Bash Bacterial Baddies
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Getting rid of cavities requires much more than simply brushing.
Here, we’re going to outline the most valuable tool we’ve found for buffering against acid and combatting cavity-causing bacteria.
The true cause of cavities isn’t sugar or poor brushing, but harmful oral bacteria and the tooth-dissolving acid they produce.
In most cases, the primary culprit is a particular strain of bacteria that scientists call Streptococcus mutans. These oral health super villains feed on tiny particles of the food you eat and churn out acid that damages your teeth over time.
No matter how well or often you brush and floss, these cavity-causing bacteria stick around. It’s kind of like trying to wash your dishes with only water - there’s always going to be a little grease left behind, and in this case, the grease can reproduce like rabbits.
The acid produced by Streptococcus mutans bacteria compounds with the acid you introduce into your mouth through your meals, snacks, and sodas. That means the most dangerous time for your smile is right after you eat or drink.
So, in order to combat the true cause of cavities, it follows that you would need something that can 1) remove acid-producing oral bacteria from your mouth, and 2) buffer against acid immediately after you eat or drink.
Introducing The Hero Your Mouth Needs... Xylitol!
Ok, I’ll admit that the word “xylitol” doesn’t inspire much in the way of celebration, but once you’ve read the facts, you’ll be ready to start a xylitol-themed parade!
Xylitol is a naturally-occurring sweetener that, according to the California Dental Association, “shows the greatest promise for cavity prevention.”
And, unlike your slacker of a toothbrush, xylitol has been proven to combat the true cause of cavities - disabling harmful, cavity-causing Streptococcus mutans AND buffering against acid attacks in the moments you need it most
So how does it work?
Remember how those Streptococcus mutans bacteria feed on particles of the food you eat? Well, when you eat xylitol, it looks so tasty to these bacterial baddies that they’ll choose to gobble it up first over any other options. The trick is that they can’t digest it, leaving their bellies full of what may as well be a pile of rocks. Eventually they starve to death and disappear from your mouth.
Scientific studies show that with regular exposure to xylitol, the population of Streptococcus mutans in your mouth decreases significantly. And since this particular strain of bacteria are the primary culprits for plaque production, acid exposure, and causing cavities, it’s clear one of the best things you can do for your smile is to start using xylitol.
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Xylitol Boosts Your Body’s Natural Defenses Against Acid
After cavity-causing bacteria, the next largest source of oral acid comes from what you eat and drink. What’s incredible is that xylitol can help deal with these sources of acid as well!
Your body has a natural defense against tooth-eroding acid - saliva. After you’ve exposed your teeth to something acidic (such as tomatoes, soda, or coffee), your mouth gets to work neutralizing that acid with saliva.
The problem is, that neutralizing process can take as long as 30 minutes, and it gets reset with each sip or bite. During that window, your teeth are vulnerable to acid erosion - something your toothbrush can’t solve. In fact, brushing your teeth under acidic conditions can actually do more harm than good. That’s because scrubbing corrosive acid into the nooks and crannies of your teeth is going to make your cavity problem worse rather than better.
Xylitol’s sweet flavor helps to get your saliva pumping faster, reducing the damage your teeth take from acid. Chewing some xylitol-sweetened gum immediately after meals, snacks, and sodas has an amazing impact in reducing acid, preventing cavities, and ultimately, reducing that size of your dental bills.
So…. Why Hasn’t My Dentist Told Me About Xylitol?
You’re probably wondering why your dentist hasn’t mentioned this miracle solution before.
The simple answer is that it’s still relatively new to the US market. While initial research on xylitol’s cavity-crushing benefits can be found as early as the 1970’s, it’s really only been within the last decade or so that products with enough xylitol to make a difference have been widely available. That means that unless your dentist or hygienist is fresh out of school (and they went to a school that spent time teaching about xylitol), there’s a good chance they’ve never really learned about what it can do.
How You Use Xylitol Matters
As with anything you use to improve your health, frequency and dose are incredibly important.
How much xylitol you consume is critical - Oral health scientists (including the California Dental Association) recommend that you get at least 6 grams of xylitol per day in order to get the best results. One of the best ways to supercharge your oral health is to switch to a xylitol toothpaste, which will give you all the important benefits of brushing along with xylitol to displace cavity-causing bacteria.
However, even xylitol toothpaste isn’t going to give you protection in the moments you need it most. For that, you’ll need a xylitol-sweetened gum or mint to buffer against acid after meals, snacks, and sodas.
The most vulnerable time for your teeth is immediately after you eat. Meals, snacks, and sodas all introduce tooth-dissolving acid, and so the best time to act is as soon as you finish one of them. Xylitol conveniently comes in gum and mints that are perfect for buffering against acid when you need it most.
Finding a gum or mint with enough xylitol to actually make a difference can be tough, especially since most of the big corporate brands (even those that say xylitol on packaging) only use small sprinkles of the cavity-crushing sweetener.
We’re here to help. Keep reading to learn all about how to find the right xylitol gum for your smile.
