What an interesting question!  Unfortunately for the children, this is a commonly held belief.  Perhaps it would be interesting to explore this concept and to go a little deeper into the myth it represents.

To begin with, nature does nothing that is not necessary.   In addition, it only brings forth value and never wastes anything.  To quote one of my mentors, F. Harold Wirth, D.D.S., “The mouth in its entirety is an important and even wondrous part of our anatomy, our emotion, our life; if it is not the site of our very being.”  So saying that they are only baby teeth and not deserving of attention is truly a myth.  Let’s look a little closer.

The 20 primary (baby) teeth are critical to the growth and development of the child.  Their mere presence guides the development of the jaws and ultimately the face.  They determine how far the chin will be from the nose.  Together with the jaw joints, the muscles, nerves, and ligaments, they form the chewing system.  They support the lips and allow the child to learn to speak.  They allow the child to eat fresh, wholesome foods that will promote their overall development.  One of their most critical functions is to “hold” the space for the permanent teeth and to act as a guide for the latter’s eruption.  Many adults suffer a life of misery relative to their teeth because of early loss of key baby teeth.

Failing to recognize the emotional component that baby teeth play can be devastating to the development of a child’s self image and self esteem.  Sometimes kids can unwittingly behave cruelly toward each other.  Teasing and laughing at their friends because of some “flaw” in a child’s smile can have lifelong consequences for some children.  I can remember one child in particular that when she lost her two front teeth she was devastated and emotionally distraught.  Upon questioning her we learned that in her mind, she would be without her front teeth for the rest of her life, not understanding that she had two more teeth to fill the voids.

So what can modern dentistry offer the children of today?  First, helping the child become aware of the importance of their teeth is truly a lifetime gift.  Teaching them that the health of their mouths is key to the health of their bodies is critical.  Helping them experience dental visits that are more about prevention than about treating disease will help them develop habits of regular dental care for their lifetime.

Secondly, a fundamental belief in the health model of dentistry is to not have any openings in the teeth that would allow bacteria to enter.  We know that virtually all abscessed teeth, excluding trauma, begin with a pinhole cavity.  So why not conservatively close any openings in any baby or permanent teeth?  It is called being aggressively conservative and minimally invasive.

Finally, the absolute key to a healthy, adult dentition is the growth and development of the bony structures that are holding the teeth. Often times there are discrepancies between the size of the teeth and the size of the jaws which are usually associated with genetics as well as the health of the parents at the time of conception.  The modern orthodontist can now, non-surgically, help nature develop ideal dental arches that will allow the teeth to be positioned ideally.  They do orthopedics first and then orthodontics.  It is truly amazing.  The secret is to find the “window” for each child when this can be accomplished so that surgical intervention in the years ahead can be avoided.

Hopefully now you have a new and broader view of children and their teeth and that you would agree with me that “bothering” with that part of their anatomy is a wise thing to do.

It is very important to set the chemistry of the body early in the day. A healthy, balanced body chemistry is foundational to healthy gums, teeth, jaw joints, and all the tissues of the mouth as well as to the rest of the body. Below is a simple, safe way to begin the day and to set the chemistry of our bodies. If you have any medical condition that might conflict with this protocol be sure and check with you physician.

MORNING PROTOCOL

1. First thing in the morning, squeeze 2 tablespoons or more of natural lemon juice into a glass of water. You can also add organic apple juice (natural and unprocessed), and apple cider vinegar to the mix. The amount of water is your choice but you must drink all that is in the glass. Pure, 100% frozen concentrates are acceptable.
2. Along with the lemon juice, take 2 capsules of friendly bacteria containing acidophilus and no less than 2 grams (2000 mg) of plain vitamin C (nothing but simple ascorbic acid and not time-released).
3. Do 20 minutes to one hour of aerobic exercise according to capability, four to five times per week.
4. Follow the exercise with a protein breakfast. Absolutely avoid any simple carbohydrates during this meal. Whole grains are O.K.
5. Absolutely avoid drinking coffee on an empty stomach. If you must drink your coffee, do so after your meal. This holds true for regular and diet soft drinks as well although the regular soft drinks may have as much as 10-12 teaspoons of sugar. In addition, soft drinks are loaded with phosphoric acid that tends to lower the pH of our bodies.
6. Avoid all foods in the morning that will stimulate insulin production, such as orange juice, bananas, corn, sugar, white potatoes, pastries, white flour, bagels, sugary cereals, fruit drinks etc.
7. Avoid getting hungry. If necessary, snack on sunflower seeds, walnuts, or almonds (preferably soaked overnight in water).
8. Brushing and Mouth Rinses: It seems logical to me that if friendly bacteria prefer an alkaline environment and disease promoting bacteria prefer an acid environment, then it would be wise to use a baking soda toothpaste. The delicate balance of bacteria in our mouths is there for a few reasons, primarily, digestion and first line of defense against disease. It should not be altered with chemicals. It is only when bacteria form the film called plaque that they do damage and simple brushing and flossing can take care of plaque.

