over time before 😉😬
I never met a dentist who would give out xylitol gum or toothpaste in his office. The only dentist I ever heard of who recommends xylitol to his patients is Dr. Bruhn, in Germany. His advice worked so well for his patients that he went out of business and had to go to another city to re-open his practice.
I'm 62 and I never had a cavity or gum problems or any other problems in my mouth ever in my life. Most of my life I brushed my teeth once a day, I never floss and I went to the doctor twice in my life to have my teeth cleaned. When I went to have my teeth cleaned, The doctor said my teeth were already clean. I do feel the saliva has something to do with it. I have never talked a lot and I do not mouth breathe during the day or at night, and I believe that makes a big difference. My teeth are always kept moist by my saliva.
@@BRIANDER100I think the better question is about the person's diet. I think not eating processed foods and sugars have a lot to do for one's dental health.
@@esmeraldagems9487 i think genetics have a bigger impact than diet. heres the original posted comment by @jaquiobear: "I'm 62 and I never had a cavity or gum problems or any other problems in my mouth ever in my life. Most of my life I brushed my teeth once a day, I never floss and I went to the doctor twice in my life to have my teeth cleaned. When I went to have my teeth cleaned, The doctor said my teeth were already clean. I do feel the saliva has something to do with it. I have never talked a lot and I do not mouth breathe during the day or at night, and I believe that makes a big difference. My teeth are always kept moist by my saliva." no matter how perfect a persons dental routine is, if their family has a history of bad teeth, their teeth are prob gonna suffer too. @jaquiobear is blessed with great teeth if what theyre saying is true. seriouslly, only two dental cleanings ever??? no tartar buildup after all that time? im sorry but that sounds too good to be true. either that, or jaquiobear is leaving out some important details
I'm 68, I never brush, I never floss, I drink whiskey all day, and never had a cavity. These doctors don't know what they are doing. Drink whiskey kills bacteria, you don't need to brush and floss, you don't need to go to the dentist at all. Most dentists work for large corporations anyway, it's a scam.
Retired dentist here. The problem with flossing is that most people don't do it properly even after being shown the correct technique several times (the same with brushing properly). I do find this interesting and am always open to new information so will look into her protocol.
When I was a little kid, my dentist was my neighbor. He really emphasized flossing gently & correctly. I've never have had bleeding or issues that other ppl get. I think learning correctly made a huge difference, because I've notice most ppl don't floss in the same way I do.
@@troycambo she left dentistry to help spread the awareness of Xylitol by moving onto backing up what she now believes in. She said she is a sales person for saliva. She shows studies that seem to make a lot of sense, if they all check out, it would seem the floss industry is the one with a financial interest. I’m sure she would make a lot more pushing regular dental products vs trying to educate people on this information that I doubt we are ready to hear. Good for her. Pioneering at her age says a lot. Its not like she is thinking “oh im going to sell a shit load and retire at 40”.
Dr. Ellen, i used your mouth system for two months and have seen significant improvements with my teeth. I will contiue with this and hope to get better results. May i ask you two questions? I have a bridge and was told to floss it with a speciall needle. In your opinion is it necessary? Second question is about the listerine cool mint. Does it has to be alcohol based? Thank you so much!
In another video , the dentist said that your gums are actually attached to your teeth and the floss breaks the attachment. Therefore bit should be acceptable to floss but only down to just before where the teeth and gums meet.
your comment turned a lightbulb on in my head! if there are fibres holding your gums on to your teeth, it makes absolute sense that flossing below the gum line - which the hygienist tells you to do - will break those fibres and detach your gums from your teeth. thanks!
I’m a 44 year old mother of seven children (yes, that is pertinent information, since teeth suffer a great deal during pregnancy). I had a lot of cavities as a child, even though I was taught to brush and floss, and saw the dentist regularly and had standard scheduled fluoride treatments. I still wound up with plenty of cavities which were filled with metal (1980’s and 1990’s) Since being a married woman, for the past 22 years, I only brush once or maybe twice a day, and only floss when I feel that there’s something caught that should come out. I have not had any cavities during my married life. Even with the enamel loss, cracks and chips from all the pregnancies. I credit my fairly good tooth, and gum health with NOT VISITING DENTISTS! I have only visited dentists twice during the last 22 years, once 19 years ago, for a toothache during a pregnancy, which the dentist wouldn’t treat because I was pregnant, so they did no good nor harm. The only other time I went was three years ago, for a “cleaning”. What was I thinking? It was a big mistake! After seeing the dentist, I suffered with bleeding gums, tooth decay, toothaches, and even a loose tooth! Since then, I haven’t been back and my teeth are doing well again. I do wish I could have all the metal fillings removed from my teeth. But I cannot afford it.
Metals are very dangerous if you have different metals on your mouth, e.g. gold and quicksilver, then it dissolves quickly because of the battery effect. If you ever let quicksilver fillings get removed, be sure that you and the dentist are protected from the quicksilver vapours created by the removal.
I was told to get my metal fillings removed because I had them for decades and they would eventually cause my teeth to crack. Well, this dentist removed two metal fillings which was an aggressive ordeal and he wound up going too deep causing nerve exposure. Long story short, I had to get a root canal TWICE on one tooth and now I have a crown. Also, that tooth just doesn’t feel right and I still have soreness but I’m afraid of the next step which would be an implant. Unreal and I’m so angry about it. They paid for all of this but I now have a crown and soreness. If it ‘ain’t’ broke, don’t ‘fix it is my daily motto now.
@@lauraorourke1805 It's a great big racket. ESPECIALLY in the US; it's all about the MONEY. I am SO sorry for your loss! (I've had the most horrific dental history). If you have your own teeth, that is amazing and wonderful. I hope there is some sort of resolution with the crown. (I lost all of my teeth).
So happy someone champions xylitol! Xylitol is also a 1:1 replacement for sugar for less than 1/3 its calories. Not only it's good for teeth but it's good for health and compatible with keto diet. Win/ win/ win results. I prefer birch xylitol over corn xylitol because corn is gmo. Great video thanks!
I find that a water pick is way more effective at cleaning between the teeth and under the gum line in front and behind the teeth than flossing every can. It stimulates the gums and reduces and even eliminates gum bleeding in just a few days. Start out with a low water pressure and after a few weeks you can increase the pressure. If I find a sensitive gum area then I know to use the water pick to flush out that area more so I spend more time on it. Floss in my opinion is best used to get chunks of food that are stuck between the teeth and believe me you can feel when food is stuck between them. Great video. :D
I’m with you, Dr. Phillips. I’m 52 years old and have never flossed my teeth. During my two-decade career in the U.S. Army, my dentists didn’t know I didn’t floss, but they all told me to keep doing what I’m doing. My ex-wife, on the other hand, always flossed, and I had to keep paying for additional dental care for her and my children. Now that I’m married to a dental hygienist, I still don’t floss. It makes no sense. Keep up the great work. 👍🏻
First: "stop flossing" thus spoke the porcelain teeth old woman. Second: how could I've guessed since minute one she would be selling me some sxhxixt? She's not a detinst. She's a xylitol seller, pusher.
Finally! Someone actually reputable that won't just charge £1000 per tooth, or believes in the tooth fairy! We need more decent dentists with integrity, is skeptical and scientific.
Amen to that.l just got a $10000 pill to fix my teeth and l flossed and brushed all my life.that just don’t make sense.l just brought all the things this Dr recommended.lm going to do exactly what she said to do.
@@mcanultymichelle on the flip side, I've never followed dental advice (I still brush frequently, but not religiously) and practically never flossed, have never had dental issues.
@@williambelmont9601 that’s good news .Because l can’t for the life of me get my sons to floss regularly .Maybe l should just let them be. I am got to show this video to them and let them decide for the self’s. Thanks 🙏
I have had gum disease for my entire adult life. I'm 47 years old and had my first child at 18. I've had 2 deep cleanings, and my dentist was cleaning my teeth 4 times a year, i was flossing daily, brushing twice a day, and I could not get rid of gum disease. In fact, my hygienist started using a highly "anticeptic" rinse while cleaning to keep frim driving those germs further into my system during cleanings. All of it did not work, and I spent thousands of dollars. I have stopped going to the dentist because it didn't work, and this system is all I use. I just started, and I am confident that it works already. I feel it in my mouth and gums already. My teeth, after 24 hours on this system, feel better than they ever have after professional cleanings. My mind is blown!🎉
I used to have lots of bleeding whenever I went for dental hygienist cleaning. My gums were definitely showing signs of inflammation and early gum disease. I started flossing every night about three years ago. It was the only change I made to my dental care routine. Since then my gum never bleed at a cleaning and they look healthy and pink. I’m 59 and I feel better about my oral health than I ever have. Am I wrong to think my gums are mire healthy now because they are pink, not receding and never bleeding with easy pain free cleanings? My personal experience strongly suggests that flossing has significantly improved my oral health.
Same story here. My dentist said any bleeding means poor gum health. Within two weeks of starting regular flossing, bleeding in my gums stopped, and successive checkups were better and better on all scores. Perhaps GENTLE flossing is the key, and some folks may not do it right? That said, I'm happy to add a xylitol gum or rinse to my routine!
To all the uneducated "skeptics" -- this "lady" is actually an expert -- she's a board certified Dentist, a retired Professor of Dentistry, has years of Research experience in Dentistry, and on top of that, has decades of experience in Preventative Dentistry in Europe. She also has one of the most perfect mouths in the United States -- literally the only dentist with the best dental health in the U.S. (there was a big contest among dentists on this about ten years ago). You can't beat this.
Before you put "skeptic" in quotation marks, why wouldn't you or anyone NOT be skeptical? I am not saying she is wrong, but to conclude that she is a board-certified dentist and a retired professor of dentistry and decades of experience as proof of her claims because she is an expert, why wouldn't you take into account the hundreds of thousands of experts with similar or more credentials? Everyone should be skeptical about everything, starting with "I am an expert. Therefore I am right." Further skepticism has to come when we find out that she is the owner of the company supplying the supplement and system she is peddling. Again, I am not saying she is wrong. I am not saying she is a charletton or a quack, I am just saying that everyone should be skeptical and her evidence (at least as presented here; I have not read or listened to anything else) is pretty weak and circumstantial.
@@the_potmo I'm saying your skepticism on this point is extreme and unjustified, on top of irrational. But I understand where it comes from (lack of experience with critical thinking opportunities and scientific training). Sabine Hofstadter has a great video on this phenomenon of extreme skepticism. All the best.
Wow! This is crazy. I’ve been a Dental Hygienist for almost 30 years, and one of my deep dark secrets is I don’t floss! Lol But I certainly believed it was the right thing to do, it’s just I’m not a very compliant patient myself… Great info!
the two very best tips I picked up from yourself were to use a xylitol toothpaste and (much more importantly) *reapply toothpaste three times* during brushing. in all my years of dentist visits, no one had the forethought to tell me these two points. now I brush once a day and can't remember the last time I flossed. I never have fuzz on my teeth and the small gaps between them stay clean throughout the day. any plaque and tartar I had has been reversed and my teeth usually have that "just back from the dentists" feeling of clean. thank you and God bless you and yours for all that you do.
Was using xylitol months ago and I stopped as I finished my stuff. I went back to regular toothpaste as it’s easier to get it. I will be reordering again my xylitol supplies this week. I knew about xylitol before I found this video and thanks for further explaining xylitol and the flossing part. I also felt that flossing wasn’t good for my gums. It was irritating my gums and I thought maybe I was doing it wrong.. Thanks for sharing!!
My favorite toothpaste, NOW Solutions Xyli White Toothpaste Gel Cinnafresh, has 25% Xylitol and no fluoride. Whole foods might have it. Or a health store. I order it online from Vitacost or SwansonVitamin. My second favorite is their Refreshmint. They have other flavors: Coconut, Charcoal, etc. Those are ok, but not as good as the first two. I didn't care for the Platinum.
Wow. I am steadily learning that I have been misled my entire life about oral health care and to deeply destructive effect. What a bummer. Thanks for the facts, Doc. Great video.
If you like to get the entire picture of how we should manage oral health - my book Mouth Care Comes Clean is pretty comprehensive and was published 2019....so not too long ago. We should begin by education of pregnant moms about their oral bacteria and how they transfer to the baby. How to clean teeth with xylitol as they erupt and through the preschool years. This has been.a program in Finland for over 60 years. My youngest children and all my grandchildren have been the beneficiaries of this approach - not a cavity between them all.
We've been misled about medical care as well. Whatever makes the most money for all involved is what they recommend and many studies are tweaked and skewed to give the result/outcome they desire to prove there point. I trust none of them.
I don't think you've been intentionally misled. Our dental hygienist genuinely doesn't seem to believe me or my dad when we tell her that we don't floss (but we do use a bunch of mouthwashes and xylitol).
@@dr.elliephillipsI’m a physician in regenerative medicine, (have had a very successful clinic for decades). It has been obvious to me that dentistry hyper-focuses on cleaning to pretty much the entire exclusion of feeding the body. The emphasis instead needs to be on how to effect healthy gums, teeth and jaws through diet. Our ancestors didn’t brush. They didn’t floss. And they did not get cavities. Why not? Grass fed, pastured animal products: glands, cartilage, bone, marrow, minerals and vitamins from these foods were their food fare. The use of cow and fish sources were the primary contributors to oral health. They ate most of what was edible of these animals, including the hides and fish eggs. Would we need density much if everyone ate this way? Regeneration doesn’t occur because we clean ourselves. In terms of nutrition, it’s not enough for a dentist to tell us not to eat sugar. Engagement with patients by giving relevant nutrient advice must be at the forefront of dentistry instead of cleaning and repairing issues after they occur - due to the fact that our diets are sorely lacking. We can do better, we used to.
I am a specialized dentist and i say that flossing has no magical action on improving the oral hygiene, it simply "and as you have stated" cleans the food which is trapped between the teeth, which in turn if left there with out removal by flossing will ferment and be a focus for bacterial colanization causing gum decease and tooth decay at that area, otherwise how can you clean the area if brushing doesnt help. This is just like saying stop cleaning behind your ears or cleaning your nose or cleaning between your toes, cleaning is cleaning as long as the mothed doesnt cause harm to the tissue it is necessary.
She explains in her "Skip dental cleanings" video that xylitol suppresses pathogen colonization and encourages beneficial bacteria, which have a protective effect. She says that flossing to scrape away the bacterial film (as it's commonly used) disrupts the beneficial bacteria. The studies on xylitol do appear promising. I'm curious what your thoughts on her other video are
@@beemo9 My periodontist, who lectures on the matter, told me X isn't very effective for perio type bacteria. Though I'm still a bit unsure, most of the reports seem to be on tooth decay bacteria.
you are right, it is worth adding that if someone has a problem with tartar, they can more quickly get bone loss in the lower front teeth. the toothbrush only cleans 60% of the tooth surface.
Thank you for having this channel, I just found you and subscribed. I had perfect teeth, until I moved to the US (from Belgium & Africa) at 24 and was told I needed an annual dental visit. The dentist insisted that I have to have something bothering me with my teeth after he examined me and said my teeth are perfect and this is not normal. So, i told him between my top left upper 5th & 6th teeth from the front, meat tends to be stocked there. Next I noticed he filed down one of my teeth, and said, "now that there is a bigger space meat will no longer be stocked." 3 months or so later I had my first cavity ever... and then I have been working at saving that teet since then.
I have been flossing for 10 years, and have not had a cavity since I started flossing, before that, I had always cavities even with good brushing, morning and evening, I will continue doing that for the rest of my life.
I flossed every day, and didn’t mind doing it, but in my early 40s, I stopped for a bit, and did it only every 4 - 5 days, as maintenance, or if a larger piece of food got wedged in. What eventually developed was a cavity BETWEEN my teeth (first time). I felt that telltale ache, and was surprised that this occurred, since I was still brushing daily. This particular spot had a tiny gap, and since I wasn’t flossing frequently enough (and the toothbrush wasn’t able to get in there), the tinier food particles and plaque weren’t being cleared out. I’ve since resumed DAILY flossing, and haven’t had any cavities since. Maybe people w/ certain diets may NEVER experience cavities, but I do consume sugars, so I want to make sure I never have tooth decay again, for the rest of my life. I’ve used xylitol before, and couldn’t understand why I was experiencing inflammation, but I’m sensitive to corn-derived products, so I wasn’t able to continue using that as a sweetener.