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Picking Out The Right Xylitol Products For You
If you really want to crush cavities and leave your next dental visit smiling, you need to do more than pick up the first product that says xylitol on the label. Here are some key things to consider when selecting xylitol products:
#1 - Dosage Matters - Make Sure There’s Enough Xylitol
With all the hype out there around xylitol, there are plenty of products out there that advertise xylitol on the packaging but only use small sprinkles of it in their ingredients - nowhere near enough to actually make a difference for your smile. The California Dental Association recommends that you get at least 6 grams of xylitol every day.
For that reason, we prefer gums and mints that are 100% xylitol-sweetened. Not only do they give you the best chance of getting enough xylitol every day, they make it way easier to calculate exactly how much xylitol is in each serving.
#2 - Avoid Junk Sweeteners
Lots of xylitol gum manufacturers use other, cheaper junk sweeteners like sorbitol, maltitol, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium in their products too. They do this for a couple of reasons - usually to save money or to trick you into thinking the flavor of their gum lasts. However, cavity-causing Streptococcus mutans bacteria can still feed on some of these sugar-free sweeteners, making those a poor choice if you’re looking for a xylitol gum or mint that will actually improve your oral health.
And we know this may be just us, but we’re not comfortable with aspartame and other chemically-concocted, lab-made sweeteners being anywhere near our food. We know we can do better than that.
If xylitol is the only sweetener in the ingredients list, that gum is likely to work better than one with a mixture of questionable ingredients.
#3 - Choose Products that Work with Your Lifestyle
The key to making xylitol work for you is making sure it fits easily into your life. We know that an inconvenient solution is no real solution at all.
Ideally, you can simply replace your toothpaste with a xylitol-loaded toothpaste and add xylitol-sweetened gums or mints to your after-meal routine. We prefer product packaging options that will fit in places you’re likely to have near you after meals and snacks. Containers that fit in your pocket, purse, car cup-holder or desk drawer are our favorite. In fact, we recommend leaving containers of xylitol gum and mints in as many of those places as possible so that you easily buffer against acid attacks when you need it most.
Also, we prefer xylitol products that you can easily find on Amazon or other places you’re likely to shop.
Our Favorite Xylitol Products are Made by Epic
It’s probably no secret, but we prefer Epic xylitol products. That’s because Epic products are loaded with xylitol, making it easier and cheaper for you to give cavity-causing bacteria a serious beatdown. Each piece of Epic Gum has 1.06 grams of xylitol, making it easy for you to get your dentist-recommended daily dose of xylitol.
We’re also admittedly a little biased here, but Epic gum and mints just taste better. The thing is people tell us our xylitol gum and mints taste better too. We tell people to do their own taste tests, and almost unanimously, they come back to us with smiles on their faces asking for more.
We only use the best possible ingredients - you won’t find aspartame or other junk additives within a mile of any of our products, and we don’t just sprinkle xylitol like our competitors - every product on our shelves is 100% sweetened with xylitol.
We’ve also designed Epic Gum & Mints to fit easily into your pocket or purse - perfect for buffering against tooth-eating acid in the moments you need it most. That’s why you can order directly from us or on Amazon.com - we want you to get all the cavity-crushing benefits of Epic Products without having to leave the house if you so desire. That’s why we’re working hard to push our way into your local grocery stores and gas stations (although it’s been an uphill battle trying to convince the big corporate brands to make some room for us).
Most of all, we’ve specially designed Epic Gum & Mints to fit seamlessly into your daily routine. We know you’re busy, and that the last thing you need is another time-consuming health habit.
Chew two pieces of Epic Gum (or four Epic Mints) after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That’s it. You’re done.
If you’re looking to step up your oral health game even further, we also have Epic Xylitol Toothpaste on tap to supercharge your toothbrush. Or if you’re a fan of mouthwash, you can’t do better than our xylitol oral rinse.
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We Promise You’ll Leave Your Next Dental Visit Smiling
I founded Epic Dental 14 years ago because I wanted to help people like you find a real solution to their cavities -- one that actually does what it says on the label without turning your life upside-down in the process.
At the time, it was hard to find a xylitol gum that had more than just a sprinkle of xylitol in every piece, and it was even tougher to find a xylitol toothpaste that didn’t taste like pidgeon turds.
We spent time crafting products that taste great and deliver exceptional results. We promise that after just two weeks of using our patented xylitol system - you’ll love your new slippery-smooth, fresh-from-the-dentist-feeling smile so much that you’ll never want to go back.
What’s more, we promise that with regular use, you’ll leave your next dental visit smiling. We know, because we hear it from our customers all the time:
"Great products that have improved our dental health! We have had NO cavities in the past 7+ years that we've used Epic. We recommend it to everyone!"
- Sherrie M.
"Our journey with Epic has been just that, Epic! No cavities for anyone in our five person family since 2004!! :-)"
- Nathan B.
Give Epic a try. If you’re unhappy with your purchase for any reason, we’ll return your money, no questions asked. That’s our You’ll-Leave-the-Dentist-Smiling Guarantee.
In fact, we're so confident that you'll love what Epic Gum & Mints can do for your smile, we'll happily give you $10 off your first order.
Give Epic A Try
We guarantee you'll leave your next dentist visit smiling , or your money back!
Not Interested In Buying Just Yet?
Maybe you aren't convinced just yet. Maybe you want to learn more about xylitol first. Maybe you're waiting for your next paycheck to hit your bank account. Maybe you just wanna sleep on it. That's fine!
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