Fix Your Teeth With This Common Sweetener

I want to share with you how I've been using a common sweetener, to help keep tooth decay at bay. 

So there's actually a particular bacteria that some people have in their mouth, it’s called Streptococcus Mutans and it causes tooth decay. 

For the scientists out there, here is an excerpt from the National Library of Medicine:

“The tooth surface normally loses some tooth mineral from the action of the acid formed by plaque bacteria after ingestion of foods containing fermentable carbohydrates. This mineral is normally replenished by the saliva between meals. However, when fermentable foods are eaten frequently, the low pH in the plaque is sustained and a net loss of mineral from the tooth occurs. This low pH selects for aciduric organisms, such as S mutans and lactobacilli, which (especially S mutans) store polysaccharide and continue to secrete acid long after the food has been swallowed.” 

And guess what? A sweetener called xylitol kills it.

But only IF you use it correctly. Which I’m going to share with you right now.

(One thing that I have really learned over the last few years is that HOW you use something is just as important as WHAT you use.)

Okay so xylitol, let's talk about it. 

When xylitol goes into your mouth, it kills the bad bacteria and it pulls out a certain type of saliva out of the roof of your mouth that is chock full of alkalizing minerals that help rebuild your teeth enamel. 

But here's the problem. Most people will drink water or eat before the saliva has a chance to do its job. 

Your saliva needs to bathe your teeth for at least an hour, and two hours is even better. So drinking water or eating food during this time completely destroys its effects.

Furthermore this particular saliva is most potent in the afternoon. Right after lunch. 

So what you want to do is eat a  lunch that will keep you satiated until dinner time so you're not tempted to snack immediately after. 

So here’s the proper xylitol protocol. Wait 15-20 minutes after eating and then drink a lot of water. The amount you drink will look different for everyone,. If you're not a big water drinker, 12 oz would be fine. I like to keep extra hydrated so I will drink about 18 to 20 oz with electrolytes in it and I drink it over the course of about 10-15 minutes.

You want to make sure you are well hydrated because you don't want to drink anything for the next couple of hours after using xylitol. 

And you don't want to drink during or immediately after eating, because that dilutes the juices in your stomach and messes with digestion. So digest first, then hydrate, then xylitol.

After you drink your water, you are going to put some xylitol in your mouth, and then you are not going to eat or drink for 1 to 2 hours. 

There have been reports of large amounts of xylitol consumed on a regular basis causing health issues, but 6 -10 grams per day has been shown to be a safe amount. However, you don't actually have to ingest the xylitol for it to work. It just needs to be in your mouth. 

So what I do, is I take about a half teaspoon of xylitol crystals, put them in my mouth, let them dissolve and sort of swish it around my mouth for a minute or two and then I spit it out. 

That way I'm getting the benefits of xylitol without consuming it. There's also tons of xylitol mints on the market and you can eat a few of those after your meal for the same effect. But I find plain xylitol to be easier and way more affordable. I keep a little container of it in my purse too. (Clearly labeled of course!)

Now here's some other things to keep in mind, the afternoon is the best time to do this but really you want to try to do this after every meal. Or at least multiple times a day. This might require some adjustments and possibly elimination of snacking, so you'll have to determine what this looks like for yourself. 

You will want to build up your use over time.

What I did to get used to it is I started doing it every afternoon. Then after a while I started using it right before bed, as well as putting some in my mouth if I woke up in the middle of the night. And then I added on another usage after dinner and dessert. Sometimes it's best to start out using it once a day and then increasing your usage over time. Trying to change your routine a whole lot in one go can result in not sticking with it in the long term. 

So you might be thinking “which kind of xylitol do I need?” And honestly, any kind of xylitol will work. I use the NOW brand and I started with the 1 lb bag. After I got the hang of it, I moved up to the 2.5 bag for just a few dollars more.

And you might also be wondering what does it taste like? If you've never had xylitol before it's very close to sugar actually. It's very sweet and has a bit of a cooling effect.

And here’s a little tip: When I put xylitol in my mouth sometimes it triggers me to be very thirsty, even if I am not, so it's super super important that you are well hydrated beforehand. If you are dehydrated at all, xylitol will trigger a thirsty feeling and you will be tempted to drink water. (Which you should if you are honestly dehydrated, so that's why it's super important to stay very well hydrated.) But if you are well hydrated and the xylitol triggers your thirst, just know that it goes away in a minute or two.

Okay so now that you know how to use it, make sure to order some and get that going ASAP. This step alone will help improve your oral health dramatically, and that super-saliva can even help rebuild tooth enamel and possibly repair minor cavities.