Tldr summary 1. Avoid Improper flossing, pushing bacteria into gum. Add toothpaste into floss string, get technique right, and use clean string only. 2. Do not floss when you have a wound, infection, inflammation. 3. *Not mentioned* Everything she said, does not apply to water flosser. You can also add a bit of mouthwash to water flosser. 4. Saliva is your best natural 'flosser' and the key to oral health. 5. Xylitol, a sugar substitute, gives you better saliva. 6. Flossing is optional if your saliva is strong and healthy. *Which i disagree. Coz, you will never know if your saliva is 'strong' lol. But anyway the point is, dont overfloss. Dont floss wrongly. Use water flosser if you cant floss properly. It is however true that some people have healthy teeth despite not flossing. They tend to have healthy lifestyle, natural strong saliva, and rarely consume sugar.
It's so funny to see this pop up on my TH-cam thread, because I recently asked my dentist if flossing and waterpik can actually cause more harm than good! Lately, I question everything that we have been told about our health, and medicines. I have also recently started getting thermography with ultrasound in lieu of mammograms. What is frightening is that they shut you down when you tried talking about this. That's the opposite of what doctors/scientists used to do hundreds of years ago. By shutting you down, they are saying there is nothing more to learn. Truly dangerous. Also, would you happen to know of any herbs that can be chewed that would also lower bacteria? Mouthwash is much easier, but I'm just curious.
Agree...studies that don't go along with industry profits are suppressed--what I learned from Covid. I will never have faith in scientific studies again after reading how much money is funneled to those doing the studies as well as media sharing science.
@@dr.elliephillips Thank you. All my health issues were caused by dentists. Mercury fillings in malnourished children is devastating. It caused me acute pain: ear aches, headaches, toothaches that took 4 aspirin to curb. I still remember heating washcloths in front of the hall heater to lay on my face. And my mother warming oil in a teaspoon to pour in my ears. The side with 4 mercury fillings has hearing loss, and now continual Tinnitus. No doubt mercury flooded my brain and organs. Another immediate symptom was inability to stand cold at all. I begged the teachers not to make me go outside. I'd huddle on the ground, pulling my coat down to try to stay warm. Just shaking. Poor parents who didn't buy things bought me thigh high socks. (Girls couldn't wear pants back then even under their dresses even if there was snow on the ground.) That persisted for decades. I couldn't stay warm with 3 layers of clothing in southern California! After 40+ years, that finally faded away and I can tolerate 40-50F degrees now. The mercury fillings caused immediate gum problems: bleeding, sensitive. All that was bad enough, but then when I was 15 I got braces. Every time they tightened the bands, I couldn't eat for 3 days. Couldn't even drink for an entire day. In my 40s, I found out most of my teeth were dead. Now at 66, two dead teeth broke off, 1 fell out, the rest turned yellow and 1 almost fell out and then stopped, so now it is lower than the rest. So far, they're hanging on. Two of the mercury filled teeth have cracked open. One of them is missing a slice of tooth. A couple of the dead teeth are now decaying. But between mercury caused issues including EHS, I've chosen to live with them as is over potentially causing more problems. Thankfully, I freelance from home so the appearance isn't as big a deal for me. And years ago when I went 100% healthy diet, clean products I switched to NOW Solutions Xyli White Toothpaste Gel Cinnafresh which is 25% xylitol. And I sometimes take other things that contain xylitol. I've considered trying to get those clip over fake teeth in case I need to be around people. But as uneven as my teeth are they might not even work. If you have any suggestions for me, I'll be watching for a reply.
@@GrowmapSame here.45 year old with plenty of mercury fillings still.Have tinnitus,can's stand cold,and have many autoimmune disorders. Also,my gums are receding too.
@@ely42609 I'm sorry they got you, too. I used to freeze if it was below 60. But now I can handle 40s-50s without really bundling up. Before, I froze in 3-4 layers of wool, ski clothing and down jackets. Yes, I've had gum issues since I got the fillings. And the groups of people who can't tolerate being around cordless, wireless or "smart" devices. Personally, I don't use WiFi and never have. Never used a smart phone. Have a flip phone charged up but powered off - only for emergencies. Nothing cordless, wireless or smart anywhere here and no neighbors closer than 1/3 mile to avoid their smart meters, WiFi, wireless security and fencing and vehicles full of frequencies. I want people to imagine what it would be like to never go anywhere there are people with wireless devices. Even national parks are installing cell towers and WiFi. Ridiculous.
Nobody ever says flossing replaces brushing , flossing has a role to play , complementing brushing , to maintain oral hygiene Don’t swallow everything she says , think critically
No, she said flossing has its place, but only in the context with brushing your teeth with toothpaste. She said she's "not against floss" as long as it is used with toothpaste together with brushing your teeth.
I had multiple fillings up until age 25. After that I started flossing and haven't had a single filling in the 10 years since. Maybe there are better alternatives to flossing but the last 10 years have demonstrated that flossing is at least super beneficial for some.
I DO NOT floss. I find it unnatural. I however brush very well and with fluoride-free toothpaste. My smile looks great and my breath is never offensive. I also rinse with water throughout the day. I hate and I don’t go to the dentist. There, I said it!🙋🏻♀️ Thank you so much for this video Dr. Phillips🤍 and yes, please brush your TONGUE too👅, Lol
And the inside of your cheeks, apparently. My dentist asked me if I brush the inside of my cheeks as well as my teeth/tongue, and when I said I didn't she kinda scoffed and went "Do YoUr ChEeKs ToUcH YoUr TeEtH??"
When I had to get a tooth capped, the dentist left a huge gap between it and the next tooth so now, every meal I have, I get food stuck inbetween. The next time I visited he said my gum in that place was receeding. because all the food was not being flossed out. This made me angry because I know it was because of the huge gap he left, not the flossing. Thanks for being honest.
I really suggest you explore the benefits of xylitol and also massaging with a resilient - not soft- brush around the area that is causing you problems. A soft brush will not stimulate the repair that is necessary. The wrong kind of oral care products can potentially strip teeth of the microbes involved in oral healing and health. Xylitol at the end of meals - followed by an hour or so when you do not sip or eat or drink anything - not even water - will give this area an opportunity to heal. ore information about my suggestions at DrEllie.com
Thanks for making such informative and useful videos! I've recommended your channel to a few people already. If I can make a suggestion also, you should maybe lower your sound recording level. There's some static sound on your videos that's usually caused by an input volume that's too high. Depending on how you record them, you can either lower it directly on your equipment or in the software you're using to make your recordings, or if you're using a microphone that's connected to a PC you can lower it by opening the properties of your microphone in the sound parameters, usually found in the control panel, but it may depend on your Windows version (I haven't used the latest one yet). If you're on a Mac, there's a way to do it too but I I would have to look it up.
I know truth when I hear it and boy oh boy am I glad to hear this goodbye floss and hello less time cleaning and damaging my teeth when I can change the environment of my mouth! ❤❤Bless you lady!
I only go to the dentist every 4 years to make sure nothing is wrong that I can’t instinctively detect . They’re always amazed that my teeth look great . I rarely floss . I don’t smoke or vape or drink anything like coffee or alcohol. I just eat a healthy diet and I really don’t feel the need to go to the dentist because I know I’m doing self care right . I also try to avoid X-rays and fluoride at all costs . They don’t like when you don’t want an X-ray which is why I only go every 4 years now . Sometimes they have a fluoride alternative to polish the teeth at the end of the cleaning but some places don’t .
Every time I have asked that they not x-ray my teeth, they say, "It's no worse than walking around in the sun." One time I said, "Except that I don't throw on a lead apron when I walk around in the sun." I don't go to the dentist anymore unless I have a problem.
@@SunshineCatwoman I find it so frustrating that there so little understanding of fears about x-rays. It is ridiculous that most people get x-rays every 6 months. How many is that in a lifetime? As a child they used to x-ray to check shoe fitting in shoe stores - to ensure your toes were not cramped in the shoes. What a terrible health risk in the middle of shoe stores. My Dad would take multiple x-rays believing this was in my best interest of my feet. One day all these machines quietly disappeared.......Here is a link to the story of these shoe fitting x-ray machines: daily.jstor.org/when-shoes-were-fit-with-x-rays/#:~:text=Fluoroscopes%20were%20used%20in%20shoe,%2Drays%20were%20well%2Dknown.&text=In%20a%201957%20issue%20of%20The%20British%20Medical%20Journal%2C%20H.
Contrary to what she said, I wanted to clarify that yes there is a study linking flossing to health, although not oral health. Regular flossing has recently been linked to lowering biomarkers that indicate heart disease risk, called C reactive protein or CRP. I'm not at heart disease risk, so I think I'm going to be flossing very gently and more discriminately. I appreciate that she is speaking her truth, even though it is against the grain of standard Dentistry. I'm grateful that ScrewTube hasn't censored her
Do you think it’s simply because the type of people that floss are the type of people that care about their health & physical appearance. I would imagine someone that uses floss is probably also more likely to work out & eat properly.
@@anastasiadodson9045 You can see the other comment below, Dr. Gundry's patients were randomly chosen, 300 of them, to either floss or not floss, it was done over several months. He decided to do the study because he started flossing and had not been flossing his whole life, and he was surprised that his own C-reactive protein got better. That's why he did the study to see if it was real. I put this man at a very high level of scientific integrity. And I feel that he has a very good heart, no pun intended since he's a renowned heart surgeon. And these guys don't get paid to publish. Also the study was published in a very prestigious Journal. I know it's tough these days trying to navigate, even though I'm scientifically trained, I try to use my gut a lot to see the truth. Best to you.
Lots of fantastic information. I’ve over flossed for too many years, yes great oral hygiene but terrible damage to my gums. Now I’m at an age where gum retention becomes an issue, and so, about 8 months ago I sought information online and came across a video of Dr. Phillips. She encourages us to reduce flossing to a minimum and encourage gum repair, whilst controlling bacteria. I started to reduce flossing and started using a toothbrush head with flossing action (far less intrusive) added a midday mouthwash and I believe I have not only reduced my gum damage but even improved it. It’s certainly not on the path of destruction that I’d put it on. Not sure that I’ve even had xylitol in anything yet, but grateful for the advice. Thank you Dr. Phillips.
I have periodontal disease and was told that flossing is imperative ~ I didn’t understand how pushing a string down into my already diseased gums would help~ I’m glad my intuition was right… now to get some xylitol! Thank you very much Dr Ellie Phillips :)
Thank you SO much, you are very kind to share your important information to we non dentists. I am presently fighting periodontal disease, and I have ordered the products you've suggested. I am excited to use your program. Though I just found you on TH-cam today, the last few months I have been using xylotoyl toothpaste with good results. Best wishesto you and your family!
One thing that stops the progress of periodontal that I’ve found is activated charcoal…the powder kind…brush ur teeth with it then swish it around ur entire mouth for 5-10 mins and then spit it out…the clumps are bacteria and parasites …it’ll blow ur mind! Pour running alcohol over what u spit out and watch the things squirm! We all have it in our mouths so it’s not abnormal
I remembet going to a dentist back in the 80s I believe, and the hygienist was so rough...she said u have to "make your gums bleed" when u floss and proceeded to do it on mine. It was very violent and I thought "how odd" back then...Why be rough? This is so right!
She didn't tell you your gums are supposed to bleed normally. If your gums are unhealthy, they ARE going to bleed from normal flossing. But to get the gums healthy again, you have to floss every day, let them bleed, and eventually, they won't. You probably also need a deep cleaning below the gum line. But "make your gums bleed" was her telling you its ok to floss and let them bleed. I've been through all this, and fixed my problem.
It's a miracle that your video got my attention in the right column. I've flossed every night for the last four years. No more! I flossed before brushing. My dentist bought a new laser cleaning system from the US and convinced me to have him clean my teeth in Dec 2022 for the first time as his patient in 15 years in Buenos Aires. My molars were all filled with amalgams before I was 12. Nobody taught me how to brush, and I loved eating sugar. A dental hygienist taught me how to floss in my 40s. At 75, my concern is a receding gum line. No more flossing for me. I'm going to review all your videos.
That's because this "lady" is actually an expert -- she's a board certified Dentist, a retired Professor of Dentistry, has years of Research experience in Dentistry, and on top of that, has decades of experience in Preventative Dentistry in Europe. She also has one of the most perfect mouths in the United States -- literally the only dentist with the best dental health in the U.S. You can't beat this.
@@marissakeynes2532 If an individual makes medical or any important decisions based on information from one insignificant Yt promoter, they should reconsider their epistemology. I am not interested in playing verbal tennis with whatever this marketing presenter said. Could you read my precise words if you are genuine in your protestations? I am interested in corresponding with you and having a genuine dialogue. If you have other concerns about significant social issues, I would like to discuss those because this sales pitch is boring. Thanks for your interest and contribution.
there are too many myths in medicine.. even in chemistry (I'm a chemist)... it seems that these 'myths' exist all over and people don't challenge the status quo. So the myths keep propagating. Excellent video! The YT algo sent me this suggestion. Liked and subscribed... of course. Cheers!
I know shes selling a system, but she does actually describe how you can do what she suggests by getting the items yourself and she shares her methods openly, there isnt a paywall to access it. Shes described her methods many times in videos. Im interested in her advise and her explanation makes a lot of sense.
I am glad I switched to Young Living floss, but I also stopped flossing as much as I used to because I noticed my gums always bled a little when I flossed, so I stopped and made my own mouthwash & started oil pulling & it has been amazing!
Flossing made a huge positive difference in my life. When I came first to the United States I had never flossed before. My gums were weak and bloody, and probably stinky. My dentist explained to me how to do it and how important is. He said not to worry about the blood and that with consistent floss my gums will straighten up. After a year of constant flossing, my dental hygienist told me that my teeth are neat and clean and there is almost nothing to clean. My bleeding stopped completely.I truly believe flossing truly saved my gums! I am opened to try the technique mentioned in the video but would not give up flossing.
Thank you so much for confirming that regular flossing is shoving bacteria down further into your gums. Looking forward to trying out your mouth care system.
@@jacksquat4140 Are you saying you have never bought anything in your life? ;) We all spend money, which makes the world go round. It all depends on what you would choose to pay. I would rather pay an affordable amount towards preventative care rather than a root canal peddled by usual dentists.
I remember when I was much younger 18-19 .. I was sitting with my father ( airline pilot) He asked me if I ever flossed. I reported back that I had never flossed. He then suggested I try flossing. He further added ; after you floss , smell the string afterwards. Shortly after our conversation, I bought some floss. Slipped it in-between a few teeth and held the string to my Nose and Sniffed.... *** I nearly fell off my chair vomiting ** The smell was Awful.. Eversince that day ( 40 plus years ago), I floss after each time there is food in my mouth. I stopped having cavities from that day on. At 65 , my gums are receding. Because of flossing? I don't know? But, my Floss String has never again smelt as horrible as that first fateful day. Over 40 years ago
Ya mine stinks again I need to go to dentist again they were doing my cavities. Floss only gets out the food but ya I'm going to try flossing after every meal . It makes since that it could spread it happens to my grandpa. But I'm going to floss once . I need a deep cleaning
An older friend had endocarditis from a post root canal infection he didn’t know he had. It caused a stroke as part of it. He’s ok now but in hosp for weeks on IV antibiotics. TBH I’m not sure if he flossed but it shocked me and others. I’ll now agree to antibiotics before any invasive dental work and rethinking flossing.
Don't just give up flossing. My message is that there is a better way to eliminate plaque from your mouth. Regular and correct use of xylitol is the key - then you will not have plaque and the risks associated from plaque. You don't need much and it is so delicious it is hard to believe that this is the key....but it is. Thanks so much for commenting and good luck with your exploration of oral health. There is a free booklet and more info on my website at DrEllie.com
It's a paradoxical situation where it's difficult to know what to do. We receive conflicting advice from different people, making it challenging to determine the best course of action. Ultimately, what works best for you is the way to go as there is no one-size-fits-all solution. While Dr. Ellie Phillips seems convincing as a dentist, my regular dentist also holds the same credentials and recommends flossing, rinsing, and using a specific electric toothbrush with pressure control. I'd appreciate some reassurance from someone. Nevertheless, I'd like to express my gratitude to Dr. Ellie Phillips for her dedication and the informative video.
Pretty much every dentist except this Dr. Ellie recommends flossing. You can't magically remove meat from your teeth without flossing. It's a no brainer.
It is amazing how when you apply common sense - the answers really just present themselves. Thank you for this Dr. Phillips. I have come to realize that a lot of things that were promoted as "healthy" or the "way to do things" for many years, have now been proven as counter productive to our health. I have gum issues and have been told over and over to floss more. I will definitely try this approach. Thank you again
I've had gum issues for over 2 decades. It was resolved within 2 weeks of cutting out all sugar/ carbohydrate, bread, vegetables and fruit. I have seen several hundred comments from youtubers telling the same story. Prior to my dietary change, I had been flossing every day for 3 years, with bleeding and swollen gums. I still floss, but will consider this new info to see if it was... I was watching the video while writing the comment and at this point she started talking about "her complete mouthcare system" and lost the will to listen onward. Can't but think this is largely a sales pitch for products.
