Life is stressful – and stress can cause symptoms like migraines, digestive issues, and many kinds of aches and pains. Stress can also cause teeth and gums to experience symptoms that include: Enamel loss (erosion) Tooth wear (abrasion) Bite problems with sensitivity at the gum line (abfraction) Sensitivity Darkening tooth color Cavities Fight or Flight …read more

Stress and Teeth

Recent studies suggest an ounce of milled flaxseed in our daily diet for six months can be beneficial to health. Flaxseed has high levels of Omega-3s and studies show it reduces blood pressure, especially for patients with hypertension. It also appears flax seed can neutralize age-associated inflammation in the body. Hard to believe, but maybe …read more

An Ounce of Prevention!

I’ve been wanting to make educational videos for a long time, but for various reasons it has been a difficult task. However, I think I’ve finally conquered the hurdles and I hope to share with you a series of videos to go along with my blog posts. The topics will be varied, and I’d love …read more

When to Use Xylitol

Are Cranberry Juice and Green Tea good for Teeth? At the end of this post you will find some research and a list of benefits attributed to cranberry juice and green tea. It’s easy to imagine drinking cranberry juice or green tea will be good for oral health, but before you begin, consider the effect …read more

Tooth Truth about Cranberry Juice and Green Tea

Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) is a handy cleaning product that is mildly abrasive in solution and is excellent for dissolving grease and molds. It can also be used as a powder to absorb musty odors. For these reasons, baking soda is great in the laundry or for cleaning the refrigerator and the powder can …read more

Baking Soda – The Craze

A number of my friends are dental missionaries and visit countries where problems from dental disease are intense. They see adults with many lost teeth and visible tooth damage that can be overwhelming. These dentists provide emergency extractions and care, but wish they could offer long-term help. Some take toothbrushes while others teach nurses to …read more

Global Dental Health

When I was a child there were X-ray machines in shoe stores. As we were fitted for a pair of shoes it was customary to stand in a machine so the store clerk could take an X ray and check your toes had adequate room to grow. There was no protection from the X rays …read more

Changing Viewpoints

Oil Pulling is sometimes called oil gargling and it is an old Ayurvedic method of cleaning the mouth that is said to have originated in India some 2,000 years ago. Currently there is excitement about oil pulling in online articles and blogs, and if you have bad breath or gum disease, oil pulling may be …read more

Oil Pulling – What the Science Says

Decay never targets one tooth. Cavity-forming germs live all over the mouth and even in saliva. If you have recently had a cavity, or been told you have one, it means cavity-forming germs are attacking every surface of every tooth, all day, every day (and particularly at night). These germs do not go away by …read more

Ugh! Your Dentist Says You Have a New Cavity!

Every month Dr. Ellie Phillips will answer your oral health questions as part of the Ultimate Oral Health Guide. ———– Q: Hello Dr. Phillips, I’ve purchased the parts to your Complete Mouth Care System and have presented the program to my husband.  He is interested in what type of data you have assembled to support the use of your …read more

Q&A with Dr. Ellie: Looking for Data

Pediatric sedation Pediatric sedation is a dental procedure that is rapidly becoming more common in practices around the country. Some dentists think it’s because there are more young children showing up with decay, others say it’s because we have an ADA push to get children to the dentist by their first birthday. Personally, I think …read more

Pediatric Sedation & Early Childhood Caries

Brushing and flossing are not enough I know many people who value their smiles and try to look after their teeth as carefully as possible. The problem is that you can religiously brush and floss, yet end up with ongoing fillings, repairs and other treatments. The blame is usually placed on poor habits, genetics, or defects …read more

3 Things You Need To Know If You Want Healthy Teeth