Hey Ed,

Now, with my first clear scan in the rear view mirror, I'm now pondering the subject of keeping my teeth healthy long term and doing some research to that end.

So far my research has involved speaking with my dentist and oral surgeon and received familiar recommendations of fluoride trays, thorough brushing, etc. General wisdom is that bacteria feeds the decay and cavities.

To date, my focus and goal has been on finding ways to keep bacteria growth to a minimum all the time, period. My approach, beyond regular brushing and such is to find something I can keep in my mouth that would release antibacterial agent throughout the day.

Maybe a non sugar type of hard "candy" that slowly released this stuff yet tasted alright. Then I thought of the Listerine label boldly stating it kills all bacteria. That got me thinking about just keeping some mouthwash around and doing a quick swish and spit every hour. Then I saw this post.

PerioScience recognizes antibacterial benefit buts follows the science that antioxidants offer similar if not better benefit.

As a complete dummy in chemistry much less how the mouth and cavity and tooth decay really work, I stand at the fork in the road scratching my head which way to go.

First, dry mouth during waking hours is not a symptom I need to address; only occasionally during sleep does it create a problem.

Going down the antibacterial path, it seems just mixing up some alcohol and hydrogen peroxide and giving that a swish and spit could work pretty well during the day. I might also search out some antibacterial "mints" or something to suck on that would give protections against bacterial formation. Going down the antioxidant route, PerioScience has product as you have presented.

I've not seen much discussed on oral care beyond the cursory and obligatory suggestions. It would be great to get into a deeper understanding of how to ensure healthy teeth over the long term.

Thanks
Don