@@cbdp I felt the same at that point. However if you keep watching this is no sales pitch. not even a 'go to my website'. She does go into several interesting research studies, and explains in more detail the 'whys'. She pretty much says what her 'system', in a few words, is so you could just do it.
@@frakmanexactly what I was thinking. I almost stopped listening then continued and saw it's a lifestyle pitch as she says she is selling the promotion of healthy habits, stopping unhealthy habits to have healthy saliva.
Yeah, cough syrup is bad for you too, just go drink soda water the next time you get sick with a chest cold. Some people will fall for anything just like Dr. Fauci sold his snake oil and got the whole world locked down that proved nothing!
Great video! - Might want to check the audio levels on your microphone because the sound is distorting in a few of your videos. Kind of distracting yet so easy to fix. :)
I do not floss. I thoroughly brush my teeth twice daily. After not seeing a dentist in more than 20 years, a tooth that had had a root canal and a post put in it before I stopped seeing dentists became abscessed. I went to the local dental school to have the tooth extracted. During the intake, the supervising dentist examined me. He was surprised to find that I had no cavities, and except for the problem tooth, my mouth was in excellent condition. When he found out that I hadn't seen a dentist for more than 20 years, he said "Well, that's because you floss regularly". I told him I don't floss. Then he claimed it was because I had a great diet. I responded that I eat cake or cookies every day. Then he said it was because I'd inherited "good genes". I explained that both my parents had many dental problems. I told him I use an Aruvedic toothpaste and brush thoroughly 2x a day. He responded "the type of toothpaste has noting to do with the health of your teeth". The programming in the dental industry is so deeply ingrained that when evidence that clearly contradicts the programming is right in their face, they don't believe it.
I didnt go to the dentist for 20 years either. I was afraid of them and also no money. I did use a Sonicare toothbrush and used Crest toothpaste. I would also mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide once a week to whiten teeth. I would use peroxide as mouth wash too. I only brushed once a day and never flossed. Only if food was stuck. I finally go to the dentist and they said my teeth looked good and only needed 2 cleanings. I did have mild receding gums though.
I have always felt like there's something either genetic or something in the saliva that really helps some people preserve their teeth. For instance, I haven't been to the dentist in 20 years because of a traumatic experience. I just do the normal things to keep my teeth clean and I'm just simply not prone to cavities. I do floss occasionally, but not every single day. More like once a week I really go in and give myself a mini cleaning. I'm just one of these people who is never been prone to cavities and yet I see people around me that are so much more diligent and obsessive about dental hygiene end up with cavities that I don't get. I think would also help me is that I've never been a soda drinker or if I am going to drink something other than water, it's always unsweetened. My mom used to pick on me because I swish after every bite of food I take. I've also heard that unsweetened green tea can be healthy for the teeth and I drink a lot of that as well. Oh, and xylitol gum!
The xylitol gum is probably what’s doing the heaviest lifting-turning your saliva into a restorative, remineralizing force. After that, your (non-sugary) diet is likely the 2nd biggest key. That much drinking actually works against you, because food & liquid demineralize your teeth… but limiting it to as few “sessions” a day as possible is fine vs sipping/nibbling throughout the day which robs your mouth of remineralization time to counteract the abrading. Just use the gum after any food/drink, and make sure to get at least 7g of xylitol total per day!
Yes, I need to floss my teeth. After I eat, food gets stuck between my teeth. Brushing alone, doesn’t get the food out. My NYC periodontist had a sign in his office that said “floss only the teeth you want”
How did humans in the past manage to keep their straight beautiful teeth for their entire life? If you say "they died at 30" I'll point out that those stats come from the high infant mortality. Adults didn't just drop dead at 30 for no reason and if you survived the first few years you had a good chance of making it to 70 or higher. And yet without a toothbush or floss or even a dentist their teeth survived.
Dr. Ellie, you are a gem, and a great educator. I so wish I had found you sooner in life. Thank you for all your effort to help people be healthier. God bless you.
I'm 43, never had been a big flosser for decades. Had many cavities and extractions and then 4 years ago I developed inflammation on my tooth #8 and it pushed itself out and had to be extracted. I was devastated and ultimately had to get an implant. Fast forward to now and I have been an aggressive flosser sometimes twice daily and since I started this I have never had swollen gums, no inflammation, no cavities, no issues whatsoever. I strongly believe flossing has positively changed the way things have been for my dental health.
BS. The implant simply made you care much more about your mouth health and tons of medication that come along with that procedure just reset your mouth chemistry to normal.
The dentists association won't accept this simply because that will affect their nice cushy income. In fact they will fight nails and teeth...literally. Imagine if people start having good teeth and gums. They will stop going to the dentist or curtail the visits to a bare minimum. If that happens, how the poor dentists are going to pay for their yacht, their beach house, their fancy cars and so on? Personally, I go to the dentist once every 15 to 20 years. Yes you read right. Last time I went, the dentist told me my teeth were in better shape than a customer that goes for a teeth cleaning every 6 months. However I have been flossing fiercely for the last 50 years and my gums are receding. Now after watching your video, I will trow away my floss and buy tooth paste and chewing gums and candy and mouthwash with Xylitol.
I've never paid a dollar to a dentist, no reason to. The profession exists to take peoples money because we've been convinced to eat 6 sugary meals a day and drink 8 cups or more of water (total nightmare for your saliva). You probably can't give up the dentist until you work out the problems with food advice, but you can limit your visits with the information in this video.
I like her point about dental cleaning... basically creates a lifelong customer! Crazy. The people that are here to help us are our worse enemy. Same with medical doctors. Living in clown world. Time to wake up and smell the Xylitol.
How does one obtain your Dental health process? I am very interested as I am also a victim of American Dentistry- my biggest concern is the Gum Recession I already have and it’s just getting worse. Your a brave woman whose not intimidated by her Tunnel Visioned peers. Thank you so much.
Gums do not grow back after they recede but they do swell up when they are inflamed and look taller. For anyone reading who cares, there are two reasons you should use an interdental brush or floss once a day. 1) Cleans where your toothbrush doesn't touch so less chance of decay. 2) Prevents dental plaque, that bacterial biofilm accumulating at the gum line stopping the inflammation causing gum disease. The rest of this is very long but does explain things in detail if you are interested. Right at the end are a few links explaining more about gum disease, flossing and tooth loss. You can just scroll to those if you want to see. Probably best to floss or use an interdental brush before you brush your teeth. This is because you should not rinse off your fluoride toothpaste just spit out all the excess. The correct way to use floss 1-2 times daily is this. Gently press down to get past the tight contact between two teeth. Then gently press the floss string or tape against the surface of one of those teeth so the floss is lightly bending and cupping the tooth (think like you are making a C-shape with the floss around a tooth). Once you are hugging that tooth slide the floss "UP-AND-DOWN" gently against the tooth surface, only go down dar enough that the floss just slightly goes below the gum line. Having done this a few times, repeat for the tooth on the other side. Then you can either pull the floss out, or if worried about pulling out a filling or getting stuck, just let go of one end and slide the floss out. Repeat for every tooth in your mouth if you want the best chance of keeping them. Floss works best if you have tight spaces between your teeth. If your spaces are wider then you are better off using an interdental brush (looks like a tiny bottle brush). In short: daily flossing, or the use of an interdental brush, helps to prevent your teeth rotting. Flossing prevents gum disease which causes gum recession and causes your teeth to become wobbly and fall out. If your gums bleed and are sore when you floss and you are doing so correctly then rest assured it should stop within 3 weeks of flissing every day. But if you stop flossing then in 3-4 days you'll be back to bleeding when flossing (see below for an explanation of why). Oh and if that hard rock like stuff that appears on your teeth bothers you, its called Calculus aka Tartar. Its basically plaque left long enough the minerals in your saliva turn it to stone. For the average person calculus forms within 2 days, but some people for it in one day, you also prevent it with brushing and flossing. But only flossing or some other interdental cleaning tool prevents it forming between teeth. And while xylitol is helpful to reduce plaque levels you still need to clean the plaque off. Xylitol will not remove calculus, simply won't, calculus is hard and firmly stuck on, safest removal is a dentist or hygienist who scrapes it off with a hand tool or breaks it up with a powerful vibrating pick combined with a water jet. This is called a dental scale (often comes with a polish). Also managing expectations, gum recession is permanent, the gum will not grow back as the attachments holding it in place is already lost. www.corsodyl.co.uk/advice/can-receding-gums-grow-back/#:~:text=The%20simple%20answer%20is%2C%20no,the%20problem%20from%20getting%20worse. If you do not normally floss then suddenly start, or return to it after a break then it is expected that your gums will be sore and bleed. They are bleeding because in the areas your toothbrush cannot go, plaque (bacterial biofilm) is sitting undisturbed producing toxins that upset your gums. Your body then reacts to this and trys to kill the problem through an inflammatory process, this nringsore blood to the area and causes some local tissue distruction. Over time you get gum recession and sensitivity with root surface exposure. You start looking long in the tooth and gappy near the gum line for those concerned by the appearance. If you let it go on over a longer time, that destructive inflammatory process continues destroying connection between tooth and gum, and later tooth and bone. In the worst cases people can loose 100% of the bone surrounding a tooth, by which point the tooth is so loose it can come out as you are eating, or the gaping hole under your gums gets a nasty local infection that causes horrible pain requiring the tooth to be extracted. For people who already have minor gingivitis (what you call it when gum line is red and bleeds a little) or more advanced gum disease, see above, flossing or use of an interdental brush reduces the accumulation of food deposits and bacteria in the crevices where teeth a gums meet. This means less irritation in the area. This in turn reduces the inflammatory process which destroys the periodontal tissues, think the connection between tooth and gum as well as tooth and bone. While the tissue that is lost will not grow back, you can prevent it getting worse by making the effort at home. It is helped with visiting a hygienist who can get you to a clean slate but 90% of the work is on you as an individual, if you don't do it you won't improve. Regarding water flossers I'll say they are better than nothing, so if you have mobility issues and are willing to try cleaning between your teeth with one go for it. That said they are not as effective as cleaning with floss or an interdental brush. Something to be aware of is that people with chronic inflammatory conditions are more likely to get gum disease and for it to progress faster. For example people with diabetes. Also people who smoke. If your pregnant you will get more gum inflammation and bleeding and if allowed to progress you will probably get episodes of gum recession with each pregnancy all i can advise is keep your teeth as clean as you can and use an interdental brush or floss regularly so there is less for your body to react to. Regarding that bit about antibiotics before dental treatment, current dental practioner guidelines only advise this on very specific circumstances usually just for those at risk of infective endocarditis. In the past antibiotics were often given out without much thought. For people with osteoporosis and some types of arthritis there are some medications that while they help with the condition can cause bad reactions to tooth extraction so best to take good care of your teeth to prevent this. You can look up medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw if you want but it may be disturbing. So an interdental brush is better for cleaning the gum line if you can get one to fit, but if the gaps are too tight then floss is your friend. It might still be good to use floss and the interdental brush, since the floss can slide between where the teeth touch their neighbors and clean there too while the brush cleans the gap below. Anyway, if you got to the end, thanks for sticking around. Its clear i disagree with the video when it comes to the dental and gingival health of general public. It's actually especially important to use an interdental brush or floss if you are of more delicate health to prevent bacterial build up. I hope this rather long comment helps at least one person make a positive change. Everday I see the results of lack of information on peoples teeth and gums and its heartbreaking. All the best to everyone. if you're interested see a few links below: - www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.bsperio.org.uk/assets/downloads/Recommendations_for_the_public.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiQ0tjAmJKAAxVMh1wKHW32CEQQFnoECEQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1moSwZxD2ihRwSfkNg5YkS www.bsperio.org.uk/periodontal-diseases/gum-health-for-a-better-life/ www.bsperio.org.uk/periodontal-diseases/periodontitis-and-general-health/ www.bsperio.org.uk/periodontal-diseases/the-sound-of-periodontitis/
@@husher5142 I can honestly say it is accurate regarding clinical attachment loss. 5 years of dental school followed by several years practicing have not shown any indication otherwise. Having qualified in the last decade and making the effort to stay current I am sure my response was accurate and any research would show anyone interested the same. Now if they are talking about overall disease status that can reduce to the point you are stable and considered lower risk for rapidly progressing periodontal (gum) disease. In the case of a person like that they end up with shallower pocketing around their teeth looking more like a healthy gum as the swelling goes down, however any gum recession they have is permanent. The same goes for bone loss which is also irreversible. The point of periodontal treatment and home cleaning is to intervene in the disease and stop the process causing destruction to prevent further loss. Without a graft of some form that gum and bone lost is not coming back. That said I will congratulate you on keeping to a good oral hygiene routine and say I am happy you are seeing progress in halting your gum disease.
My father was a dentist. He never told me that flossing would "change the bacteria in my mouth" or "cure the gums," like Dr. Phillips claimed. I have never heard those claims in my life. My father told me that flossing simply removes tiny pieces of food that get caught in your teeth. Pieces small enough that you don't feel them. And my regular dentist and previous tentist told me that as well. I would like to hear Dr Phillips address what other dentists ACTUALLY claim about flossing, not the straw man argument that she seems to think that dentists think of flossing as some magical cure.
I stopped flossing altogether. I'm 70 years old and have stopped flossing years ago. My girlfriend was a dental hygienist and she was a floss nut. She said we need to keep the pockets open and cleaned out. It turns out that nature doesn't want the pockets open. It turns out that when the pockets are open we are susceptible to disease as the video says.
So, I went to the dentist this spring to have my teeth cleaned. The hygienists looked at my mouth and asked me when I had my last cleaning. I answered with 1992. She said that she didn't believe me.
What's the secret? STOP Eating Sugar. Sugar causes the plaque to grow tremendously and it makes the plaque to grow in your arteries. SUGAR is the worst thing that you can do. Just stop eating sugar and your health will be great.
Stop eating sugar.
You skipped regular cleanings for 30 years and are giving dental advice? 😬
Absolutely, and I have perfect coffee stained teeth
@@dhLotan
🤮
People also don’t realize that more than 70% of the world has some sort of sugar and gluten intolerance. Your gut has the hardest time to break down sugars. And by cutting sugar your entire immune system and ability to absorb nutrients will ten fold and you will feel so much better
@@dhLotan I haven’t had a dental cleaning in 40+ years and I teach people the advantages of this. There is no science to show cleanings help the long-term outcome for teeth. They can help you delay the demise for gum disease. Why not eliminate plaque and dental problems more effectively ?
I'm a flossing fiend. I floss very, very thoroughly 2-3 times per day. I'm 58 years old and I have not had a single cavity (nor any dental work except cleanings every 3 years or so) since I was 12 years old. I have no gum recession, no plaque, and zero bleeding when flossing... and I use the thicker dental tape.
Everyone is different... Flossing has ruined mine.
I also floss and believe it has been so beneficial doing so
Same… I’m 53, I grew up very poor and never went to a dentist (at all) until I was 19 and married…
My mother was obsessed with not only brushing (when I was growing up) but also flossing, because we had no money for a dentist. my dad abandoned my mom and I and that catapulted us into complete poverty, instantly…
I also have teeth that are very close together… it’s painful if I don’t floss after eating… especially something like corn on the cob…
Despite growing up with zero dental care, at 53 I have all my teeth and I’ve only had 2 fillings, both at age 20 with my first pregnancy….
I am 100% positive I have healthy teeth from a life long habit of flossing
@@trina7274you sound like my wife regarding quality of teeth. Before she got first kid...she somtimes brushed 4 times a week ....... Only 1 cavity. After 1th kid..... 5 cavities. After 3th kid another 2 or so ....and now .... nothing.
Me...... my enamel is , according to couple of dentists too good. With loads of inclusions / valley type which cant be cleaned . Cavities in my molars and teeth could not spread out like the normal do ....but they just ' drill' down to the nerve like a laser drill.... So what happened a lot , I could reconstruct , a tiny looking cavity was left alone by dentists as : its soooo small wait till it gets bigger . But they didnt grow bigger ...only deeper.
When 25 years ago we changed dentists as 1th retired , I was so sick of having a yearly check and then couple of weeks right after that ALWAYS had toothache I asked new dentist HOW???? He looked and saw 2 tiny black spots....4 times smaller than his smallest drill..... He said : I drill 4 to 5 times of good enamel away ...lets wait . I told him : DRILL !!!
During drilling he said : this is weird....it doesnt spread out like a normal cavity but goes straight to nerve ..... So he kept smelling on drill bit to check or the hole was ' clean ' as he couldnt see ..... After minutes he said : its clean and I am almost hitting the nerve ..... The other spot was the same. So he said : if it wasnt drilled now but you would have waited another 6 months....cavity would have grown in the last couple of weeks of those 6 months like wildfire resulting in a roothcanal treatment.
