The Mouth: A Window to the Body, Part 2, by Shelly Short
Nutritional Warfare: The Ultimate Blunting Strategy
There has been some reported controversy regarding root canal treatment due to the microscopic contamination that may remain at the tip of the tooth's root system. Bolstering the body's natural defenses with nutritional warfare can reduce one's chance of succumbing to secondary infection, because the healing qualities of the body are improved.
As we know, healthy, nutritionally strong individuals heal faster and are not as susceptible to secondary infection as are people who are nutritionally deficient. Nutritional support prior to and during traumatic procedures such as oral surgery can have a positive impact on the outcome of treatment and accelerate one's recovery.
The innovative concept of measuring the pH of saliva to determine an alkaline or acidic environment provides the dental team information about possible caries risk and formation. We know that people with acidic saliva are more likely to develop dental decay. These people also have a greater tendency to form significantly large areas of decay that progress rapidly.
The first step in digestion occurs in the oral cavity by an enzyme called salivary amylase or ptyalin. This enzyme does not function in an acidic environment, therefore the first step of digestion is bypassed altogether and starches go directly to the stomach, where they place potentially harmful stresses on the digestive system. (No wonder pharmaceutical companies are selling billions of dollars in digestive disorder medications!)
Dental caries is a dietary disease, and can also be viewed as a symptom of dietary and nutritional imbalance. The significant damage caused by such dietary and nutritional imbalance is often not appreciated in the medical world.
The teeth are the hardest component of the body. If the diet is so imbalanced that these structures are being destroyed, what must be occurring elsewhere in more fragile components and systems of the body?
For example a healthy tongue is normally pink with a fairly regular looking surface which appears slightly pebbly. Coatings on the tongue which are usually brown, green or yellow often indicate a problem or imbalance. The problem may be as simple as cleaning the tongue which is often a neglected part of oral home care, or it could be a sign of systemic disease associated with nutritional insufficiencies, such as inadequate digestion of protein. A deeply grooved tongue on the other hand, might indicate a deficiency in B-complex vitamins.
Control the Inflammation, Control the Disease
The concept of inflammation has a long history. Another research article in the same 2000 Journal of Periodontology reported that, "Although an inflammatory response to injury or another trigger is necessary, chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease and diabetes, may develop because of unchecked inflammatory responses that have maladapted over decades. Inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein may allow clinical insight into these decade-long processes, adding value to predictive measures of disease outcomes."
These researchers concluded saying, "Greater understanding of the complex pathways involved in inflammation may provide alternative therapeutic strategies to combat inflammation and chronic diseases potentially arising from it.
A group of researchers from Tuft's University, Research Center on Aging published an article stating that, "Most definitely there is an intrinsic complexity in the pathogenesis of common diseases. There is also an emerging concept of gene-environment interaction which is receiving support primarily as a result of studies involving diet and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its various risk factors. The mounting evidence shows common variants of candidate genes for lipid metabolism, inflammation, and obesity are related with altered levels of classic and new biomarkers for metabolic syndrome and CVD risk."
Metabolic syndrome is a complex medical disorder characterized by visceral fat-type obesity involving hypertension, and abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. A Japanese research team which published their findings in The Journal of Public Health Dentistry found an association between periodontal disease and metabolic syndrome in Japanese workers. This data again indicates the need to control and/or reduce inflammation at all levels in the body.
As you can see, today's medical community is connecting the dots between nutrition, a healthy lifestyle and one's ability to fend off inflammatory diseases. As dental professionals we can seize the opportunity when our patients are in the dental chair to coach them on empowering their bodies own natural defense mechanism through proper nutrition. The big headline is control the inflammation therefore controlling the disease!
Shelly Short is a senior coach for Jameson as well as a speaker and expert on health and wellness. If you are interested in having Shelly speak or present to your team or dental group contact Amy Logan Parrish at amy@jamesonmanagement.com.
