DENTAL INFECTIONS AND DEATH
Have you ever experienced the most painful of emotions - the death of a loved one? I did just recently and it is devastating. A natural instinct is to look back and see what might have been prevented. In this case, dental infection undoubtedly played a role. We thought we had cleared the infections, but maybe the dental work had been done just that bit too late. Or maybe the damage had been creeping up for years - painless and invisible. Maybe the inflammation this had created had persisted. This blog is dedicated to raising public awareness of how dental infections drive disease and death. It is something that you need to know because neither your dentist nor your GP is going to tell you. To find out more, please read on …
Focal Infections
A lot of people (sadly, this includes dentists and doctors) see the mouth as separate from the body. Medical schools still treat dentistry as separate from medicine. When did your GP last ask about your dental health? When did your dentist last write to your doctor?
The connection between oral and whole-body health is extremely well-documented in the scientific literature. But only some dental schools critically review these scientific papers and even fewer integrate this knowledge into decision-making or treatment protocols. Modern conventional dentistry makes no attempt to identify how dental infections affect overall health.
Additionally, vested interests which profit from disease and sickness are at play, as you will see if you read Dr George Meinig’s excellent book Root Canal Cover Up.
Painless and Invisible
Teeth, gums, unsealed extraction sites (cavitations), tonsils and sinuses are the primary sites of oral infections. These can fester quietly 24/7 without symptoms or pain for years, remaining under the radar, disseminating bacteria, viruses, fungi and their toxins round the body via circulation and lymphatic pathways. When this occurs, this is known as focal infection. It is estimated that one in three adults has undiagnosed silent oral infections. Cardiologist Dr Thomas Levy states in his book Hidden Epidemic: Silent Oral Infections Cause Most Heart Attacks and Breast Cancers, that this situation constitutes a “modern plague that surpasses any pandemic ever seen.”
The main message of this blog is that lack of symptoms, especially pain in the mouth, does not mean you are free from oral disease-causing infection and its ultimate end product - premature death.
Red Flags for Oral Disease
Do you know the oral Red Flags to look out for that can herald a serious disease process if left untreated?
*Periodontitis (gum infections)
The most toxic form of gum infection is Chronic Apical Periodontitis (CAP) - an infection at the tip of a tooth’s root that slowly damages the surrounding bone, often without causing any pain at all. CAP develops as a result of an infected pulp in an untreated tooth or a failed root canal. My son had a root canal aged 17 and quickly noticed strange aches and pains that interfered with his sports. When a Biological dentist removed the root filling, CAP was found to be present in the bone below. Extraction and clean-up resolved the symptoms immediately.
Early warning signs for Periodontitis: Bleeding after brushing/flossing; red, swollen gums; bad breath; pus between teeth and gums; tenderness/discomfort; loosening of teeth; changes in ‘bite.’
Linked in the medical literature to: Heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s/other neurological/psychiatric diseases, Parkinson’s; calcification in blood vessels; anaemia of chronic inflammation; arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis (RA); cerebrovascular disease; metabolic syndrome: diabetes; erectile dysfunction; high blood pressure; chronic infections; body-wide inflammatory markers; IBD; osteoporosis; preeclampsia; prostatitis; sudden hearing loss; lupus; vascular disease; septic pulmonary embolism; COPD. In one study, coronary imaging demonstrated that patients with CAP had a 2.9 times higher risk of developing coronary artery disease. Another study found that CAP produced a 5.3 fold increase in cardiovascular disease compared to patients without CAP. Dr Levy states that “Arguably, CAP represents the single most important cause of chronic disease that can be addressed and eliminated” and “it can be the primary reason why someone has a heart attack to contracts cancer.” This can apply to pets just as much as humans. Therefore, CAP of any degree found on X-ray should not be ignored.