The waiting and not knowing this has ruined my teeth before I knew this ......
When I floss regularly, my gums don't bleed when I do it. If I skip flossing for a prolonged time, the next time I floss I'll draw a bit of blood. To me, this is a sign that the flossing is keeping my gums healthy. In theory I would do it every day, but the reality is more like a few times per week. Could there be a different healthy method? Possibly; but I believe flossing is the right method for me, if not for everyone. Age 50 and I intend for my teeth to outlast me.
I had gingivitis for years until I started flossing. The bleeding and swelling has now stopped. I guess everyone is different. You do what works for you.
same. I had puffy gums and my dentist told me to start flossing which I did, and it considerably improved my oral health and now my gums are healthy. This "dentist" doesn't know what she's talking about.
Don’t you wonder, if instead of flossing, you used a strong antiseptic mouthwash the benefit to your gums would’ve been the same. Swishing a strong antiseptic wash e.g. a26% alcoholic Listerine, for a minimum of 30 seconds (feels like such a long time) it can kill or minimize the number viral & bacterial colonies that cause gum inflammation & infection?
Flossing can be damaging if not done Ultra- carefully & gently. Floss can tear into highly vascular gum tissue.
Give me Alcohol wash any time over a dirty piece of string.
@@GumriRN I'll try mouthwash next time. Flossing helped my gums heal versus brushing alone. Do you acknowledge that?
@@StaticBlasterShe has a point. The possibility of pushing the bacteria up into the gum pocket and into the bloodstream. She isn't totally against flossing, but basically to dislodge food particles in places you have one and done very gently.
@@or6144 No she doesn't have a point. The idea is absurd. I never heard of anyone being afraid of "pushing bacteria up into the gum pocket." Plus, bacteria are super small. The odds of you "pushing up bacteria" is unlikely. Additionally, it's called rinsing your mouth out with water multiple times before brushing and sometimes I use Listerine after I floss.
I just started her system 2 weeks ago and the puffy red gum spots have calmed down to normal color. One of my molars was feeling sensitive to chewing and is now getting better. My teeth feel glassy and are whiter. I’ve never liked flossing and what she says makes sense. Her beautiful, shiny teeth were a testimony enough for me to at least give her system a try.
8 weeks in, all tooth pain is gone. My teeth are glassy and getting whiter every day.
I'm in Jamaica and can't get xylitol to buy .how could I get xylitol
Just remember if you do this - xylitol is extremely poisonous for dogs. If you use it, keep it safe from pets.
Luckily we aren't dogs... and don't eat meat or have much in common with them. We are primates and eat fruit.
Xylitol is deadly for dogs.
Also aloe vera.
True. If your dog accidentally ingests, give them sugar or any carbohydrate asap to counteract. Dogs will produce insulin in response to xylitol. This can cause a fatal drop in blood sugar. So you can counteract by giving carbohydrates.
Some people see their dogs as children and I can see where that mistake could happen.
It can also cause tumors in humans.
I'm a retired dental nurse. Dental floss cuts the gum (gingiva) if used incorrectly. Most people don't know how to use dental floss properly. Yes, use floss to dislodge pieces of food, if swooshing with water doesn't help. When over using floss onto the gum, you cause recession of the gum and exposure of the roots. The roots do not have enough enamel protection at that level and therefore you invite decay.
I'm lucky I didn't destroy my gums, chalk that up to being very young i suppose. But I had the worst idea of flossing starting out, emulating what was commonly shown in media: that old back and forth method that's basically slowly sawing away at the gum. Took me an embarrassingly long time to learn you're just supposed to carefully run it down the sides of your teeth.
@@TheTrueNehmees! Why did the commercials show us that incorrect method? Don’t be embarrassed. I thought you had to do that to be thorough. It’s really hard now because my teeth are so far apart because a dentist thought they were too far apart and put what looked like a vibrating pizza cutter in between them. I never had trouble using Glide dental and. Now, large chunks of food get painfully stuck in my gums for days, if I don’t floss. It shows bright or dark, between my teeth. To make matters worse, I have lost teeth because a dentist inappropriately refused to crown my teeth before extracting impacted wisdom teeth and the surgeon inappropriately pulled them. I lost molars on every side at 19 and have spent my life savings to keep the rest of my teeth in my mouth as long as possible. When my surgeon was crying as I came to, I thought he was a kindly person. I should have known he was afraid of being sued because I had told them both all my teeth would crumble out. I will continue to remove food from my mouth, so I don’t smell like an open sewer and walk around in pain. Thank you for the information, so I will be careful doing so.
my dentist told me I need to floss deep because i didnt and my gums receded and i have deep pockets so now I need to floss deep because of that...
“If used correctly”!
@@juodagalvesniegena714 receding gums are caused by for example : (1) incorrect brushing & flossing, (2) getting older/wear & tear, (3) genetic factors, (4) anatomical dentition/structure, (5) lack of brushing, (6) bad diet e.g. soda & acidic drinks, candy, (7) TOBACCO ! & alcohol, (8) irregular dental (preventative) treatment. I could go on. Have you tried using inter-proximal brushes like 'Piksters'? Ask at your chemist/pharmacy or local supermarket. There are many brands and they come in sizes. If your teeth are close together you need a fine brush No. 1 and if wider wider No. 4 and so on and so forth. Good luck
I'm a dentist. It´s tough to accept that flossing is inappropriate in a healthy gum. But I´ll take another look at this, just to get the new facts about it. Thank you for the video.
I'm thinking it really depends on the floss, if we're talking your typical cheap waxed floss using tougher strands probably not good for gums and I've always felt that way, but I'd been using iirc Dr. Collins Periofloss but found something similar locally I've been getting that's very spongy and soft and never breaks or shreds on me despite lots of fillings inbetween my teeth and how close they are, Radius sponge floss is what I use now. Earthpaste is great too and they started adding silver in it(helps control bad bacteria without being too harsh on the good) and I like ultra soft tapered bristles preferably infused with charcoal, helps keep the brush smelling fresh. I'm fine with the soft non-tapered charcoal Colgate brush I've been getting locally, I just go really easy on brushing to start until the bristles soften more. Also the Radius floss is more natural(or at least free of anything plastic-like) than the Periofloss so I like that.
One of my dental hygienists years ago too was kinda amazed at my results considering my history for getting cavities that need to be filled consistently(at 37 in my lifetime including fixing fillings I've probably had like 70+ done, lost 7 or so in my baby teeth just to get 9 more not long after), I'd always deny the fluoride and would never use any at home and was using Earthpaste. For years after my checkups were perfect, basically no enamel left on my teeth and demineralized brown spots. Doing strict keto at times helped but even when I got back on a sugar habit sometimes I'd only brush before bed and not always that, at least rinse my teeth. But I was confident that the main thing was getting enough vitamin K2 Mk-4 naturally from things like fermented skate liver oil, vitamin D3, magnesium, ect. Granted another change was stopping carbonated sugary drinks totally and being strict on sweets too, not just changing to Earthpaste and improving diet in general, but I think the problem is more so lack of nutrients and losing enamel.
At one time I even had a loose broken filling that would kinda pop up, still wasn't strict about sugar(actually was doing zero-sugar almost zero-carb keto most that time until the last 2 months or so, was taking fermented skate liver oil again which I hadn't in years) or brushing at least morning and night for several months(for most those months I was good about avoiding carbs, snacking, and only 1-2 meals and brushing after until last 2 months) and my x-ray showed no decay at all when I finally got in to get it looked at and fixed, I've only really had broken fillings fixed since. TBH I go years at times without getting check-ups if I don't think I really need one, deep fillings turning into abscesses or crowns are a main concern for me but I have really great dental insurance and a $2000 limit on a card specifically for dental care so don't worry about paying for it.
Sorry my comments can get long lol. People also definitely overlook the health of their digestive system in general and how that can affect oral health, like having candida. That can increase sugar cravings using the gut/brain axis leading you to eat more of it so it's not just the microbiome in the mouth that can be problematic. Now that I think about it, it makes sense that people naturally have a strong aversion to people with visibly poor oral health, because kissing them can transmit that.
Love your open mindedness.
Most dentists are morons. Find the books, "Root canal coverup" and "Hidden Epidemic" and you will realize that you are killing people when you perform root canals.
Agreed. I beg to differ... Strongly
I wish she didn't have anything to sell us so that it would be easier to believe. Does she recommend products not from her?
You gotta love someone that loves what they do like her. People like her make the world go around. Thanks
I stopped flossing because it always inflamed my gums. I started using a water pic which effectively gets everything out without any irritation. I've known about xylitol for some time but should use it more regularly. Looking forward to this video to see what else I can do to support my oral health. Thanks for sharing information based on science!
Water pic will irrigate your nerves if you have any crowns.
@@littleme3597 "IRRIGATE" YOUR NERVES ? 😂 🤣 😂 WHAT DOES THAT MEAN ? ANYWAY YOUR CROWNS ARE SEALED WHEN THEY'RE GLUED IN PLACE. THERE ISN'T ANYTHING GETTING IN THERE. L.O.L.
@@TRICK-OR-TREAT236 Irritate by irrigation i guess...
@@gmr1241 IRRIGATION IS FINE FOR FARM CROPS JUST NOT SURE HOW WELL IT WORKS FOR TEETH.
@@TRICK-OR-TREAT236 I dunno... you can irrigate a wound, so maybe? It's a while since I did my first aid...
Since I started flossing I've stopped my gums from bleeding. Without flossing I would have continue having bleeding teeth. So for me flossing has been very very important for my teeth gums and oral health.
Do you ever see blood even a tiny bit when you brush? If it happens often then you still have a problem.
Gums shouldn't bleed at all.
Agree. If I don't floss for a couple days, some of my teeth start to ache.
Try water flossers
@@colinthomson5358 I did have a lot of bleeding on my gums, but since I went to see a hygienist, he cleaned up all the plaque away from my teeth and he said my bleeding around the teeth was caused by me not flossing.
Just cleaning your teeth with a toothbrush without flossing is foolish because you're not taking away the food deposits between the teeth which causes bacterial build up and gum disease.
I also feel very annoyed by the person in this video advising against flossing because she is talking absolute nonsense and my personal experience proves my point.
She is wrong wrong wrong. You don't damage your gums by flossing properly. You can't let food particles rot between your teeth. Flossing gets plaque off and gums do not bleed......do not bleed. She tries to sell her product. Period.
My gums feel better when I floss. I've gone to bed and my gums wanted to be flossed...massaged. I do not use waxed floss. But it feels good. I haven't had a cavity since I was 14. My teeth are excellent. To each his own..
I have been using your mouth care system for two months and have seen a dramatic improvement in my gums! I was a person who flossed after every meal, but it didn't fix my gums. Thank you so much, Dr. Phillips, for being willing to share your knowledge. I will share this with my family and friends.
Do u use the xylitol mints from her Amazon store? What products did you buy? I am going to get the toothbrushes, and a xylitol mouthwash
Have you tried probiotics? It saved my teeth & my son’s as well.
Flossing isn't about healing your teeth directly. It's about removing carbs from your mouth that bacteria feeds off. The bacteria produce acid which damages your teeth over time. That's what floss prevents.
Flossing will also break the film that protects the bacteria from your saliva. So then after flossing water or mouth wash can wash away the plaque easier.
Or don't eat inorganic, processed carbs. No need to floss.
I eat an animal based diet and my dental health has improved even my receding gums are healing but i do get food stuck between two of my teeth where i always need to floss!!! Think i should get hold of that water cleaner thingy
the food that gets stuck between teeth is usually meat, or maybe a popcorn hull or apple peel, not things that contain a lot of carbs. things that stick to the chewing surfaces usually have more carbs, foods like pretzels, potato chips, bread. i use a floss pick occasionally when i need it, i like the glide brand because it's thinner to get in tighter gaps. really the only time carbs stick to the teeth is when dentists leave uneven surfaces and materials that aren't smooth like the original tooth
It's been my experience that all medical fields in the U.S. never focus on good health for their patients.
100%
It's Disease Care, NOT Health Care
Also another good tip is take your fingernails and go around your gums to see if there is any hard build up. And scrape it off with your fingernails. Saves a dentist cleaning.
@saratemp790 Do take care first to rinse fingernails first in hydrogen peroxide to avoid adding more bacteria. Also fingernails can further irritate the gums if they are broken or uneven and can scratch the gum tissue. 💖🙏🏼
@@valeriecarruthers7084 true, peroxide and or mouthwash before and after is a must. Also you have to scrape it gently.
Please read the dental diet. This book changed our oral health. I’m still flossing until more studies come out saying that it’s not beneficial for oral health. We only floss after dinner, and we try to floss as gentle as possible. Mainly just to get the food out. I know flossing too much is also not healthy. Basically excessive of anything good or bad is not beneficial.
It is impossible for those people who experience acidic saliva to simply control plaque with their diet.
if you have alkaline and healthy saliva, and a mouth anatomy that allows you to breathe through your nose ( and you do not have allergies etc.) or take medications.....
then yes, diet may be adequate.
The problem is for women who are pregnant, for people on meds that dry their mouth, or those with other risk factors that make their mouths dry or acidic.
The ideal help for these people is to use xylitol at the end of meals.
i'm in total favor of eating a healthy diet - and our diet will affect our salivary health, but for those who are not ready to change their diet, the cool news is that xylitol is amazing and helps everyone - smokers, drinkers, poor eaters, poor flossers........everyone young and old.
@@dr.elliephillips thanks for the info.
I'm cavity prone with several cavities a year it seems with dental checkups always being bad news. I've flossed before bed and brushed twice a day since early twenties.
At almost 50 I have multiple root canals and a bunch of crowns. I decided at the beginning of this year to start chewing gum after meals to help remove food from in between my teeth, they can catch a lot depending on type of food.
As it turns out I chose mentos gum which has xylitol as the first ingredient. It also has aspartame which I hate, but am now switching brands to no aspartame, just xylitol. Anyway, I had no cavities for my March checkup! Also there were a handful of times I didn't brush in the morning in the months prior to the checkup, just chewed the gum.
I drink coffee primarily in the morning with just whole cream, but now make sure to always chew after coffee.
FWIW, I've cut out sweets and avoid foods with sugar and seed oils (which is a huge amount of food choices, that crap is in everything) and have been doing that for a year. I now hate junk food and processed food and have little to no desire for it because I know what's in it and have come to loath it. Because it's not fit for consumption.
Anyway, it's terrible that the dental industry/profession has pushed what it does- fluoride, mercury fillings, etc. all thanks to the ADA and profit. To think that most of my cavities could have been avoided. Such a shame. I've learned that "experts" are not to be trusted. The arrogance, ignorance and corruption across the board with professionals and "experts" is staggering.
M@@chris2790bro what results have you had with xylitol so far
I enjoyed hearing your view on flossing. I have been in the dental technology field for over 45 years and attended many dental conventions. I've had orthodontic work done and have spent a lot of time in a dental chair. I abandoned flossing and I also abandoned toothpaste. The saliva remineralizes every day. Toothpaste is too abrasive and removes the mineralization process, making the enamel surface vulnerable to acids. I have been using coconut oil and a pinch of baking soda to brush my teeth, once or twice a day. I increased my vitamin C intake and I avoid junk food. I eat healthy and don't drink anything sweet. I once went over 2 years with a cleaning and when I went, there was no blood in the spitbowl. That's when I realized I didn't need to go in any regular basis. The coconut oil leaves my teeth smoother than anything I ever used. You just can't spit into the sink. I occasionally use a Waterpik. My gums are pink and healthy, minimal recession (due to age) and occasionally whiten them. I never use mouthwash or toothpaste as it is bad for oral biome. I don't chew gum because I'm not interested in wearing away enamel. I don't know much about xylitol, and have to do more research on it. You ask why dentists don't discuss alternatives for oral care. That's easy! Why would they kill the goose that lays the golden egg? A healthy patient is a lousy customer. So, on my end I do not recommend using any toothpaste, maybe just occasionally. I'm almost 70 years old and have every useful tooth in my mouth (not counting the ones removed for orthodontic reasons.) I'm glad to know I'm not the only person who doesn't floss. All I could picture is the damage flossing does to the gingival tissue, digging in and spreading more debris and creating more recession due to gingival irritation. So, the only time I floss is when brushing doesn't remove meat or other fibrous foods. Thanks for posting your video!
The best dentist in the world! I've been on your system for 2 years now and I have almost no bleeding at all when I brush my teeth. I used to always have some bleeding and now it's gone. I also feel confident that my teeth are not just going to deteriorate for no reason. You are empowering people and that is amazing.🥰
Vitamin c for bleeding gums.
Now floss and watch the bleeding begin. Lmao
What do you do if you have food stuck between your teeth?
