Dr Ellie Phillips, an oral health expert from Austin, Texas, claims to have gone 40-years without having a dentist clean her teeth.
Yet, in a video with over 3.5million views, Dr Phillips said her teeth are perfectly healthy.
Even dentists say so; she’s recently been ‘prodded and poked in every conceivable way’ by several, who say her mouth is in great shape despite foregoing cleanings.
Her routine flies in the face of official recommendations, which advise visiting the dentist for a clean once every six months.
Dr Phillips claims she hasn’t needed to have her teeth cleaned for over 40 years and said her passion is helping people avoid needing dental care
Though Dr Phillips hasn’t had her teeth cleaned in 40 years, she said she periodically visits a dentists office to make sure her teeth are okay. Her most recent check up, which happened in 2023, passed without incidence, she said
Dr Phillips, a licensed dentist, says she’s developed a regimen that allows her to avoid the time-consuming appointments, while maintaining a healthy smile.
This includes a daily oral care routine consisting of three mouthwashes, two separate tooth brushes and multiple sticks of medicinal gum daily.
‘My real passion is helping people avoid dental treatments,’ Dr Phillips said.
The American Dental Association recommends a professional teeth cleaning every six months, but notes that this can shift depending on your individual oral healthcare needs.
‘Regular dental cleanings are one of the most important things that you can do to take care of your teeth,’ Dr Jeff Kindseth, a dentist based in Dana Point California, said.
Despite these recommendations, 40 years ago, Dr Phillips decided to see how long she could go without needing a professional clean. Every few years, she visits a dentist to check that her teeth are okay, and asks if she needs a cleaning – but she said they’ve always sent her home.
Dr Phillips oral care routine expands far beyond the tooth brush – and continues throughout the day, focusing on incorporating a sweetener called xylitol.
Xylitol is a sweet compound found naturally in strawberries, mushrooms and corn, amongst other produce.
It has 40 percent fewer calories than sugar and has been shown to stop the growth of harmful bacteria in the mouth that can eat away at your teeth’s enamel, according to Delta Dental.
It was approved by the FDA as a food additive in 1986. It’s commonly found in gum. In high doses it can cause diarrhea, but is generally considered safe for humans.
In Finland, chewing xylitol gum is part of a public health recommendation made by dental authorities, who promote its cavity fighting qualities. Dr Phillips produces and uses her own brand of xylitol gum, called Zellies.
Every day, she aims to get in between five and 10 grams of xylitol by chewing her gum after each meal, snack or drink.
Then, there’s the brushing routine.
First, she rinses her mouth with an unflavored antibacterial wash, like CoSYS for one minute.
Immediately after, she grabs one of two toothbrushes. She has one dedicated to night time care and one for the morning – since she likes to let the bristles dry out completely between uses to eradicate bacteria.
She wets the brush and applies Crest anticavity tooth paste. Then she uses a gentle, circular motion to brush her teeth and gums.
When done, she rinses her mouth with Listerine until it ‘starts to feel hot’. Using mouthwash instead of tap water helps keep the fluoride from the toothpaste from being washed off her teeth.
After the Listerine, she grabs an anticavity fluoride mouthwash, from the brand ACT. These mouthwashes work ‘synergistically, works harmoniously with the xylitol to improve your mouth health,’ Dr Phillips said on her TikTok account, which has 473,800 followers.
Having a oral care routine is important, but genetics are also thought to play a large role in your oral health. For example, research has suggested you are between 20 and 85 percent more likely to develop cavities if your parent had them.
Dr Phillips’ children were subjected to some of the same tests of oral hygiene that she was and had similar measurements, which could be a sign that they’re following their mothers protocol and that they’ve inherited her teeth.
TikTok users were quick to point this out in her video.
Also, the fact that Dr Phillips has a background in dentistry makes her more likely to practice good oral health regularly than a regular person.
Dental associations recommend that average people get regular cleanings because they’ll stop you from developing dental problems that require surgery, will prevent bad breath and gum disease, according to Cleveland Clinic.
They added that keeping a clean mouth through regular cleanings also reduced risk of developing heart disease, stroke and dementia.
‘Besides being able to prevent certain oral health issues, teeth cleanings are also essential to maintaining good overall physical health, not just oral health,’ Dr Kindseth said. ‘Good dental hygiene is an absolutely essential aspect of personal health. ‘