*Root Canal Fillings
A root canal filling is when the inside of a tooth is cleaned and sealed to save the tooth. It is a dead tooth, the only time that medicine permits a dead organ to remain in the body! As is the case with jawbone lesions known as Cavitations below, when bacteria get trapped in an area without oxygen (the root canal is like a mummified organ) they become highly pathogenic. Compare this to the effects of Clostridium botulinum when trapped in a vacuum-packed can of food. Virtually harmless when oxygen is present, it can become deadly only when oxygen is removed and the toxin is formed. Thus the root canal is the perfect system to deliver pathogens and toxins to the rest of the body.
Early warning signs: Usually none, as a root filling is a dead tooth and the nerve has been removed, therefore, no pain!
Linked in the medical literature to: Root canal-treated teeth have been shown in recent medical literature to be the direct cause for the vast majority of heart attacks. Let that one sink in! Root canal teeth have now been proven to have a direct cause-and-effect relationship with the formation of blood clots that block off the blood flow in coronary arteries and cause heart attack. Concentration of infection-related DNA in blood clots in one study was 1,600% higher than in surrounding arterial blood. Multiple investigators have found the DNA of oral infections in fatty deposits that block coronary and carotid arteries. Two scientific studies reached the same conclusion: if you have one or more root canals, you have an increased risk of heart attack. Years ago, I used to have three root canals. I also had uncomfortable heart sensations. After dental clean-up, I also had a tonsil clean-up as an adult. The anaesthetist wanted to make sure my heart would withstand the anaesthetic and ordered an echocardiogram. No longer having any root canals in my mouth, the valve function was now judged to be within normal limits and the tonsil operation was able to be carried out successfully. No wonder some doctors are calling for dentists implement informed consent i.e. warn their patients about risk-associated heart complications before they embark on the root canal procedure!
The medical literature also points to the same seeding of oral bacteria typically found in root canals in a majority of ruptured aneurisms in the brain. (An aneurism is a bulge or ballooning in the wall of a blood vessel caused by weakness in the vessel wall). These specimens were collected mostly from aneurism repair operations, with some samples obtained at autopsy. For a comprehensive list of other diseases linked to root canals, please see the book Root Canal Cover Up by Dr George Meinig (retired root canal specialist).
*Cavitations
Cavitations are infected holes in the jawbone due to incomplete healing of bone after tooth extraction. This commonly occurs due to common faulty extraction techniques such as not removing the periodontal ligament at the same time as removing the tooth. This is a layer of dense connective tissue that lines the tooth socket and connects the tooth to the surrounding bone. When left in place, as in the majority of dental extractions by conventional dentists, this means that the surrounding bone has reduced awareness that the tooth has gone. As the bone does not naturally grow through the ligament to fill the socket site with new bone, this sets the scene for allusion or hole to form in the bone.
The name for a large cavitation that reaches the main nerve in the jawbone is called a NICO lesion (Neuralgia-Inducing Cavitational Osteonecrosis) and contains the largest quantity of necrotic, toxic and infected material. In this case, inflammation and damage to the sheath surrounding the affected nerves (demyelination) can occur and anti myelin antibodies can then form.
While poorly recognised in conventional dentistry, post-extraction cavitations are the rule rather than the exception, especially in the wisdom tooth area. In the 1980’s a dentist determined that I needed my wisdom teeth extracted. I’m not sure this diagnosis was correct as I also had undetected jaw joint dysfunction, which I am sure was causing any jaw pain at that time. Fast forward to my forties and the sudden collapse of my health. I suddenly felt like an old person, barely able to walk across a room without fear of collapsing. Fortunately, a Biological dentist found infected lesions on all four wisdom tooth extraction sites. After these were cleaned out, I regained my energy and life took on a different direction when I went back to university to study Nutritional Medicine. It was almost as though I was picking up life again from the time just before my wisdom teeth had been extracted. In Chinese medicine, the wisdom tooth area is typically associated with heart health and energy.
