Why “To Go” Drinks Damage Teeth A few years ago I visited Paris and discovered, to my surprise, that take-out drinks were not readily available. The French appear to drink coffee seated at a table or the restaurant bar and don’t travel with drinks in hand or in a cup-holder (although Starbucks may initiate change)! …read more

How Sipping & Snacking Are Weakening Your Teeth

Overview The dentist’s mantra is to “brush and floss” but is flossing useful or could other protocols keep teeth cleaner and healthier? Flossing has devotees who trust it is the only way to oral health, but where did their emphatic belief originate, and what if they are wrong? We have no science to support flossing …read more

Is Flossing the Best Way to Prevent Dental Disease?

In the US we have an epidemic of cavities in children’s teeth, but the facts are that fluoride has no power to prevent cavities. Cavities are caused by bacteria that erode holes in teeth, and fluoride does nothing to help us fight these bacteria (except at dangerously strong concentrations, when it works as a poison …read more

The Fluoride Debate: Why xylitol is a better ally when it comes to preventing cavities