Along my educational journey, I have been fortunate to encounter many mentors who revealed information that provided insight for covering the root causes of illness in the human body. Several of these mentors happen to be dentists, from both the past and the present. They include Dr. Weston Price, Dr. David Kennedy, and Dr. Michael Gossweiler, to name a few. These individuals understand the connection between dental health, systemic disease, and heart health. Many of the modern treatments in dentistry are significant contributors to the development of systemic diseases. Fluoride (used in dental products and municipal water systems) is the most reactive compound on planet Earth. It is neurotoxic and has the potential to create oxidative stress which can affect the heart, endocrine and all systems throughout the human body. Mercury amalgams (silver fillings) leach small amounts of mercury on a daily basis and is highly toxic to human health. Dental sealants contain BPA, which is a known hormone disruptor; modern orthodontia can actually cause narrowing of the airways and in the long-term can cause sleep disordered breathing, a known risk to cardiovascular health.Â
Another culprit of dental issues causing heart disease are chronic occult infections in the oral cavity. Chronic bacterial infections in the oral cavity can produce substances called endotoxins which create inflammation and oxidative stress (think free radicals). These compounds can damage the lining of the arteries in the heart, decrease circulation and contribute to heart attacks. Other sites of these infections can be from old wisdom tooth extraction sites, root canal treated teeth, gum disease (periodontitis) and may be present under mercury fillings. Often these infections are silent and do not produce pain. But if left untreated, they can lead to disease. The methods for discovery of these infections have been improving over the last several years. We perform the Oral DNA test in our office which can detect the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the mouth through highly sensitive PCR technology. A cone beam scan (CBCT), which is essentially a small CT scan of the tooth, is a three-dimensional imaging study of the teeth. These scans are used to detect pockets of infection often missed by the two-dimensional X-rays which are commonly used in dental offices. We encourage you to call to schedule an appointment with Dr. Litty or myself to do a thorough review of your medical and dental history to determine if these factors could be a risk for cardiovascular or other diseases. Also, please check out https://iaomt.org/ for additional information regarding many of these issues described in the article.
-Dr. Logan
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