Today we’d like to introduce you to Eleanor Phillips.
Hi Eleanor, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been a dentist for over 50 years, but my career has never followed a very traditional path.
I trained as a dentist in England and began my career working with children. Over the years, I practiced dentistry in England, Switzerland, and the United States. I eventually became a pediatric specialist and served as a pediatric clinic director and faculty member at the University of Rochester in New York.
Living and working in different countries had a tremendous influence on the way I thought about dentistry. I was exposed to different philosophies, different products, and different approaches to prevention. I became fascinated by a simple question: Why do some people seem to have naturally healthy teeth and gums, while others struggle with cavities and dental problems their entire lives?
The more I studied this, the more convinced I became that many dental problems are not inevitable. The environment in our mouths matters enormously, and we have much more ability to change that environment than most people realize.
Over decades, I uncovered an oral care system and techniques that help people create a healthier oral environment within their own mouths. I also founded Zellie’s, a xylitol mint and gum company whose mission is to make the benefits of xylitol simple and accessible for everyday oral health.
Eventually, teaching became the most important part of my work. I began writing books, speaking, making videos, and educating people directly. Today, through my books, website, YouTube channel, and online education, I’m able to teach people all over the world how to better understand and care for their own teeth.
I split my time between Austin and Colorado now, and at this stage of my career, my greatest joy is teaching. I want people to understand that they are not necessarily destined for a lifetime of fillings, gum problems, sensitivity, and increasingly complicated dental treatment. There is so much we can do to protect our teeth when we understand the biology of the mouth.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not always been a smooth road. Many of the ideas I’ve spent my career teaching were not widely accepted or even widely discussed when I first began talking about them.
For decades, I talked about the importance of the oral microbiome before most people were using that term. I taught about xylitol, the protective role of saliva, the importance of creating a healthy bacterial environment in the mouth, and the ability of teeth to remineralize and heal. All at a time when much of dentistry was focused primarily on finding problems and treating them.
There were certainly times when those ideas were dismissed or criticized because they didn’t fit neatly within conventional dental recommendations. But I had seen the results in my patients, so I continued to study, observe, ask questions, and follow the science.
It has been incredibly rewarding to watch many of these ideas become part of the broader conversation around oral health today. People are talking about the oral microbiome, remineralization, saliva, xylitol, and the connection between oral and systemic health in ways they simply weren’t decades ago.
I’ve never wanted to be different simply for the sake of being different. I’ve always wanted to understand why. And I’m grateful I kept asking those questions.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Today, I consider myself primarily an oral health educator.
My work focuses on helping people understand that oral health is about much more than brushing, flossing, and going to the dentist twice a year. The mouth is a living ecosystem. Saliva, bacteria, acidity, diet, stress, hormones, medications, breathing, sleep, and daily habits can all influence the health of our teeth and gums.
I’m probably best known for my Complete Mouth Care System and for my work educating people about xylitol. Many people in Austin may also know me for my xylitol company, Zellie’s. I’ve written several books about oral health: Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye, Second Edition and Mouth Care Comes Clean.
What sets my approach apart is my focus on prevention and helping people improve the health of their mouths at home. I want people to understand the why behind what they’re doing rather than simply following a list of instructions – or getting endless treatments that don’t fix the underlying problem.
I’m most proud when I hear from someone who tells me they no longer feel afraid of the dentist, that their teeth and gums feel healthier, that their sensitivity has disappeared, or that they finally feel empowered to take care of their own teeth.
After more than five decades in dentistry, I believe more strongly than ever that education can change people’s health. Giving someone that knowledge is incredibly rewarding.
How do you think about luck?
I’ve had a lot of good luck in my life, although I think luck often appears as an opportunity that you have to be curious enough to notice.
Living and working in different countries was incredibly fortunate because it exposed me to ideas I might never have encountered if I had stayed in one place. I learned from dentists, researchers, patients, companies, and cultures that approached oral health differently.
Some of the most important pieces of what I teach today came from connections and discoveries made decades apart. At the time, I had no idea how they would eventually fit together.
I’ve also been very fortunate to have people around me who believed in this work. What began as knowledge I shared with my own patients has grown into books, educational programs, videos, and a community that reaches people around the world.
Of course, there have been plenty of setbacks and unexpected turns along the way. But even those have often pushed me in a new direction.
I think luck may open a door, but curiosity is what makes you walk through it. I’ve remained curious throughout my entire career, and that curiosity has probably shaped my life more than anything else.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://drellie.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drelliephillips/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrElliePhillips
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellie-phillips-dds-2787946
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.elliephillips
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@drelliephillips