This is interesting. I am 60+. I just went to a dentist after 30 years of not going. I had to go bc my crown just cracked. I was shocked the dentist said I didn't need a cleaning, everything looks really good? I said I hardly floss, just brush two times a day. She said well eating right and brushing is all it takes. I don't think the dentist wants to interfere with whatever is working.
Oh wow! This is a great story. I’m so glad you have such an honest and concerned dentist!
If you want to thank him - many DDS have enjoyed my book Mouth Care Comes Clean. 😁👍
Thank you so much for your information and for being a perfect example of a caring dentist and a person with great dental hygiene. You have won me over! What you are saying aligns with what I have suspected for years. I do get things caught in between two of my teeth and need to floss to get it out after eating meat, but I will not floss anymore with just any old floss. I chewed xylitol gum before going in to get a cavity filled and my dentist told me that the cavity was healing over and the healed part was so hard that she could not drill into it. That got my attention to using xylitol for dental hygiene. Thank you so much for backing up what I suspected the whole time! Xylitol really helps with dental hygiene. I hate flossing and feel like it didn't help except to get the meat from in between my teeth on occasion. You are such a cool dentist!! Keep informing everyone! You are brave to go against the dental community and you need to be awarded for it! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!
Some people who jump into the arguments right away need to watch the video and listen to her completely 😭
IKR
Not everyone has your genetics and you can seriously damage someones life saying this stuff. Unless you have 15 different bridges in your mouth please floss. Big cavities in all my uppers at 18 and bleeding gums and my diet stayed horrible tons of soda(36 now and composites held up so there is that). I still have all the teeth that where worked on(some that where not where extracted years later after the 08 recession) and my gums are pink and don't bleed.
This explains why I had no plaque build up on my teeth last time I went to the dentist. I hadn't been for four years, (my dentist closed during COVID)and I expected the worse. Instead, the dentist said I had very little plaque, no cavities. I use Xylitol every morning to sweeten my coffee since I gave up cane sugar. Every few days I also brush with a mix of coconut oil and baking soda to help whiten my teeth. That was another thing the hygienist noticed, my white teeth. No more flossing. Thanks for sharing this information, I'm going to pass it on to my family.
Try usind Stevia instead of Xlylitol. The last one is not a good idea. And I do not agree about not flossing. How else you get rid of food stuck between your teeth??? This lady is not quite honest.
Will try the coconut oil and baking soda
@@Marianna7117 She said that flossing works for when you had something stuck between your teeth but she would try other ways first. As to saying that Xylitol is not a good choice, well some are allergic to stevia like myself. I just started using the gum with Xylitol. I have not studied Xylitol as a sugar substitute but will, thanks.
I'm always told by every dentist floss stops tartar. It doesn't.
I always have tartar on back of bottom teeth.
Flossing doesn't stop it. Gravity and acid in the saliva are the culprit.
I've always taken very good care of my teeth and tired of dentists telling me I'm not doing enough.
Thank you for this video
I don't mind going to the dentist as overall I have a healthy mouth and haven't had a cavity in 20 years as I brush daily. I go to the dentist every six months and it boggles my mind when they complain about a slight amount of tarter on the back bottom of my teeth, just do your job as that's why I come to you every six months for my maintenance cleaning as they give me lectures on brushing and flossing better. The very thing they are complaining about is what gives them a job.
@@michaelb.8953 exactly!
I had heavy tartar until I started taking vit C and then the tartar accumulation stopped. When I stopped the vit C years later,the tartar came back ( also developed joint problems) I was taking about 3 grams daily.
I began your program about a month ago and thought that I would not be able to go without flossing, but wow, I floss occasionally now, and my teeth feel smooth and clean. Thank you Dr. Ellie Philips!
Update?
If my teeth were prefect then things might be different, but I have cavities, and had to get the water pick out and the floss because food does get wedged in-between my teeth. That said, I did see how my gum ressetion got improved, but now I'm a bit concerned about the mouth micro-bacteria that is tied to good gut health. @@ShepherdMinistry
@@ShepherdMinistryya I heard from her, unfortunately she lost her gums
@@boratlion8613troll or no? Serious comment?
I love flossing! It makes my teeth and mouth feel free. I can feel the yuck in between my teeth. It makes my teeth feel tight. And it feels relieving to floss. Like a relaxing high. That's why I do it. I can't imagine not doing it.
yeah don't listen to this lady or anyone. Just do what works for you using common sense.😁
I can't stand flossing and the more I do it the worse my gums get. I I have found using a tooth pick is the BEST and why our Greats all did it in the past. Anyone flossing I get it you want that FEEL and some do. Try tooth pick. it works great and it's a lost art that ppl have forgot
@@ruby7741 A toothpick may be the way our Greats did it, but most of our Greats had a mouth full of dentures by the time they were seniors too.
just use a superfine toothbrush, better than flossing
@@Onion_Knights I tried that. Not impressed
Not everyone is ready for this information based on some of the comments. However, I appreciate the knowledge. It is reassuring to see that people are stepping out to properly educate everyone. People like you are a threat to the establishment, that is why you have been met with so much opposition. You are helping to spread light in this era of darkness. Thank you for sharing your knowledge ❤
Obvious spambot!😂
@@Patrick_RossYou're an obvious hater.
Yes and I pray this truth and light will spread over every mountain of society including medical, education, justice, social services and education. It is time.
@@Patrick_Ross You're a spambot?
Well said! I just skip the naysayers and skeptics. My opinion is give it a genuine try between regular dental checkups and see what happens before throwing shade at her. Dr. Ellie is a God send to me and my family. All 3 of us are on her system and I shared her knowledge with my mom whom has also gotten her system. Many thanks to this incredible woman for sharing her wisdom with whomever will hear her and do as she suggests. ❤️
I stopped using string floss about 10 years ago because I was unhappy with the bleeding caused by the floss slamming down between my narrowly spaced teeth. I switched to a water flosser and the difference was almost immediate. No more bleeding and the amount of food particles that wash out is impressive. I also use a Braun Oral-B electric toothbrush. On subsequent visits to a Dentist, the hygienist is very impressed at how clean my teeth are.
Yup the water flosser was a game changer.
I use the GRANDADDY of all waterpiks, I use the showerhead on the "pulsed mode" where it's like 3 giant waterpiks at the same time, and best of all when you get water everywhere it doesn't matter since you are in the shower. I go over all my teeth with this for about 1 - 2 minutes. It's the cleanest my mouth has ever felt. I even have 1 cavity with an 3mm gap that would destoy the tooth in a month or 2 but it's been slowly HEALING since being kept very clean over the last 2 years. I always brush after meals too. So despite what's told, teeth can heal. I drink only distilled water which may also help, rarely any pop. My teeth used to also be really loose for a while but they tighened back up since I've been doing this. I also use coconut oil swishing too, that probably helps too.
The floss on a pick can damage gums. I tried it once and ouch. Lol. It's best to use waxed thread floss from a spool and gently slide the floss between the teeth, especially after a fried chicken dinner. 😊
I both use different types of floss for different areas, as well as a waterpik with adjustable water settings. The Waterpik does a good job he still get build up and need to floss. Those people that floss live longer.
@@geminisunleomoon I had the same result, my gums hurt for hours after flossing(wax floss). I'm thinking it makes the gap between the gun and teeth bigger so probably not good.
I always felt that flossing was not effective because you first injure the gums and second push bacteria further into the gum, but since my dentist recommended it I started doing it regularly. Ever since I became a regular user of floss my gums got worse and I couldn’t understand why, now it makes sense.
Don’t push down into the gums. Just get off the gunk and food.
Hell definitely has a special quarters for dentist, right next where the Nazis dwell.
@@main2333 Exactly. flossing is for swiping along the ide of the tooth, and to dislodge food particles. if a person does a rinse with baking soda or an antibacterial rinse with xylitol, there will be no problems with biofilms, etc. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4232036/
Oil pulling/ coconut oil pulling is interesting
Yes exactly, that's why I only used it for a very short time in 1990 , Same thing happened, I've not used it since.
I’ve been a dentist since 1977. Almost all my patients with dentures were the ones who did not floss. Of the great bulk of my patients, the ones who currently had periodontal disease were, again, the ones who had never flossed regularly. Then there were the ones with simple gingivitis. They did not floss regularly either. Next were the ones who religiously used toothpicks after every meal. Most of these had beautiful gums, but some had grooves in their interproximal areas from overzealous toothpicking. Then there were the ones who had used dental floss daily (and correctly) since childhood - these had enviable gingival health. So just from my own clinical observations I would say a person who does not use dental floss is a great candidate for gum disease, although toothpicks and water picks do help somewhat.
Thank you for this comment. This is real wisdom derived from real experience.
I think the problem is that people use mouthwash and flouride toothpaste. These kill off the good bacteria which opens the door to the bad ones.
I WAS on the path of pretty serious periodontal disease, ( pockets and bone loss due to poor dental hygiene). Was referred for gum surgery). Since I'm a lab geek and know the main problem are those nasty anaerobic bacteria. It was time to change my BEHAVIOR. Brushing and flossing 2twice daily, has led to easy peasy dental visits. No more bleeding gums and now just stable oral health. I will look further into what she is saying, I'm just skeptical since I fixed my own gums being proactive and flossing was a big part of it.
@@jondixon5123 Also, if you developed any pockets of 4mm plus depth, using a rubber tipped Proxabrush or even a toothpick to gently massage a teaspoonful of baking soda and peroxide down the pockets is a great anaerobe killer. The pockets should eventually recede to 2mm to 3mm health. Most importantly to know is that simple brushing and flossing CANNOT reach the bottom of a 4mm pocket.
As a dental hygienist of 30 years I can confirm everything you said. I’m going to do some research on this you tube dentist.
Not saying she's wrong. And I'm going to listen. But please keep in mind. she's selling a product and has affiliate links.
So are all Dentists
All roads lead to her products, lol! It a bit ridiculous and obvious. But she MEANS well...
@@marksamson932 That is not a logical reason!
You can't win.
If i don't give links I get thousands of emails asking what to buy.
If I suggest Amazon links - now I'm working for added income.
Please...I would be better to bag groceries for Whole Foods if I was really interested in making money.....
its grose not to floss🤮🤮
I’ve always believed firmly on flossing. I was skeptical, But decided to try one month without flossing because of gum recession. I have noticed my gums are starting to heal. I’m actually surprised and will try your complete mouth care. Thank you for this.
It's available on her website. I was able to find all of the products she recommends at our local drugstore.
What a joke
This woman (I would not call her a dentist) is an ignorant lunatic. It's also unfortunately true that we don't know the optimal force that should be used in brushing and flossing. The dental community generally does a very poor job in research.
@@justinlex2473👈🤡
You’re the clown 🤣🤣🤣
🙈🙉🙊
How did it go?
This is so fascinating. Dealing with gum recession and plaque even though I brush twice a day and floss every night. Just bought her system already feeling things turn around!
what system?? i have recedding gums
Be it dentistry, medical, or psychological, a patient cured is a customer lost.
Thank you very much for this information!
I cannot believe it is all about $$ - but sometimes I wonder!
@@dr.elliephillips It's all about money. Dental tech for for 40 yrs. What Sandy said is absolutely true. I f you've been in the world long enough, and you obviously have, you've seen the shift. It's quite obvious!
@@ehtrudawg6089 The blame is diffuse - the underlying problem is training that dental student receive....focused on treatments of course. In 1970 there was a minimal intervention movement - but leadership died in an airplane accident which is so sad. I believe this was moving us towards prevention - with new science about caries management by risk assessment and improved standards for fillings and cutting teeth.
I stopped flossing and switched to Soft Picks and I believe it helped repair my gum recession. My dentist continues to rave about how great my teeth look. They still tell me to floss bc they have to, but they also tell me "keep doing what you're doing."
Aren't those things hard on your teeth?
@@countryroadstakemehome no, they're called "soft picks" 😀. They are a soft flexible rubber that go between the gums. Check em out if flossing isn't working for you. I'm not talking about the proxy brushes that are small and have a metal wire in the middle.
Interesting because I feel like since I have been flossing one of my teeth have seemed to shift.
What is the name of the soft picks please?
Those are great!
This is all about money, obviously. Big business doesn't want us to be healing ourselves at home, they want business from us. Thank you for the wonderful video of information!
I don't floss much because I am lazy and I have felt shamed all my life. I can't believe there is some support for my negligence!!
Lol same here!
Same here! 😂
Yeah it’s a waste of time
@@Stovetopcookie its just takes too much time and not quick
you are simple and honest to accept that you are lazy. just say 1 2 3 and on saying 3 do it . this is a technique to get things going.
Impressed with the research n experience you have. Your teeth look great n healthy. Your advice makes sense! Thank you!
It's ironic but I visited a new dentist about 20 years ago and the hygenist, who was an older women, who displayed lots of wisdom, had a microscope and showed me samples of the bacteria in my mouth, before and after she cleaned my teeth. Before she cleaned my teeth, she took a sample, put it under a microsope which was magnified on to a tv screen and she pointed out the most deadly ones and what they could potentially do to me....which was pretty scary. Then she cleaned my teeth, took another sample, and the most harmful bacteria was literally, lifeless! Before I left her office, she gave me some free samples of toothpaste and mouthwash, and both of these had xylitol in them. At the time, I thought it was just to sweeten the taste. I had no idea it actually killed harmful bacteria!
That sounds just like me! That was my job as a dental nurse and dental health councillor in Bristol UK in the 1980’s. It was an electron microscope and yes we took samples and showed the patient their own bacteria and then the difference after treatment. I was a young woman then though.
awww wow i hope the person above sees this message from you sounds like you both know what's happening and how it helps to use Xy :) @@Kualabear02
I just started using toothpaste with xylitol and mouthwash with xylitol. My teeth and gums never felt so clean, they are really, really white, I’m impressed every time I clean or rinse my teeth. A fabulous side effect of no longer using regular mouthwash is that the sink drain doesn’t gather odours and never needs cleaning, which was always a thing that gathered over time before 😉😬
I never met a dentist who would give out xylitol gum or toothpaste in his office. The only dentist I ever heard of who recommends xylitol to his patients is Dr. Bruhn, in Germany. His advice worked so well for his patients that he went out of business and had to go to another city to re-open his practice.
I'm 62 and I never had a cavity or gum problems or any other problems in my mouth ever in my life. Most of my life I brushed my teeth once a day, I never floss and I went to the doctor twice in my life to have my teeth cleaned. When I went to have my teeth cleaned, The doctor said my teeth were already clean.
I do feel the saliva has something to do with it. I have never talked a lot and I do not mouth breathe during the day or at night, and I believe that makes a big difference. My teeth are always kept moist by my saliva.
DO YOU HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY OF GOOD TEETH ?
@@BRIANDER100I think the better question is about the person's diet. I think not eating processed foods and sugars have a lot to do for one's dental health.
@@esmeraldagems9487 i think genetics have a bigger impact than diet.
heres the original posted comment by @jaquiobear:
"I'm 62 and I never had a cavity or gum problems or any other problems in my mouth ever in my life. Most of my life I brushed my teeth once a day, I never floss and I went to the doctor twice in my life to have my teeth cleaned. When I went to have my teeth cleaned, The doctor said my teeth were already clean.
I do feel the saliva has something to do with it. I have never talked a lot and I do not mouth breathe during the day or at night, and I believe that makes a big difference. My teeth are always kept moist by my saliva."
no matter how perfect a persons dental routine is, if their family has a history of bad teeth, their teeth are prob gonna suffer too. @jaquiobear is blessed with great teeth if what theyre saying is true. seriouslly, only two dental cleanings ever??? no tartar buildup after all that time? im sorry but that sounds too good to be true. either that, or jaquiobear is leaving out some important details
I would not be able to stay quiet😂. Could be good genes.
I'm 68, I never brush, I never floss, I drink whiskey all day, and never had a cavity. These doctors don't know what they are doing. Drink whiskey kills bacteria, you don't need to brush and floss, you don't need to go to the dentist at all. Most dentists work for large corporations anyway, it's a scam.
Retired dentist here. The problem with flossing is that most people don't do it properly even after being shown the correct technique several times (the same with brushing properly). I do find this interesting and am always open to new information so will look into her protocol.
When I was a little kid, my dentist was my neighbor. He really emphasized flossing gently & correctly. I've never have had bleeding or issues that other ppl get. I think learning correctly made a huge difference, because I've notice most ppl don't floss in the same way I do.
I'll just comment in order to be notified by YT if you decide to comment more after studying her protocol. Looking forward to an informed comment.
25:30 she admits to having financial interests in promotion of xylitol . Because it's so damn expensive ..whoops effective.
