- Dr. Ellie Phillips shares tips to looking after your pearly whites on TikTok channel
- She recently revealed why drinking water all day was bad for your gums
- The Texas-based dentist said that water diluted your saliva, impacting benefits
A dentist has shared why sipping on water throughout the day could ruin your teeth – and why you should let your saliva interact with your gums.
Dr. Ellie Phillips frequently shares her tips and tricks to looking after your pearly whites on her TikTok account, where she boasts more than 218,000 followers.
Most recently, the Austin, Texas-based dentist lifted the lid on just how much water you should be drinking during the day to achieve healthy teeth.
In a clip, which has so far amassed upwards of 10,000 views, Dr. Ellie shared why it was important to drink water – or any other liquid – in intervals so that your saliva could have time to interact with your gums.
She captioned the video: ‘Sipping water throughout the day? Rethink this practice.’
At the beginning of the clip, she said: ‘This is why sipping on water all throughout the day is not good for your teeth. And this applies to all liquids.’
She further explained: ‘The spit or the saliva that comes into your mouth is the mouth’s most healing liquid.
‘It can help heal your teeth because it’s full of all the minerals that your teeth need and there are also cells and immune cells and proteins that are necessary for gum healing.’
The dental expert noted that if you wanted a healthy mouth, you must give both your teeth and gums time to interact with the saliva.
She noted that by continuously sipping on water, you’re ‘diluting’ your saliva so it was being stripped of the proteins and couldn’t help you.
‘This is why people who sip liquids all day have sensitive teeth, gum recession, cracked enamel, their teeth are weak, they break, they think they need night guards and retainers,’ the dentist added.
‘What they need is to give their own saliva time, adequate time to interact with their teeth and gums.’
Dr. Ellie also told those who breathe through their mouths to try their best to close their mouths during the daytime.
‘If you can, close your mouth and lick your teeth, if your front teeth feel dry and allow your own healing liquid in your mouth, it’s free, you don’t have to go anywhere and buy it,’ she explained.
‘You don’t have to have dental insurance, just give your mouth time to interact with the saliva that’s coming into your mouth.’
The teeth expert also revealed that there were ways of boosting your saliva.
‘Now, you can make that saliva more healing by what you eat and what you drink,’ she said.
‘You want to drink enough, so drink at meal times, or some other time, but drink more at more limited times during the day and then have an interval between eating and drinking before you do that again.
‘Leave your saliva to interact undiluted with your gums and your teeth.’
People flooded the comments section and praised the dentist for her tips.
One person said: ‘Thank you! I think after I eat I will use xylitol mints and not eat or drink for an hour. That feels best for me. I know it’s different for everyone.’
Someone else wrote: ‘Guilty.’
A third user added: ‘The xylitol has changed my mouth. I used to brush, floss, water pick. Still was getting cavities and so much plaque – none since using the xylitol drops.’
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