These holes in the jawbone are always full of dead, infected material, the consistency of which has been described by cardiologist Dr Thomas Levy as “very close to wet gangrene,” loose and runny or with the consistency of cottage cheese. They can also be putrid and foul-smelling when opened up by a dentist.
Early warning signs: Virtually no local signs, as the blood supply to this area is poor. Look for generally declining health, fatigue, increased susceptibility to infections, autoimmunity, aches and pains, depression and cancer are the Red Flag signs I look for with silently infected extraction sites.
Linked to: Cancers, adverse effects on clotting mechanisms, immune suppression, neurological conditions, chronic fatigue/ME, stealth infections, autoimmune conditions and more.
Something Can Be Done About It
If you suspect that dental toxins or infections are undermining your health, something can be done about it. The wrong thing to do is nothing as the above conditions won’t get better on their own but will gradually get worse. If your health is still good, act now before you notice symptoms. If you are chronically sick, even more reason to try and do all you can to address this most important and overlooked factor in ill health.
These are the key actions that should be done:
*Find yourself a Biological dentist: This is different to a conventional dentist (no matter how nice they seem) to do a thorough assessment of your oral health. Biological dentists are trained to detect and handle silent infections and toxins in the mouth. To get an overview how Biological Dentistry differs from “drill, fill and bill” dentistry, please visit the IAOMT (International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology) website. I will be doing a future blog on What To Look For In A Biological Dentist.
*Prepare properly for safe mercury replacement or oral infection removal:I think it is important to do a little work with a knowledgeable practitioner before you attempt dental revision. Getting basic support in can iron the bumps out of the road in advance and make the whole process go smoother. I prepare patients in advance of dental surgery by making sure key organs of elimination (liver and colon) are well supported, and that anti-retroviral and nutritional support is in place before extraction. The jawbone is a great breeding ground for retroviruses and can be a factor in failed dental surgeries (where the infection keeps on coming back). The right preparation helps to ensure the procedures go smoothly and that good bone healing occurs after dental surgery. I will be doing a future blog on What To Do Before and After Dental Surgery. This step should not be overwhelming but should just get in the necessary support to make dental work a success.
*5-Day Post-Extraction Protocol: It can still all go wrong after extraction so it is vital to adhere to a proper post-extraction rest period to prevent the dreaded “dry socket,” synonymous with poor bone healing, good post-surgery healing support and post extraction dietary advice.
*Address Dental Phobia: There are some people who have had such bad experiences at the dentist that they are terrified to go back. In such cases, I advise a specific type of counselling to address the emotional charge accumulated from previous painful medical experiences. I did this step myself as my childhood dentist was known locally as The Butcher! Fortunately, I found that my visits to various Biological dentists were totally different to my previous traumatic experience with childhood dentists. It also helped to know that my Biological dentist and I had the same goal - to improve my overall body health and we were going to overcome the barriers together!
If you suspect that your teeth are one of the factors keeping you sick and would like help with this, please get in touch with the Good Health Clinic on goodhealthclinic@outlook.com to request a free 30 minute Enquiry Call or book an appointment. Please note that an Enquiry call is not a consultation but an exploratory call to see if this is a clinical approach you wish to pursue.To your very good health,
Suzanne Jeffery (Nutritional Medicine Consultant)
M.A.(Oxon), BSc.(NMed), PGCE, GNC, BSEM, MNNA, CNHC
The Good Health Clinic at The Business Centre, 2, Cattedown Road, Plymouth PL4 0EG
Tel no: 07836 552936/ Answer phone: 01752 774755
Disclaimer:
All advice given out by Suzanne Jeffery and the Good Health Clinic is for general guidance and informational purposes only. All advice relating to other health professionals’ advice is for general guidance and information purposes only. Readers are encouraged to confirm the information provided with other sources. Patients and consumers should review the information carefully with their professional health care provider. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by other practitioners and physicians. Suzanne Jeffery and the Good Health Clinic will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other damages arising therefrom.