@@troycambo she left dentistry to help spread the awareness of Xylitol by moving onto backing up what she now believes in. She said she is a sales person for saliva. She shows studies that seem to make a lot of sense, if they all check out, it would seem the floss industry is the one with a financial interest. I’m sure she would make a lot more pushing regular dental products vs trying to educate people on this information that I doubt we are ready to hear. Good for her. Pioneering at her age says a lot. Its not like she is thinking “oh im going to sell a shit load and retire at 40”.
Yes agree. I lost mine that was RCT treated
Dr. Ellen, i used your mouth system for two months and have seen significant improvements with my teeth. I will contiue with this and hope to get better results. May i ask you two questions? I have a bridge and was told to floss it with a speciall needle. In your opinion is it necessary? Second question is about the listerine cool mint. Does it has to be alcohol based? Thank you so much!
In another video , the dentist said that your gums are actually attached to your teeth and the floss breaks the attachment. Therefore bit should be acceptable to floss but only down to just before where the teeth and gums meet.
your comment turned a lightbulb on in my head! if there are fibres holding your gums on to your teeth, it makes absolute sense that flossing below the gum line - which the hygienist tells you to do - will break those fibres and detach your gums from your teeth. thanks!
I’m a 44 year old mother of seven children (yes, that is pertinent information, since teeth suffer a great deal during pregnancy). I had a lot of cavities as a child, even though I was taught to brush and floss, and saw the dentist regularly and had standard scheduled fluoride treatments. I still wound up with plenty of cavities which were filled with metal (1980’s and 1990’s)
Since being a married woman, for the past 22 years, I only brush once or maybe twice a day, and only floss when I feel that there’s something caught that should come out.
I have not had any cavities during my married life. Even with the enamel loss, cracks and chips from all the pregnancies. I credit my fairly good tooth, and gum health with NOT VISITING DENTISTS!
I have only visited dentists twice during the last 22 years, once 19 years ago, for a toothache during a pregnancy, which the dentist wouldn’t treat because I was pregnant, so they did no good nor harm.
The only other time I went was three years ago, for a “cleaning”. What was I thinking? It was a big mistake! After seeing the dentist, I suffered with bleeding gums, tooth decay, toothaches, and even a loose tooth!
Since then, I haven’t been back and my teeth are doing well again.
I do wish I could have all the metal fillings removed from my teeth. But I cannot afford it.
Metals are very dangerous if you have different metals on your mouth, e.g. gold and quicksilver, then it dissolves quickly because of the battery effect. If you ever let quicksilver fillings get removed, be sure that you and the dentist are protected from the quicksilver vapours created by the removal.
And I don't go to doctors!
I was told to get my metal fillings removed because I had them for decades and they would eventually cause my teeth to crack. Well, this dentist removed two metal fillings which was an aggressive ordeal and he wound up going too deep causing nerve exposure. Long story short, I had to get a root canal TWICE on one tooth and now I have a crown. Also, that tooth just doesn’t feel right and I still have soreness but I’m afraid of the next step which would be an implant. Unreal and I’m so angry about it. They paid for all of this but I now have a crown and soreness. If it ‘ain’t’ broke, don’t ‘fix it is my daily motto now.
@@lauraorourke1805 It's a great big racket. ESPECIALLY in the US; it's all about the MONEY.
I am SO sorry for your loss! (I've had the most horrific dental history). If you have your own teeth, that is amazing and wonderful. I hope there is some sort of resolution with the crown. (I lost all of my teeth).
@@lauraorourke1805if you’re in washington state i can recommend a great dentist.
So happy someone champions xylitol! Xylitol is also a 1:1 replacement for sugar for less than 1/3 its calories. Not only it's good for teeth but it's good for health and compatible with keto diet. Win/ win/ win results. I prefer birch xylitol over corn xylitol because corn is gmo. Great video thanks!
Thanks for the interesting infos. Just a tip, if you want to keep all your followers, it would help to get a pro microphone. The sound is pretty bad.
I find that a water pick is way more effective at cleaning between the teeth and under the gum line in front and behind the teeth than flossing every can. It stimulates the gums and reduces and even eliminates gum bleeding in just a few days. Start out with a low water pressure and after a few weeks you can increase the pressure. If I find a sensitive gum area then I know to use the water pick to flush out that area more so I spend more time on it. Floss in my opinion is best used to get chunks of food that are stuck between the teeth and believe me you can feel when food is stuck between them. Great video. :D
Exactly what I have been doing for 20 plus years
Will definitely try water pick
I’m with you, Dr. Phillips. I’m 52 years old and have never flossed my teeth. During my two-decade career in the U.S. Army, my dentists didn’t know I didn’t floss, but they all told me to keep doing what I’m doing. My ex-wife, on the other hand, always flossed, and I had to keep paying for additional dental care for her and my children. Now that I’m married to a dental hygienist, I still don’t floss. It makes no sense. Keep up the great work. 👍🏻
I think that's disgusting i floss once a week or so plus you got married....again? WTF is wrong with you marriage is a death sentence for men nowadays
You're just a shill. Rxextxaxrxdxexd one.
First: "stop flossing" thus spoke the porcelain teeth old woman.
Second: how could I've guessed since minute one she would be selling me some sxhxixt? She's not a detinst. She's a xylitol seller, pusher.
Since I started flossing regularly my teeth stop bleeding. So as far as I'm concerned it's simply complete nonsense not to Floss.
@@timkempuk How about different approaches work for different people. To each their own, be respectful of others.
Finally! Someone actually reputable that won't just charge £1000 per tooth, or believes in the tooth fairy! We need more decent dentists with integrity, is skeptical and scientific.
Amen to that.l just got a $10000 pill to fix my teeth and l flossed and brushed all my life.that just don’t make sense.l just brought all the things this Dr recommended.lm going to do exactly what she said to do.
So Amen to that🙏🙏🙏
I agree ☝️
@@mcanultymichelle on the flip side, I've never followed dental advice (I still brush frequently, but not religiously) and practically never flossed, have never had dental issues.
@@williambelmont9601 that’s good news .Because l can’t for the life of me get my sons to floss regularly .Maybe l should just let them be. I am got to show this video to them and let them decide for the self’s. Thanks 🙏
I have had gum disease for my entire adult life. I'm 47 years old and had my first child at 18. I've had 2 deep cleanings, and my dentist was cleaning my teeth 4 times a year, i was flossing daily, brushing twice a day, and I could not get rid of gum disease. In fact, my hygienist started using a highly "anticeptic" rinse while cleaning to keep frim driving those germs further into my system during cleanings. All of it did not work, and I spent thousands of dollars. I have stopped going to the dentist because it didn't work, and this system is all I use. I just started, and I am confident that it works already. I feel it in my mouth and gums already. My teeth, after 24 hours on this system, feel better than they ever have after professional cleanings. My mind is blown!🎉
I used to have lots of bleeding whenever I went for dental hygienist cleaning. My gums were definitely showing signs of inflammation and early gum disease. I started flossing every night about three years ago. It was the only change I made to my dental care routine. Since then my gum never bleed at a cleaning and they look healthy and pink. I’m 59 and I feel better about my oral health than I ever have. Am I wrong to think my gums are mire healthy now because they are pink, not receding and never bleeding with easy pain free cleanings? My personal experience strongly suggests that flossing has significantly improved my oral health.
Cool story Mr Reach representative!
It depends what you eat and how much space there is between your teeth.
@@dayoonman3264 lol…
I think flossing and sorta banging up against your gums just toughens them up.
Same story here. My dentist said any bleeding means poor gum health. Within two weeks of starting regular flossing, bleeding in my gums stopped, and successive checkups were better and better on all scores. Perhaps GENTLE flossing is the key, and some folks may not do it right? That said, I'm happy to add a xylitol gum or rinse to my routine!
To all the uneducated "skeptics" -- this "lady" is actually an expert -- she's a board certified Dentist, a retired Professor of Dentistry, has years of Research experience in Dentistry, and on top of that, has decades of experience in Preventative Dentistry in Europe. She also has one of the most perfect mouths in the United States -- literally the only dentist with the best dental health in the U.S. (there was a big contest among dentists on this about ten years ago). You can't beat this.
Before you put "skeptic" in quotation marks, why wouldn't you or anyone NOT be skeptical? I am not saying she is wrong, but to conclude that she is a board-certified dentist and a retired professor of dentistry and decades of experience as proof of her claims because she is an expert, why wouldn't you take into account the hundreds of thousands of experts with similar or more credentials? Everyone should be skeptical about everything, starting with "I am an expert. Therefore I am right." Further skepticism has to come when we find out that she is the owner of the company supplying the supplement and system she is peddling. Again, I am not saying she is wrong. I am not saying she is a charletton or a quack, I am just saying that everyone should be skeptical and her evidence (at least as presented here; I have not read or listened to anything else) is pretty weak and circumstantial.
@@the_potmo I'm saying your skepticism on this point is extreme and unjustified, on top of irrational. But I understand where it comes from (lack of experience with critical thinking opportunities and scientific training). Sabine Hofstadter has a great video on this phenomenon of extreme skepticism. All the best.
Hmmm... it sounds like you are being paid by this lady to spout off her "credentials" in the comments section LOL
Ya, but the other experts are also experts. The experts you agree with are experts and the experts you disagree with are also experts.
@@sierragold I'm sorry you are unable to distinguish between a logical argument and propaganda. Thank you for proving my 2nd point though.
Wow! This is crazy. I’ve been a Dental Hygienist for almost 30 years, and one of my deep dark secrets is I don’t floss! Lol But I certainly believed it was the right thing to do, it’s just I’m not a very compliant patient myself…
Great info!
Love this 😁
If your employer reads this, you are so busted!
the two very best tips I picked up from yourself were to use a xylitol toothpaste and (much more importantly) *reapply toothpaste three times* during brushing. in all my years of dentist visits, no one had the forethought to tell me these two points.
now I brush once a day and can't remember the last time I flossed. I never have fuzz on my teeth and the small gaps between them stay clean throughout the day. any plaque and tartar I had has been reversed and my teeth usually have that "just back from the dentists" feeling of clean.
thank you and God bless you and yours for all that you do.
Was using xylitol months ago and I stopped as I finished my stuff. I went back to regular toothpaste as it’s easier to get it. I will be reordering again my xylitol supplies this week. I knew about xylitol before I found this video and thanks for further explaining xylitol and the flossing part. I also felt that flossing wasn’t good for my gums. It was irritating my gums and I thought maybe I was doing it wrong.. Thanks for sharing!!
My favorite toothpaste, NOW Solutions Xyli White Toothpaste Gel Cinnafresh, has 25% Xylitol and no fluoride. Whole foods might have it. Or a health store. I order it online from Vitacost or SwansonVitamin. My second favorite is their Refreshmint. They have other flavors: Coconut, Charcoal, etc. Those are ok, but not as good as the first two. I didn't care for the Platinum.
@@Growmapthanks for sharing this info. Looking for a great non Fluoride toothpaste.
@@workfromhome411_ I've tried many brands. And I really like that one. The Cinnafresh is my favorite and I really like the Refreshmint, too.
@@Growmap Thank you!
Please google xilitol side effects
Thank you for being brave and sharing this important information. I never knew this about floss.
You are so welcome! Thank you for watching.
Wow. I am steadily learning that I have been misled my entire life about oral health care and to deeply destructive effect. What a bummer. Thanks for the facts, Doc. Great video.
If you like to get the entire picture of how we should manage oral health - my book Mouth Care Comes Clean is pretty comprehensive and was published 2019....so not too long ago.
We should begin by education of pregnant moms about their oral bacteria and how they transfer to the baby.
How to clean teeth with xylitol as they erupt and through the preschool years.
This has been.a program in Finland for over 60 years.
My youngest children and all my grandchildren have been the beneficiaries of this approach - not a cavity between them all.
We've been misled about medical care as well. Whatever makes the most money for all involved is what they recommend and many studies are tweaked and skewed to give the result/outcome they desire to prove there point. I trust none of them.
I don't think you've been intentionally misled. Our dental hygienist genuinely doesn't seem to believe me or my dad when we tell her that we don't floss (but we do use a bunch of mouthwashes and xylitol).
@@dr.elliephillipsI’m a physician in regenerative medicine, (have had a very successful clinic for decades). It has been obvious to me that dentistry hyper-focuses on cleaning to pretty much the entire exclusion of feeding the body. The emphasis instead needs to be on how to effect healthy gums, teeth and jaws through diet. Our ancestors didn’t brush. They didn’t floss. And they did not get cavities. Why not? Grass fed, pastured animal products: glands, cartilage, bone, marrow, minerals and vitamins from these foods were their food fare. The use of cow and fish sources were the primary contributors to oral health. They ate most of what was edible of these animals, including the hides and fish eggs. Would we need density much if everyone ate this way? Regeneration doesn’t occur because we clean ourselves. In terms of nutrition, it’s not enough for a dentist to tell us not to eat sugar. Engagement with patients by giving relevant nutrient advice must be at the forefront of dentistry instead of cleaning and repairing issues after they occur - due to the fact that our diets are sorely lacking. We can do better, we used to.
I am a specialized dentist and i say that flossing has no magical action on improving the oral hygiene, it simply "and as you have stated" cleans the food which is trapped between the teeth, which in turn if left there with out removal by flossing will ferment and be a focus for bacterial colanization causing gum decease and tooth decay at that area, otherwise how can you clean the area if brushing doesnt help. This is just like saying stop cleaning behind your ears or cleaning your nose or cleaning between your toes, cleaning is cleaning as long as the mothed doesnt cause harm to the tissue it is necessary.
I agree, though she seems to think that flossing pushes harmful bacteria down into your bloodstream, so that's something of a concern...
She explains in her "Skip dental cleanings" video that xylitol suppresses pathogen colonization and encourages beneficial bacteria, which have a protective effect. She says that flossing to scrape away the bacterial film (as it's commonly used) disrupts the beneficial bacteria. The studies on xylitol do appear promising. I'm curious what your thoughts on her other video are
@@beemo9 My periodontist, who lectures on the matter, told me X isn't very effective for perio type bacteria. Though I'm still a bit unsure, most of the reports seem to be on tooth decay bacteria.
@@Peleski Supposedly it helps reduce one of the main perio bacteria. For more on that, google PMC10098279
you are right, it is worth adding that if someone has a problem with tartar, they can more quickly get bone loss in the lower front teeth. the toothbrush only cleans 60% of the tooth surface.
Thank you for having this channel, I just found you and subscribed.
I had perfect teeth, until I moved to the US (from Belgium & Africa) at 24 and was told I needed an annual dental visit.
The dentist insisted that I have to have something bothering me with my teeth after he examined me and said my teeth are perfect and this is not normal.
So, i told him between my top left upper 5th & 6th teeth from the front, meat tends to be stocked there. Next I noticed he filed down one of my teeth, and said, "now that there is a bigger space meat will no longer be stocked." 3 months or so later I had my first cavity ever... and then I have been working at saving that teet since then.
What part of Africa? Is it Congo by any chance? I grew up in Belgium too. I have been experiencing dental issues since I moved to the States too.
Your diet may have changed. Less healthy food in the US
I have been flossing for 10 years, and have not had a cavity since I started flossing, before that, I had always cavities even with good brushing, morning and evening, I will continue doing that for the rest of my life.
Look at me I never floss and haven’t had a cavity in my life
So everyone is different I guess
@@Greencloud8 Or your teeth have enough space in between for the brush to clean well. mine trap the food in the crevices.
@@luzdubon8996 probably s
I flossed every day, and didn’t mind doing it, but in my early 40s, I stopped for a bit, and did it only every 4 - 5 days, as maintenance, or if a larger piece of food got wedged in.
What eventually developed was a cavity BETWEEN my teeth (first time). I felt that telltale ache, and was surprised that this occurred, since I was still brushing daily. This particular spot had a tiny gap, and since I wasn’t flossing frequently enough (and the toothbrush wasn’t able to get in there), the tinier food particles and plaque weren’t being cleared out.
I’ve since resumed DAILY flossing, and haven’t had any cavities since. Maybe people w/ certain diets may NEVER experience cavities, but I do consume sugars, so I want to make sure I never have tooth decay again, for the rest of my life.
I’ve used xylitol before, and couldn’t understand why I was experiencing inflammation, but I’m sensitive to corn-derived products, so I wasn’t able to continue using that as a sweetener.
Thanks for sharing your experience
Tldr summary
1. Avoid Improper flossing, pushing bacteria into gum. Add toothpaste into floss string, get technique right, and use clean string only.
2. Do not floss when you have a wound, infection, inflammation.
3. *Not mentioned* Everything she said, does not apply to water flosser. You can also add a bit of mouthwash to water flosser.
4. Saliva is your best natural 'flosser' and the key to oral health.
5. Xylitol, a sugar substitute, gives you better saliva.
6. Flossing is optional if your saliva is strong and healthy. *Which i disagree. Coz, you will never know if your saliva is 'strong' lol. But anyway the point is, dont overfloss. Dont floss wrongly. Use water flosser if you cant floss properly. It is however true that some people have healthy teeth despite not flossing. They tend to have healthy lifestyle, natural strong saliva, and rarely consume sugar.
