The Secret Way to a Healthier Mouth

There is an ingredient you need to understand if you want to prevent cavities in your mouth.  That ingredient is xylitol.  Found in some sugarless gums, it is a naturally occurring artificial sweetener.  Did you know that it also prevents cavities?  So, here it is, the info on xylitol:  what it is, what it does, and why you shouldn't ingest too much of it!

What is Xylitol?

It is an artificial sweetener, one that our bodies and some plants make in small amounts naturally.  Xylitol, the product, comes in many forms, even in granulated form to replace table sugar.  It is usually made by chemically removing it from plants, either corn or birch.  There is controversy over whether it is a natural product since it is subjected to processing, but hey, other things are processed without controversy, like vinegar or...vodka.  As far as teeth go, there is xylitol in some toothpastes, and in chewing gum, yet beware claims that all of the products are useful.

What Does It Do?

Xylitol sweetens, yes, but it also does something to bacteria.  The bacteria that use sugars to grow into fuzzy blankets over your teeth are unable to use the xylitol.  In fact, in a large enough amount, xylitol can actually kill the bacteria.  Ultimately, should you decide to use xylitol to kill bacteria, you will change the types of bacterial flora in your mouth, which will prevent cavities.

Why Not EAT It?

Because the xylitol only needs to be ingested by bacteria to help you orally, you don't need to eat it.  Eating artificial sweeteners can give you some interesting intestinal experiences.  Here are two examples of stories (here and here), both of which bring smiles to our faces, but only because we are not going through the apocalypse described.  Just know that there is nothing wrong with spitting out the xylitol, you still get the antibacterial benefit without the side effects!  Want to know more?  As much fun as internet searches can be, the recommended course is to discuss xylitol with your physician or dentist, who will give you information based on research and experience.

"Strong Enough for a Man, pH Balanced for a Woman"

Anyone who grew up when I did will remember this line from a deoderant commercial.  Without digressing too much into the politically incorrectness of it, let's just say this was my first exposure to "pH".  Do you know what pH means?

The symbol "pH" is used to identify the acidity or alkalinity of something.  The "p" is from the German "Potenz", meaning power, and the "H" stands for hydrogen.  The level of hydrogen in something generally relates to its acidity.  The scale of pH is a logarithmic scale, and trust me, its complicated.  Simply put, pH scale is the "hydrogen power" scale!

Here is an example of the pH scale.

Notice that pH 7 is neutral.  The lower the number on the scale, the more acidic you get.  The higher the number, the more alkaline, or basic.  And now you love chemistry, right?  Well, whether you do or not, pH is important when it comes to your oral health.  Our mouths like a neutral pH, or close to it.

The more acidic your mouth gets, the more sour it tastes, but it doesn't stop there.  Acids are what cause cavities.  So if you can keep your mouth as neutral as possible, you will combat the acids and prevent any cavities!  We have talked about saliva before, and saliva is what buffers the acids, keeping your mouth as neutral as possible.

Other things can help, like baking soda if you don't mind tasting chalk all the time.  There are mouth rinses and toothpastes that can help keep your mouth closer to neutral.  Every time you eat, the pH in your mouth drops to a lower number than 7.  You just need to get the pH back up to the middle of the scale.  Come see us and we can discuss what simple things you can do to keep from getting any cavities.