“Dentists should be on the front lines fighting the health crisis that is destroying our nation.”
– Michael Roizen, MD , Chief Wellness Officer
Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute
The mouth is the largest community of bacteria anywhere in your body. There are over 800 pathogens (different types of bacteria) living in our oral cavities. Of these bacteria, 11 have been identified as destructive and opportunistic. Lets start with a little background.
Periodontal disease (gum disease) is defined as a chronic, infectious, contagious, inflammatory, polymicrobial disease with systemic and genetic expression. This definition tells us that gum disease is made up of multiple bacteria that show up in other diseases in the body, that you can catch it and give to another person, that it is a chronic disease, and that the inflammation associated with it affects our systems.
Of the 11 bacterial pathogens, four of them are high risk because they damage cells wherever they are found. These high risk bacteria can hide in the cell for up to 72 hours before they wake up and start their damage. Studies show that these “bad guys” can cause alteration in cell walls of arteries and promote inflammation. As such, fatal heart events increase over 50% in people with gums that bleed and stroke risk doubles.
The six moderate risk bacteria are collaborators in the damage that is done by the “bad guys.” They are solely responsible for the inflammatory response in the cells.
Any Bleeding is a sign that this chronic, inflammatory disease is impacting your system. These pathogens are associated with or linked to at least 16 major diseases.
Cardiovascular Disease & Diabetes, Respiratory Disease
and COPD Rheumatoid Arthritis & Gastrointestinal Disorders,
Alzheimer’s Disease and Osteoporosis Kidney Disease & Pancreatic Cancer,
Preterm Birth, Low Birth Weight, Adverse Outcomes, Cancers.
So the question becomes,
“What do we do about this insidious disease?”
There are 3 steps to determining your risk and developing a master plan to ERADICATE the disease.
1. Complete a medical history – We have reconfigured our medical history to quickly identify people at risk of oral-systemic connections. There are markers that are taken into consideration: Age, Blood Pressure, systemic diseases, Family history.
2. Observe any bleeding – Bleeding indicates that pathogens are present and disease is active with access to your bloodstream, to the gut via swallowing and the lungs via breathing. These “bad guy” bacteria will reach to farthest part of your body in less than 60 seconds.
3. Test for presence and concentration levels of the pathogens – Laboratory testing has been standard in the medical community for years to help physicians determine causes of specific symptoms. Testing will now reveal the specific organisms and their concentrations, and indicate which treatment regimen would be effective against these pathogens. They all do not respond to a universal therapy.
Once we know what we are dealing with, we are better able to customize a protocol for you that will help to eradicate the disease process and move you to a better, healthier way of life.