Ty
Look who disagrees here! Professor of BS University
It's so funny to see this pop up on my TH-cam thread, because I recently asked my dentist if flossing and waterpik can actually cause more harm than good! Lately, I question everything that we have been told about our health, and medicines. I have also recently started getting thermography with ultrasound in lieu of mammograms. What is frightening is that they shut you down when you tried talking about this. That's the opposite of what doctors/scientists used to do hundreds of years ago. By shutting you down, they are saying there is nothing more to learn. Truly dangerous.
Also, would you happen to know of any herbs that can be chewed that would also lower bacteria? Mouthwash is much easier, but I'm just curious.
clove
Was your cell phone near you while you talked to your dentist?
Do not use mouthwash from your dentist or OTC.
Agree...studies that don't go along with industry profits are suppressed--what I learned from Covid. I will never have faith in scientific studies again after reading how much money is funneled to those doing the studies as well as media sharing science.
@@pontocinza Ehmm, I am just getting back from taking my dad to the dentist and I got this video in my feed. That’s where we’re at.
Thank you for your contrarian and pioneering work. You chart the road back to sane dentistry 👍
Agreed!
Of Course! Thank you for watching.
@@dr.elliephillips Thank you. All my health issues were caused by dentists. Mercury fillings in malnourished children is devastating. It caused me acute pain: ear aches, headaches, toothaches that took 4 aspirin to curb. I still remember heating washcloths in front of the hall heater to lay on my face. And my mother warming oil in a teaspoon to pour in my ears. The side with 4 mercury fillings has hearing loss, and now continual Tinnitus. No doubt mercury flooded my brain and organs.
Another immediate symptom was inability to stand cold at all. I begged the teachers not to make me go outside. I'd huddle on the ground, pulling my coat down to try to stay warm. Just shaking. Poor parents who didn't buy things bought me thigh high socks. (Girls couldn't wear pants back then even under their dresses even if there was snow on the ground.) That persisted for decades. I couldn't stay warm with 3 layers of clothing in southern California! After 40+ years, that finally faded away and I can tolerate 40-50F degrees now.
The mercury fillings caused immediate gum problems: bleeding, sensitive. All that was bad enough, but then when I was 15 I got braces. Every time they tightened the bands, I couldn't eat for 3 days. Couldn't even drink for an entire day. In my 40s, I found out most of my teeth were dead. Now at 66, two dead teeth broke off, 1 fell out, the rest turned yellow and 1 almost fell out and then stopped, so now it is lower than the rest.
So far, they're hanging on. Two of the mercury filled teeth have cracked open. One of them is missing a slice of tooth. A couple of the dead teeth are now decaying. But between mercury caused issues including EHS, I've chosen to live with them as is over potentially causing more problems.
Thankfully, I freelance from home so the appearance isn't as big a deal for me. And years ago when I went 100% healthy diet, clean products I switched to NOW Solutions Xyli White Toothpaste Gel Cinnafresh which is 25% xylitol. And I sometimes take other things that contain xylitol.
I've considered trying to get those clip over fake teeth in case I need to be around people. But as uneven as my teeth are they might not even work. If you have any suggestions for me, I'll be watching for a reply.
@@GrowmapSame here.45 year old with plenty of mercury fillings still.Have tinnitus,can's stand cold,and have many autoimmune disorders. Also,my gums are receding too.
@@ely42609 I'm sorry they got you, too. I used to freeze if it was below 60. But now I can handle 40s-50s without really bundling up. Before, I froze in 3-4 layers of wool, ski clothing and down jackets.
Yes, I've had gum issues since I got the fillings. And the groups of people who can't tolerate being around cordless, wireless or "smart" devices.
Personally, I don't use WiFi and never have. Never used a smart phone. Have a flip phone charged up but powered off - only for emergencies. Nothing cordless, wireless or smart anywhere here and no neighbors closer than 1/3 mile to avoid their smart meters, WiFi, wireless security and fencing and vehicles full of frequencies.
I want people to imagine what it would be like to never go anywhere there are people with wireless devices.
Even national parks are installing cell towers and WiFi. Ridiculous.
Nobody ever says flossing replaces brushing , flossing has a role to play , complementing brushing , to maintain oral hygiene
Don’t swallow everything she says , think critically
No, she said flossing has its place, but only in the context with brushing your teeth with toothpaste. She said she's "not against floss" as long as it is used with toothpaste together with brushing your teeth.
She wants to sell
I had multiple fillings up until age 25. After that I started flossing and haven't had a single filling in the 10 years since. Maybe there are better alternatives to flossing but the last 10 years have demonstrated that flossing is at least super beneficial for some.
I DO NOT floss. I find it unnatural. I however brush very well and with fluoride-free toothpaste. My smile looks great and my breath is never offensive. I also rinse with water throughout the day. I hate and I don’t go to the dentist. There, I said it!🙋🏻♀️ Thank you so much for this video Dr. Phillips🤍 and yes, please brush your TONGUE too👅, Lol
Thx for the reminder regarding tongue brushing. It will be an important part in my oral hygiene routine.
ISN'T BRUSHING YOUR TEETH "UNNATURAL" ?
Brushing isnt enough. Need to use a water pic for where gums meet teeth.
@@gmo709 NEED TO USE FLOSS !
And the inside of your cheeks, apparently. My dentist asked me if I brush the inside of my cheeks as well as my teeth/tongue, and when I said I didn't she kinda scoffed and went "Do YoUr ChEeKs ToUcH YoUr TeEtH??"
When I had to get a tooth capped, the dentist left a huge gap between it and the next tooth so now, every meal I have, I get food stuck inbetween. The next time I visited he said my gum in that place was receeding. because all the food was not being flossed out. This made me angry because I know it was because of the huge gap he left, not the flossing. Thanks for being honest.
I really suggest you explore the benefits of xylitol and also massaging with a resilient - not soft- brush around the area that is causing you problems.
A soft brush will not stimulate the repair that is necessary.
The wrong kind of oral care products can potentially strip teeth of the microbes involved in oral healing and health.
Xylitol at the end of meals - followed by an hour or so when you do not sip or eat or drink anything - not even water - will give this area an opportunity to heal.
ore information about my suggestions at DrEllie.com
I would get a second opinion on that crown. It sounds like you have an open contact that will cause problems down the road. Been there, done that.
Me too same experience ..if u want good teeth stay away from dentists
Thanks for making such informative and useful videos! I've recommended your channel to a few people already. If I can make a suggestion also, you should maybe lower your sound recording level. There's some static sound on your videos that's usually caused by an input volume that's too high. Depending on how you record them, you can either lower it directly on your equipment or in the software you're using to make your recordings, or if you're using a microphone that's connected to a PC you can lower it by opening the properties of your microphone in the sound parameters, usually found in the control panel, but it may depend on your Windows version (I haven't used the latest one yet). If you're on a Mac, there's a way to do it too but I I would have to look it up.
Thank you for your interest.
I know truth when I hear it and boy oh boy am I glad to hear this goodbye floss and hello less time cleaning and damaging my teeth when I can change the environment of my mouth! ❤❤Bless you lady!
I hope you try my strategies!! Don’t just stop flossing. Replace it with a better way to care for teeth. 🦷😁👍
I only go to the dentist every 4 years to make sure nothing is wrong that I can’t instinctively detect . They’re always amazed that my teeth look great . I rarely floss . I don’t smoke or vape or drink anything like coffee or alcohol. I just eat a healthy diet and I really don’t feel the need to go to the dentist because I know I’m doing self care right . I also try to avoid X-rays and fluoride at all costs . They don’t like when you don’t want an X-ray which is why I only go every 4 years now . Sometimes they have a fluoride alternative to polish the teeth at the end of the cleaning but some places don’t .
Every time I have asked that they not x-ray my teeth, they say, "It's no worse than walking around in the sun." One time I said, "Except that I don't throw on a lead apron when I walk around in the sun." I don't go to the dentist anymore unless I have a problem.
@@SunshineCatwoman I find it so frustrating that there so little understanding of fears about x-rays.
It is ridiculous that most people get x-rays every 6 months.
How many is that in a lifetime?
As a child they used to x-ray to check shoe fitting in shoe stores - to ensure your toes were not cramped in the shoes.
What a terrible health risk in the middle of shoe stores.
My Dad would take multiple x-rays believing this was in my best interest of my feet.
One day all these machines quietly disappeared.......Here is a link to the story of these shoe fitting x-ray machines:
daily.jstor.org/when-shoes-were-fit-with-x-rays/#:~:text=Fluoroscopes%20were%20used%20in%20shoe,%2Drays%20were%20well%2Dknown.&text=In%20a%201957%20issue%20of%20The%20British%20Medical%20Journal%2C%20H.
Contrary to what she said, I wanted to clarify that yes there is a study linking flossing to health, although not oral health. Regular flossing has recently been linked to lowering biomarkers that indicate heart disease risk, called C reactive protein or CRP. I'm not at heart disease risk, so I think I'm going to be flossing very gently and more discriminately. I appreciate that she is speaking her truth, even though it is against the grain of standard Dentistry. I'm grateful that ScrewTube hasn't censored her
Do you think it’s simply because the type of people that floss are the type of people that care about their health & physical appearance. I would imagine someone that uses floss is probably also more likely to work out & eat properly.
@@anastasiadodson9045 yup, healthy user bias. That epidemiology study is of worthless
@@museitup4741 thank you for your input & not trying to make me feel dumb. I value intelligent conversation. Thank you for that.
@@anastasiadodson9045 it wasn't an epidemiological study, 300 patients randomly agreed to do one or the other
@@anastasiadodson9045 You can see the other comment below, Dr. Gundry's patients were randomly chosen, 300 of them, to either floss or not floss, it was done over several months. He decided to do the study because he started flossing and had not been flossing his whole life, and he was surprised that his own C-reactive protein got better. That's why he did the study to see if it was real. I put this man at a very high level of scientific integrity. And I feel that he has a very good heart, no pun intended since he's a renowned heart surgeon. And these guys don't get paid to publish. Also the study was published in a very prestigious Journal. I know it's tough these days trying to navigate, even though I'm scientifically trained, I try to use my gut a lot to see the truth. Best to you.
Brushing my teeth does not remove food bits from between my teeth. Only flossing removes them
She says to floss if you have a piece of food stuck between your teeth at only two minutes in
@@kandamy1 More like 14 minutes, after pretty much saying over and over not to floss, you don't need to floss, it's damaging, etc.
@@kandamy1 99% of time you dont detect/feel that microscopic piece of food between your teeths.. thats why you have to floss anyway
@CarbageMan bro she literally finishes saying that you should floss to get food out at 2:30.
@@UserName-vt8ly dude i'm not ur bro
Lots of fantastic information. I’ve over flossed for too many years, yes great oral hygiene but terrible damage to my gums. Now I’m at an age where gum retention becomes an issue, and so, about 8 months ago I sought information online and came across a video of Dr. Phillips. She encourages us to reduce flossing to a minimum and encourage gum repair, whilst controlling bacteria. I started to reduce flossing and started using a toothbrush head with flossing action (far less intrusive) added a midday mouthwash and I believe I have not only reduced my gum damage but even improved it. It’s certainly not on the path of destruction that I’d put it on. Not sure that I’ve even had xylitol in anything yet, but grateful for the advice. Thank you Dr. Phillips.
I have periodontal disease and was told that flossing is imperative ~ I didn’t understand how pushing a string down into my already diseased gums would help~ I’m glad my intuition was right… now to get some xylitol! Thank you very much Dr Ellie Phillips :)
Erythritol has similar dental benefits to xylitol but is less irritating to the bowels and not toxic to dogs.
She is selling something
This is brilliant! Really, it just makes sense. Thank you for standing up for truth in dentistry. ❤
Thank you SO much, you are very kind to share your important information to we non dentists. I am presently fighting periodontal disease, and I have ordered the products you've suggested. I am excited to use your program. Though I just found you on TH-cam today, the last few months I have been using xylotoyl toothpaste with good results. Best wishesto you and your family!
One thing that stops the progress of periodontal that I’ve found is activated charcoal…the powder kind…brush ur teeth with it then swish it around ur entire mouth for 5-10 mins and then spit it out…the clumps are bacteria and parasites …it’ll blow ur mind! Pour running alcohol over what u spit out and watch the things squirm! We all have it in our mouths so it’s not abnormal
I remembet going to a dentist back in the 80s I believe, and the hygienist was so rough...she said u have to "make your gums bleed" when u floss and proceeded to do it on mine. It was very violent and I thought "how odd" back then...Why be rough? This is so right!
She didn't tell you your gums are supposed to bleed normally. If your gums are unhealthy, they ARE going to bleed from normal flossing. But to get the gums healthy again, you have to floss every day, let them bleed, and eventually, they won't. You probably also need a deep cleaning below the gum line. But "make your gums bleed" was her telling you its ok to floss and let them bleed. I've been through all this, and fixed my problem.
It's a miracle that your video got my attention in the right column. I've flossed every night for the last four years. No more! I flossed before brushing. My dentist bought a new laser cleaning system from the US and convinced me to have him clean my teeth in Dec 2022 for the first time as his patient in 15 years in Buenos Aires. My molars were all filled with amalgams before I was 12. Nobody taught me how to brush, and I loved eating sugar. A dental hygienist taught me how to floss in my 40s. At 75, my concern is a receding gum line. No more flossing for me. I'm going to review all your videos.
You've presented a compelling argument. I'm usually a sceptic but you've won me over.
do more research! If you can be persuaded by a YT vid, give you credit card to an adult to look after it for you.
That's because this "lady" is actually an expert -- she's a board certified Dentist, a retired Professor of Dentistry, has years of Research experience in Dentistry, and on top of that, has decades of experience in Preventative Dentistry in Europe. She also has one of the most perfect mouths in the United States -- literally the only dentist with the best dental health in the U.S. You can't beat this.
@@VaughanMcCue it sounds like you've already done your own. Would care to enlighten us? I doubt u can even cast a shadow over her argument!
@@marissakeynes2532
If an individual makes medical or any important decisions based on information from one insignificant Yt promoter, they should reconsider their epistemology.
I am not interested in playing verbal tennis with whatever this marketing presenter said.
Could you read my precise words if you are genuine in your protestations?
I am interested in corresponding with you and having a genuine dialogue.
If you have other concerns about significant social issues, I would like to discuss those because this sales pitch is boring.
Thanks for your interest and contribution.
there are too many myths in medicine.. even in chemistry (I'm a chemist)... it seems that these 'myths' exist all over and people don't challenge the status quo. So the myths keep propagating. Excellent video! The YT algo sent me this suggestion. Liked and subscribed... of course. Cheers!
Exactly... good way to put it. We live inside our myths... and that's all they are. But we can't tell the difference while in a fallen state.
I know shes selling a system, but she does actually describe how you can do what she suggests by getting the items yourself and she shares her methods openly, there isnt a paywall to access it. Shes described her methods many times in videos. Im interested in her advise and her explanation makes a lot of sense.
Best decision I ever made for my oral health.
She actually doesn't sell anything else than Xylitol which you can purchase anywhere you want. The "system" is just 5 products you find in pharmacies
Thank you Dr Ellie for breaking the status quo. I love you.
People will love to hear this. because it affirms what they want to hear if they don’t like flossing.
I am glad I switched to Young Living floss, but I also stopped flossing as much as I used to because I noticed my gums always bled a little when I flossed, so I stopped and made my own mouthwash & started oil pulling & it has been amazing!
Flossing made a huge positive difference in my life. When I came first to the United States I had never flossed before. My gums were weak and bloody, and probably stinky. My dentist explained to me how to do it and how important is. He said not to worry about the blood and that with consistent floss my gums will straighten up. After a year of constant flossing, my dental hygienist told me that my teeth are neat and clean and there is almost nothing to clean. My bleeding stopped completely.I truly believe flossing truly saved my gums! I am opened to try the technique mentioned in the video but would not give up flossing.
Thank you so much for confirming that regular flossing is shoving bacteria down further into your gums. Looking forward to trying out your mouth care system.
Oh. So, she's selling something?
@@jacksquat4140 Are you saying you have never bought anything in your life? ;) We all spend money, which makes the world go round. It all depends on what you would choose to pay. I would rather pay an affordable amount towards preventative care rather than a root canal peddled by usual dentists.
Ok shill. No one is going to buy this scam.
I remember when I was much younger 18-19 .. I was sitting with my father ( airline pilot) He asked me if I ever flossed.
