"Gatekeepers" of Good Health

By: Dr. Michael G. Rehme D.D.S., C.C.N.

In the last several years, numerous dental articles and medical reviews have been published regarding the health connections between the oral cavity, i.e. the teeth and gums, and the rest of the body. However, I don’t believe this topic is receiving as much attention or credence as it deserves in the field of dentistry.

Westin Price, DDS. in Nutrition and Physical Degeneration,1945, wrote that streptococcus and other pathogens found in the mouth were causing inflammatory and infectious events to occur throughout the entire body.

Melvin Page, DDS, 1949, states “Disease in not due to the presence of bacteria, but rather to the body being out of balance in such a way that the bacteria responsible for the inflammation are breeding out of control. Killing the bacteria is not the answer. Placing the body back in balance is a much more effective method of treatment.”

In the early 1970‘s, the American Heart Association issued a health alert to the dental community to premedicate all patients with antibiotics who had heart disease, rheumatic fever or MVP.

The American Academy of Periodontology, July 23, 2003, stated that oral bacteria can affect the heart when they enter the blood stream. Researchers have found that people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those without periodontal disease.

Colgate-White Papers, Oral Inflammation 2005, states “In recent years, increasing evidence has supported the concept that the relationship between systemic and oral health is bi-directional.”

A systemic imbalance is one that affects the health of the whole body. The oral cavity provides us with much information. It may help, and in some cases may be the critical missing link, to understanding your overall health and wellness. This may be especially true for chronic conditions that don’t seem to have any answers.

The key for dentists and the patient is to recognize and know what to do with the information provided by the oral cavity.

What does it tell me when I see a patient with compromised periodontal conditions, tooth decay and generalized inflammation? Conventional wisdom says the dentist should treat this as a local condition which typically means more frequent dental visits, improved home care techniques i.e., better flossing and brushing of your teeth, usually some antibiotics, root plane and scaling, and sometimes even surgical procedures.

I believe these are all symptoms of a systemic condition. Therefore, in addition to the oral cavity, it becomes imperative to evaluate the chemistry of the body, e.g. its chemical levels and the pH level indicating an acidic or alkaline orientation. It becomes imperative to evaluate the nutritional needs and make recommendations based on the body’s own signals.

What does this indicate about the role of dentistry? Dentists can be the “Gatekeepers” to good health! Everything begins in the oral cavity. What we eat and what we drink enters one’s body through the mouth. Our first line of defense and our initial immune responses begin in the mouth.

If there are imbalances in the mouth, inflammation, red, puffy, bleeding gums, tooth decay, sensitive teeth, halitosis, root canals, or missing teeth, you may have imbalances in other parts of your body that aren’t even obvious. As patients you should be aware of these possibilities and take control of your health.

Clean Teeth Reduce Illness

By: Michael G. Rehme, D.D.S, C.C.N

In 2008, researchers at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis completed a year long study which shows that a simple and inexpensive way to reduce the risk of potentially deadly pneumonia in intensive care patients is to keep their teeth clean.

This interesting study was performed by nurse specialists in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the hospital along with Washington University physicians. Their study group involved ICU patients that were on breathing machines.

Their findings revealed that if these patients had their teeth brushed on a regular basis, i.e., twice daily, the incidence of ventilator- associated pneumonia was reduced by 46 percent! This type of pneumonia is the most common hospital acquired infection in critically ill patients and is a leading cause of complications and death.

State University of New York at Buffalo oral biology professor Frank Scannapieco has also performed research showing a link between poor oral hygiene and an increased risk of bacterial pneumonia. He agrees that the teeth may be an important reservoir for those bacteria to establish themselves in the mouth. Dr. Scannapieco concluded that if you can minimize the bacteria found in the teeth and gum tissue, you can reduce the risk of lung infection.

The study provided by Barnes-Jewish hospital is a classic example of what is termed “the focal infection.” Definition of focal infection: A bacterial infection localized in a specific part of the body, such as the oral cavity, that may spread by way of the bloodstream to another gland or tissue, i.e., lungs, and start a whole new infection.

Although this medical term has not received much attention, the focal infection theory was discovered almost 75 years ago by Weston Price, D.D.S., a biological dentist.

His extensive research with oral bacteria indicated that these microbes could travel not only to the lungs, but also to other major organ systems such as the heart, kidneys, stomach, thyroid, muscles, and joints. Dr. Price concluded that the whole body can be exposed to these microorganisms.

Some of these offending microbes found in the mouth include streptococcus mutans, porphyromonas gingivalis and actinobacellus actinomycetemcomitans.

I think it’s exciting to observe that similar results can still be duplicated even after such a lengthy time between studies. Dr. Price’s work in the 1930s also concluded that many serious infections originate from the mouth.

The study performed by Barnes-Jewish hospital confirms, once again, the impact of the oral cavity on the rest of the body. A healthy mouth supports a healthy body. Regular check-ups and cleanings with your dentist are not only a good idea but may even save your life.