Gum Disease and Heart Disease: Scientifically Linked!

As an holistic dentist, I’m used to having people question the practice. After all, if the ADA hasn’t specifically said that mercury is bad (even though it’s a well know and scientifically proven neuro-toxin recognized by the FDA), then why should they believe that mercury fillings are bad?

The fact of the matter is, many governing bodies in the health industries are looking out more for the doctors than for the patients.

This weekend I was reading some health news and came across the following article on centrahealth.com. Is this the irrefutable proof people need to understand and believe the link between gum disease and heart disease? If it means taking care of yourself, then I certainly hope so… but read on and find out for yourself….

TUESDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) — A genetic link between gum disease (periodontitis) and heart disease has been discovered by German scientists. The association between periodontitis and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been known for years, but a genetic link between the conditions hadn’t been confirmed. The University of Kiel team found that the two diseases share a genetic variant on chromosome 9. “We studied a genetic locus on chromosome 9p21.3 that had previously been identified to be associated with myocardial infarction [heart attack], in a group of 151 patients suffering from the most aggressive, early-onset forms of periodontitis, and a group of 1,097 CHD patients who had already had a heart attack. The genetic variation associated with the clinical pictures of both diseases was identical,” Dr. Arne Schaefer said in a European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) news release. He and his colleagues verified this genetic association in additional groups of 180 periodontitis patients and 1,100 CHD patients. The study was presented May 25 at the annual ESHG conference, in Vienna, Austria. Because of the link between periodontitis and CHD, “we think that periodontitis should be taken very seriously by dentists and diagnosed and treated as early as possible,” Schaefer said. He noted that periodontitis and CHD share risk factors such as smoking, diabetes and obesity. “Now that we know for sure that there is a strong genetic link, patients with periodontitis should try to reduce their risk factors and take preventive measures at an early stage,” he said. “We hope that our findings will make it easier to diagnose the disease at an early stage, and that in future, a greater insight into the specific pathophysiology might open the way to effective treatment before the disease can take hold.”

SOURCE: European Society of Human Genetics, news release, May 25, 2009, and http://myhealth.centrahealth.com/healthnews/healthday/090526HD627365.htm

Composite Fillings Made From Human Bile?

At The Center for Natural Dentistry, we’re always looking for the latest in “safe, natural” dental alternatives. But how would you feel if your next filling was made from bile acids from a cadaver’s gall bladder? It might not be that far-fetched.

“Scientists in Canada and China are reporting development of a new dental filling material that substitutes natural ingredients from the human body for controversial ingredients in existing “composite,” or plastic, fillings. The new material appears stronger and longer lasting, as well, with the potential for reducing painful filling cracks and emergency visits to the dentist, the scientists say. Their study appears in the current edition of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.”

-physorg.com

http://www.physorg.com/news162060563.html

The study, being conducted by Julian X.X. Zhu and colleagues, has shown that resins created from bile acids form an extremely hard, durable “plastic” that resists cracking and can bond to the teeth indefinitely.

Are You Ready for Bile Fillings?

Is this going too far? Would you allow cadaver’s bile acid to placed in your mouth? In the trending toward natural medical alternatives, fillings made from human bile might be only the beginning.

Calcium and Vitamin C- Not just good for bones

Most of us have heard by now of the importance of getting enough calcium in our diets to prevent bone loss as we age. But for many men and women getting enough calcium is a direct contradiction to what ever our most recent diet plan describes. The shocking truth is that new research has uncovered calcium as a preventive tool in oral care.

About 99 percent of the calcium in the human body is held in the bones and teeth. Calcium maintains healthy teeth and protects your teeth in an indirect way. Your teeth themselves are relatively inert, meaning that the calcium they contain usually stays there. Your jawbone is the potential problem. Like other bones, it gradually surrenders calcium for needs elsewhere in your body if you’re not consuming enough. As your jaw weakens, your teeth loosen, creating gaps where bacteria can invade, triggering infection, inflammation, and bleeding. In fact, the condition of your teeth and gums can be a window to the overall health of your bones. Not surprisingly, the first signs of osteoporosis are sometimes found by your dentist.

Nutritional recommendations to help keep you smiling include:

Drinking lots of water. Keeping your mouth moist is important in warding off tooth decay and periodontal diseases because it washes away food and neutralizes plaque.

Brushing and flossing after eating sticky foods such as raisins, fruit rolls or candy

Next time you are at your local San Diego dental office, ask how you can help protect those pearly whites

Holistic Dental Health Care