I reported back that I had never flossed. He then suggested I try flossing. He further added ; after you floss , smell the string
afterwards. Shortly after our conversation, I bought some floss. Slipped it in-between a few teeth and held the string to my
Nose and Sniffed.... *** I nearly fell off my chair vomiting ** The smell was Awful.. Eversince that day ( 40 plus years ago),
I floss after each time there is food in my mouth. I stopped having cavities from that day on. At 65 , my gums are receding.
Because of flossing? I don't know? But, my Floss String has never again smelt as horrible as that first fateful day. Over 40 years ago
Yep!😊
I know that smell 😭
Was it your dad’s way of telling ing you had bad breath?
@@SusieQZee not since I began flossing after every meal.
Ya mine stinks again I need to go to dentist again they were doing my cavities. Floss only gets out the food but ya I'm going to try flossing after every meal . It makes since that it could spread it happens to my grandpa. But I'm going to floss once . I need a deep cleaning
An older friend had endocarditis from a post root canal infection he didn’t know he had. It caused a stroke as part of it. He’s ok now but in hosp for weeks on IV antibiotics. TBH I’m not sure if he flossed but it shocked me and others. I’ll now agree to antibiotics before any invasive dental work and rethinking flossing.
Don't just give up flossing.
My message is that there is a better way to eliminate plaque from your mouth.
Regular and correct use of xylitol is the key - then you will not have plaque and the risks associated from plaque.
You don't need much and it is so delicious it is hard to believe that this is the key....but it is.
Thanks so much for commenting and good luck with your exploration of oral health.
There is a free booklet and more info on my website at DrEllie.com
It's a paradoxical situation where it's difficult to know what to do. We receive conflicting advice from different people, making it challenging to determine the best course of action. Ultimately, what works best for you is the way to go as there is no one-size-fits-all solution. While Dr. Ellie Phillips seems convincing as a dentist, my regular dentist also holds the same credentials and recommends flossing, rinsing, and using a specific electric toothbrush with pressure control. I'd appreciate some reassurance from someone. Nevertheless, I'd like to express my gratitude to Dr. Ellie Phillips for her dedication and the informative video.
Pretty much every dentist except this Dr. Ellie recommends flossing. You can't magically remove meat from your teeth without flossing. It's a no brainer.
It is amazing how when you apply common sense - the answers really just present themselves. Thank you for this Dr. Phillips.
I have come to realize that a lot of things that were promoted as "healthy" or the "way to do things" for many years, have now been proven as counter productive to our health.
I have gum issues and have been told over and over to floss more. I will definitely try this approach. Thank you again
I've had gum issues for over 2 decades. It was resolved within 2 weeks of cutting out all sugar/ carbohydrate, bread, vegetables and fruit. I have seen several hundred comments from youtubers telling the same story. Prior to my dietary change, I had been flossing every day for 3 years, with bleeding and swollen gums. I still floss, but will consider this new info to see if it was...
I was watching the video while writing the comment and at this point she started talking about "her complete mouthcare system" and lost the will to listen onward.
Can't but think this is largely a sales pitch for products.
@@cbdp I felt the same at that point. However if you keep watching this is no sales pitch. not even a 'go to my website'. She does go into several interesting research studies, and explains in more detail the 'whys'. She pretty much says what her 'system', in a few words, is so you could just do it.
Crap in city water. Fluoride taken internally does not stop decay. It does drop the IQ numbers. No body stands up to it in force.
@@frakmanexactly what I was thinking. I almost stopped listening then continued and saw it's a lifestyle pitch as she says she is selling the promotion of healthy habits, stopping unhealthy habits to have healthy saliva.
Yeah, cough syrup is bad for you too, just go drink soda water the next time you get sick with a chest cold. Some people will fall for anything just like Dr. Fauci sold his snake oil and got the whole world locked down that proved nothing!
Great video! - Might want to check the audio levels on your microphone because the sound is distorting in a few of your videos. Kind of distracting yet so easy to fix. :)
I do not floss. I thoroughly brush my teeth twice daily. After not seeing a dentist in more than 20 years, a tooth that had had a root canal and a post put in it before I stopped seeing dentists became abscessed. I went to the local dental school to have the tooth extracted. During the intake, the supervising dentist examined me. He was surprised to find that I had no cavities, and except for the problem tooth, my mouth was in excellent condition. When he found out that I hadn't seen a dentist for more than 20 years, he said "Well, that's because you floss regularly". I told him I don't floss. Then he claimed it was because I had a great diet. I responded that I eat cake or cookies every day. Then he said it was because I'd inherited "good genes". I explained that both my parents had many dental problems. I told him I use an Aruvedic toothpaste and brush thoroughly 2x a day. He responded "the type of toothpaste has noting to do with the health of your teeth". The programming in the dental industry is so deeply ingrained that when evidence that clearly contradicts the programming is right in their face, they don't believe it.
I didnt go to the dentist for 20 years either. I was afraid of them and also no money. I did use a Sonicare toothbrush and used Crest toothpaste. I would also mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide once a week to whiten teeth. I would use peroxide as mouth wash too. I only brushed once a day and never flossed. Only if food was stuck. I finally go to the dentist and they said my teeth looked good and only needed 2 cleanings. I did have mild receding gums though.
I have always felt like there's something either genetic or something in the saliva that really helps some people preserve their teeth. For instance, I haven't been to the dentist in 20 years because of a traumatic experience. I just do the normal things to keep my teeth clean and I'm just simply not prone to cavities. I do floss occasionally, but not every single day. More like once a week I really go in and give myself a mini cleaning. I'm just one of these people who is never been prone to cavities and yet I see people around me that are so much more diligent and obsessive about dental hygiene end up with cavities that I don't get. I think would also help me is that I've never been a soda drinker or if I am going to drink something other than water, it's always unsweetened. My mom used to pick on me because I swish after every bite of food I take. I've also heard that unsweetened green tea can be healthy for the teeth and I drink a lot of that as well. Oh, and xylitol gum!
The xylitol gum is probably what’s doing the heaviest lifting-turning your saliva into a restorative, remineralizing force. After that, your (non-sugary) diet is likely the 2nd biggest key.
That much drinking actually works against you, because food & liquid demineralize your teeth… but limiting it to as few “sessions” a day as possible is fine vs sipping/nibbling throughout the day which robs your mouth of remineralization time to counteract the abrading. Just use the gum after any food/drink, and make sure to get at least 7g of xylitol total per day!
Yes, I need to floss my teeth. After I eat, food gets stuck between my teeth. Brushing alone, doesn’t get the food out. My NYC periodontist had a sign in his office that said “floss only the teeth you want”
How did humans in the past manage to keep their straight beautiful teeth for their entire life?
If you say "they died at 30"
I'll point out that those stats come from the high infant mortality. Adults didn't just drop dead at 30 for no reason and if you survived the first few years you had a good chance of making it to 70 or higher.
And yet without a toothbush or floss or even a dentist their teeth survived.
@@colinthomson5358It's more about diet. That's the most important thing to health
@@colinthomson5358They didn't eat a high carb (sugar) diet.
😅
I will keep flossing because I feel and see the difference when I don't floss.
agree
Maybe u aren’t lazy….maybe u just intuitively know it’s bull shit
Ditto
Me too
Me too. I tried her method. I went to the dentist and I was told my oral health went down. I’ll never stop flossing again.
Dr. Ellie, you are a gem, and a great educator. I so wish I had found you sooner in life. Thank you for all your effort to help people be healthier. God bless you.
I'm 43, never had been a big flosser for decades. Had many cavities and extractions and then 4 years ago I developed inflammation on my tooth #8 and it pushed itself out and had to be extracted. I was devastated and ultimately had to get an implant. Fast forward to now and I have been an aggressive flosser sometimes twice daily and since I started this I have never had swollen gums, no inflammation, no cavities, no issues whatsoever. I strongly believe flossing has positively changed the way things have been for my dental health.
BS. The implant simply made you care much more about your mouth health and tons of medication that come along with that procedure just reset your mouth chemistry to normal.
The dentists association won't accept this simply because that will affect their nice cushy income. In fact they will fight nails and teeth...literally. Imagine if people start having good teeth and gums. They will stop going to the dentist or curtail the visits to a bare minimum. If that happens, how the poor dentists are going to pay for their yacht, their beach house, their fancy cars and so on?
Personally, I go to the dentist once every 15 to 20 years. Yes you read right. Last time I went, the dentist told me my teeth were in better shape than a customer that goes for a teeth cleaning every 6 months. However I have been flossing fiercely for the last 50 years and my gums are receding. Now after watching your video, I will trow away my floss and buy tooth paste and chewing gums and candy and mouthwash with Xylitol.
I've never paid a dollar to a dentist, no reason to. The profession exists to take peoples money because we've been convinced to eat 6 sugary meals a day and drink 8 cups or more of water (total nightmare for your saliva). You probably can't give up the dentist until you work out the problems with food advice, but you can limit your visits with the information in this video.
And that translates very nicely to doctors too! All of them just promoters of pharma.
I like her point about dental cleaning... basically creates a lifelong customer! Crazy. The people that are here to help us are our worse enemy. Same with medical doctors. Living in clown world. Time to wake up and smell the Xylitol.
How does one obtain your Dental health process? I am very interested as I am also a victim of American Dentistry- my biggest concern is the Gum Recession I already have and it’s just getting worse. Your a brave woman whose not intimidated by her Tunnel Visioned peers. Thank you so much.
Gums do not grow back after they recede but they do swell up when they are inflamed and look taller. For anyone reading who cares, there are two reasons you should use an interdental brush or floss once a day.
1) Cleans where your toothbrush doesn't touch so less chance of decay.
2) Prevents dental plaque, that bacterial biofilm accumulating at the gum line stopping the inflammation causing gum disease.
The rest of this is very long but does explain things in detail if you are interested. Right at the end are a few links explaining more about gum disease, flossing and tooth loss. You can just scroll to those if you want to see.
Probably best to floss or use an interdental brush before you brush your teeth. This is because you should not rinse off your fluoride toothpaste just spit out all the excess. The correct way to use floss 1-2 times daily is this. Gently press down to get past the tight contact between two teeth. Then gently press the floss string or tape against the surface of one of those teeth so the floss is lightly bending and cupping the tooth (think like you are making a C-shape with the floss around a tooth). Once you are hugging that tooth slide the floss "UP-AND-DOWN" gently against the tooth surface, only go down dar enough that the floss just slightly goes below the gum line. Having done this a few times, repeat for the tooth on the other side. Then you can either pull the floss out, or if worried about pulling out a filling or getting stuck, just let go of one end and slide the floss out. Repeat for every tooth in your mouth if you want the best chance of keeping them.
Floss works best if you have tight spaces between your teeth. If your spaces are wider then you are better off using an interdental brush (looks like a tiny bottle brush).
In short: daily flossing, or the use of an interdental brush, helps to prevent your teeth rotting. Flossing prevents gum disease which causes gum recession and causes your teeth to become wobbly and fall out.
If your gums bleed and are sore when you floss and you are doing so correctly then rest assured it should stop within 3 weeks of flissing every day. But if you stop flossing then in 3-4 days you'll be back to bleeding when flossing (see below for an explanation of why). Oh and if that hard rock like stuff that appears on your teeth bothers you, its called Calculus aka Tartar. Its basically plaque left long enough the minerals in your saliva turn it to stone. For the average person calculus forms within 2 days, but some people for it in one day, you also prevent it with brushing and flossing. But only flossing or some other interdental cleaning tool prevents it forming between teeth. And while xylitol is helpful to reduce plaque levels you still need to clean the plaque off. Xylitol will not remove calculus, simply won't, calculus is hard and firmly stuck on, safest removal is a dentist or hygienist who scrapes it off with a hand tool or breaks it up with a powerful vibrating pick combined with a water jet. This is called a dental scale (often comes with a polish). Also managing expectations, gum recession is permanent, the gum will not grow back as the attachments holding it in place is already lost.
www.corsodyl.co.uk/advice/can-receding-gums-grow-back/#:~:text=The%20simple%20answer%20is%2C%20no,the%20problem%20from%20getting%20worse.
If you do not normally floss then suddenly start, or return to it after a break then it is expected that your gums will be sore and bleed. They are bleeding because in the areas your toothbrush cannot go, plaque (bacterial biofilm) is sitting undisturbed producing toxins that upset your gums. Your body then reacts to this and trys to kill the problem through an inflammatory process, this nringsore blood to the area and causes some local tissue distruction. Over time you get gum recession and sensitivity with root surface exposure. You start looking long in the tooth and gappy near the gum line for those concerned by the appearance. If you let it go on over a longer time, that destructive inflammatory process continues destroying connection between tooth and gum, and later tooth and bone. In the worst cases people can loose 100% of the bone surrounding a tooth, by which point the tooth is so loose it can come out as you are eating, or the gaping hole under your gums gets a nasty local infection that causes horrible pain requiring the tooth to be extracted.
For people who already have minor gingivitis (what you call it when gum line is red and bleeds a little) or more advanced gum disease, see above, flossing or use of an interdental brush reduces the accumulation of food deposits and bacteria in the crevices where teeth a gums meet. This means less irritation in the area. This in turn reduces the inflammatory process which destroys the periodontal tissues, think the connection between tooth and gum as well as tooth and bone.
While the tissue that is lost will not grow back, you can prevent it getting worse by making the effort at home. It is helped with visiting a hygienist who can get you to a clean slate but 90% of the work is on you as an individual, if you don't do it you won't improve.
Regarding water flossers I'll say they are better than nothing, so if you have mobility issues and are willing to try cleaning between your teeth with one go for it. That said they are not as effective as cleaning with floss or an interdental brush.
Something to be aware of is that people with chronic inflammatory conditions are more likely to get gum disease and for it to progress faster. For example people with diabetes. Also people who smoke. If your pregnant you will get more gum inflammation and bleeding and if allowed to progress you will probably get episodes of gum recession with each pregnancy all i can advise is keep your teeth as clean as you can and use an interdental brush or floss regularly so there is less for your body to react to. Regarding that bit about antibiotics before dental treatment, current dental practioner guidelines only advise this on very specific circumstances usually just for those at risk of infective endocarditis. In the past antibiotics were often given out without much thought. For people with osteoporosis and some types of arthritis there are some medications that while they help with the condition can cause bad reactions to tooth extraction so best to take good care of your teeth to prevent this. You can look up medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw if you want but it may be disturbing.
So an interdental brush is better for cleaning the gum line if you can get one to fit, but if the gaps are too tight then floss is your friend. It might still be good to use floss and the interdental brush, since the floss can slide between where the teeth touch their neighbors and clean there too while the brush cleans the gap below.
Anyway, if you got to the end, thanks for sticking around. Its clear i disagree with the video when it comes to the dental and gingival health of general public. It's actually especially important to use an interdental brush or floss if you are of more delicate health to prevent bacterial build up. I hope this rather long comment helps at least one person make a positive change. Everday I see the results of lack of information on peoples teeth and gums and its heartbreaking. All the best to everyone.
if you're interested see a few links below:
- www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.bsperio.org.uk/assets/downloads/Recommendations_for_the_public.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiQ0tjAmJKAAxVMh1wKHW32CEQQFnoECEQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1moSwZxD2ihRwSfkNg5YkS
www.bsperio.org.uk/periodontal-diseases/gum-health-for-a-better-life/
www.bsperio.org.uk/periodontal-diseases/periodontitis-and-general-health/
www.bsperio.org.uk/periodontal-diseases/the-sound-of-periodontitis/
Thats not accurate, i had a 5 point bone loss, and after 3-5 years of cleaning properly its back to a 3
@@husher5142 I can honestly say it is accurate regarding clinical attachment loss. 5 years of dental school followed by several years practicing have not shown any indication otherwise. Having qualified in the last decade and making the effort to stay current I am sure my response was accurate and any research would show anyone interested the same. Now if they are talking about overall disease status that can reduce to the point you are stable and considered lower risk for rapidly progressing periodontal (gum) disease. In the case of a person like that they end up with shallower pocketing around their teeth looking more like a healthy gum as the swelling goes down, however any gum recession they have is permanent. The same goes for bone loss which is also irreversible. The point of periodontal treatment and home cleaning is to intervene in the disease and stop the process causing destruction to prevent further loss. Without a graft of some form that gum and bone lost is not coming back.
That said I will congratulate you on keeping to a good oral hygiene routine and say I am happy you are seeing progress in halting your gum disease.
My father was a dentist. He never told me that flossing would "change the bacteria in my mouth" or "cure the gums," like Dr. Phillips claimed. I have never heard those claims in my life. My father told me that flossing simply removes tiny pieces of food that get caught in your teeth. Pieces small enough that you don't feel them. And my regular dentist and previous tentist told me that as well.
I would like to hear Dr Phillips address what other dentists ACTUALLY claim about flossing, not the straw man argument that she seems to think that dentists think of flossing as some magical cure.