Our teeth and gums are an integral part of our systemic health. This is so much the case that by looking at the current state of your teeth and your dental history, a well-trained practitioner can glean a very good idea of what you’ve likely been through and for what conditions you might be at risk. This inspired us to share these six proven steps to take a bite out of chronic illness.
We have all experienced just how much a dental issue can ruin our day. Because of the swelling, biting your lip once can cause an annoying tendency to bite the same spot again and again. Or maybe you can relate to being deep in the throes of excruciating tooth pain. Whether these seem familiar, or you have your own example somewhere in between, we can tend to take our dental health for granted.
Outside of, say, biting your lip or burning your tongue, how you address every issue that may come up within your mouth is just as important as why that condition developed in the first place.
Dental Health = Whole Body Health
Our teeth are a significant component to the energetic workings and circuitry of our body. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. In fact, the very first nerve branching from our developing, fetal brain connects to what will become our teeth and gums.1
When we deny our teeth and gums their proper care, we deny ourselves the ability to fully heal and recover from chronic conditions. Any overlooked inflammation, infection, or implant inside your mouth has the power to completely derail even the best, most natural, personalized care.
Like many of you, I used to have an “overdeveloped” respect for dentists. I respected them so much that I avoided them like the plague.
Jokes aside, my entrenched dislike of going to the dentist stemmed from several childhood hardships experienced in the dental chair. I endured filling after filling, braces, drilling on a cavity while not under enough anesthetic… I don’t know about you, just typing that makes me want to clench my teeth and hold my breath. So, let’s all take a deep breath together before I move on!
As a result of what I endured, my teeth are straighter. However, I also took on a fair amount of metal exposure. This occurred during four years of braces as well as my shiny silver amalgam fillings (a few in baby teeth and one in a permanent tooth).
Retrospectively, I see how these events and materials have ultimately impacted my health over the last decade or so.
Clinically, I am tuned in to just how much influence dental issues have in our overall health.
Teeth & Our Microbiome
It all starts with the condition of our biological terrain, but not just in the mouth. Research continues to show the importance of the microbiome and the absolute necessity of healthy relationships between our cells and the microbes of our body.
This means if imbalances are present in one aspect of the microbiome, imbalances will occur everywhere. So, changes in our oral microbiome eventually lead to inflammatory conditions and degenerative changes locally and systemically.
Local inflammatory conditions necessitate intervention from the dentist (i.e. gingivitis, cavities, periodontitis). For example, cavities are formed from the lack of healthy colonies of the bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri. These probiotic bacteria, L. reuteri, actually block the bacteria known to cause cavities (Streptococcus mutans).
Microbial Toxins & Chronic Illness
With increased imbalances of the dental terrain, come an increase of microbial toxins. As many as 700 bacterial species have been identified as taking up normal residency in our mouth.2 Not only does our terrain have to account for abiding with these microbes, but it must also account for taking out their garbage.
This combination of numerous microbes, and their toxins, explain why human bites can be worse than animal bites. A human bite can even be fatal (for my favorite historical oddity related to this, click here).
Dangerous neurotoxins such as hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, putrescine, and cadaverine have all been found to release from the microbes in our mouth.3 These toxins easily find their way into the bloodstream and into our nervous system, namely our central nervous system.
Once there, the neuroinflammatory processes domino into a “brain on fire” via the release of inflammatory cytokines TNF-a, IL-1, and IL-6.
This creates the right conditions for chronic fatigue, brain fog, migraines, fibromyalgia, insomnia, nerve pain, and other neurodegenerative conditions. These cytokines will also challenge and weaken our immune system. This further increases the total stress burden on our body.
Similar to Lyme disease, SIBO, or any other infection, we can’t just “nuke” the bugs in our mouth and expect to see improvement. The approach must be systemic, and it must support the biological terrain. Afterall, imbalances in one area of our microbiome are an indication of imbalances in other areas.
Here are the best system-minded, whole body ways to support dental health. These proven steps to take a bite out of chronic illness will also pave the way to get better results from any other therapeutic interventions you are undertaking.
6 Proven Steps to Take a Bite Out of Chronic Illness
1. Support Your Biological Terrain
As mentioned in previous blogs, our biological terrain is the very soil that supports all cells of the body, including microbes. Balancing your pH, watching your protein intake, and personalizing your detoxification support are all key to cleaning up your bio-terrain. The better our terrain, the better our relationship with our microbes.
2. Increase Antioxidants
Intentionally eating every color, everyday ensures that we get the cellular and genetic protection from the full spectrum of plant nutrients. No matter the type of stress, all stress creates “rust” in our body. Antioxidants help to prevent this breakdown in all tissues, including our teeth.
3. Supplement with CoQ10
Deficiency of this mitochondrial booster has been associated with inflamed gums.4 Whenever there are devitalized tissues, the mitochondria must be supported. CoQ10 (in the form of ubiquinol) is one of the best ways to take care of our cellular powerhouses.
4. Address Mineral Deficiency
Teeth are much like bone in that they are made up of inorganic minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. What’s more, the enamel that protects our teeth is 96% mineral – the highest mineral content off any tissue. Trace minerals found in humic and fulvic acid are typically the best supplemental source, while leafy greens, nuts, and seeds are great dietary sources.
5. Improve Probiotic Diversity
While probiotics that contain L. reuteri can help with preventing cavities, the goal should be to rotate probiotics to improve diversity.
6. Remove Toxic Dental Materials
Should you have dental materials outside of composite fillings, there’s a good chance they are standing in the way of making progress toward healing and optimal health. When taking this step, it’s critical to work with a biological dentist to ensure the safe removal of amalgam fillings. To find out more about the steps to safely remove “silver” fillings and find a dentist who is trained in the safe mercury amalgam removal technique, click here.
Learn more about the relationship our teeth have on every system in our body. Check out our blog titled, “What is the Dental Connection to Healing Chronic Illness?” Also, if you know someone who would benefit from these proven steps to take a bite out of chronic illness, please share this with them.
To partner with a practitioner equipped for biological, functional, and energy medicine coupled with the ability to look at each patient’s unique needs, contact the Institute for Restorative Health and get started!
Reference:
- “Neural – Cranial Nerve Development.” Embryology, embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Neural_Cranial_Nerve_Development.
- Aas, J. A., et al. “Defining the Normal Bacterial Flora of the Oral Cavity.” Journal of Clinical Microbiology, vol. 43, no. 11, 2005, pp. 5721–5732., doi:10.1128/jcm.43.11.5721-5732.2005.
- Schein, Benjamin, and Herbert Schilder. “Endotoxin Content in Endodontically Involved Teeth.” Journal of Endodontics, vol. 1, no. 1, 1975, pp. 19–21., doi:10.1016/s00992399(75)80244-5.
- Manthena, Sathish. “Effectiveness of CoQ10 Oral Supplements as an Adjunct to Scaling and Root Planing in Improving Periodontal Health.” Journal Of Clinical And Diagnostic Research, 2015, doi:10.7860/jcdr/2015/13486.6291.