THE WHY

1. One of the most consistent findings in all chronic illnesses (from gum disease to tooth decay to heart disease to cancer, to arthritis to heavy metal poisoning) is the tendency for the body to become more acidic than ideal. The pH of the blood is one of the most tightly controlled parameters in the human body. One of 7 ways that the body buffers this acidity is to take phosphate ions from the bone. Unfortunately, attached to these phosphate ions are calcium ions, which are subsequently discarded. This excess, unbound calcium may show up as tartar on our teeth (a common finding but by no means normal), hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, calcification of parts of our brains, etc. Ever hear of “calcium channel blocker” drugs for high blood pressure? How about taking calcium supplements and developing more tartar on our teeth? Could it be that the calcium is not being absorbed into the bone? (How could it be absorbed if the body is throwing calcium away?) Relative to the routine build up of tartar, could it be that the body is taking calcium from the bone and throwing it away because our nutrition is making us too acidic? Could it be that is the reason why some of us lose bone in the gum disease process? We should know the amount of free calcium in our blood prior to taking any calcium supplements. Having all women take 1500 mg of calcium a day is like saying that all women should get their front teeth crowned.
2. Drinking mild acids such as citric acid in lemon juice, or maleic acid in apple cider, or fumaric acid in lime juice, stimulates the production of the secretin hormone. This hormone essentially tells the pancreas to dump bicarbonate (an Alka Seltzer) into the small intestines to neutralize this weak acid. In doing so, more bicarbonate is produced than is needed and the excess is absorbed into the blood which in turn makes the blood more alkaline. Another side effect of the pancreas being stimulated by the lemon juice is the production of protease enzymes. These enzymes are essential to the body’s ability to breakdown and use proteins. So even in the midst of a full meal, the lemon juice will ultimately stimulate the pancreas in these two very important ways.
3. Eating or drinking foods such as carrots juice, bananas, white potatoes, white flour, refined sugar, corn, pastries, bagels, sodas, and white rice, stimulate the production of insulin. When insulin is present, we’re burning sugar, storing fat, and making acid. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach fills the stomach with hydrochloric acid and stimulates insulin production. Since there is no food to breakdown, this acid moves directly into the small intestines and is picked up by the blood. The first sip or two of coffee on an empty stomach makes us feel better because it releases glycogen stores, which feed the brain and nerves. Glycogen requires very little insulin. However, as we continue to drink coffee the stimulatory effect of caffeine causes us to begin releasing insulin. Continued drinking of coffee throughout the morning even without food totally blocks fat release due to the high insulin. This is why we can’t lose weight when we drink coffee on an empty stomach. We’re burning sugar and storing fat.
4. So when we drink the lemon juice, we tend to become less acidic and more alkaline. Exercising calls on the thyroid which burns fat and makes oxygen and makes us more alkaline. The thyroid is also called upon when we eat protein. So you see, when we drink the lemon juice, exercise, and then eat a protein breakfast, we’re becoming more alkaline, making oxygen, and burning fat. The bacteria that produce gum disease and decay hate this scenario.
5. We can extrapolate the pH of the blood by looking at the pH of the saliva with the use of a special paper. You too can measure your salivary pH at home and check how healthy you are during different times of the day. Checking our salivary pH right before we go to bed is quite useful. Going to bed with very acid saliva will make the progression of gum disease and decay more likely. In addition, checking the pH of the saliva upon wakening and 2 hours after breakfast are key measurements of health.
6. Relative to vitamin C, it is important not to take less than 2000mg. At this level, vitamin C acts as an antioxidant. At the typical American dose of 500mg, the vitamin C actually becomes an oxidant and a potential source for disease. There is a detailed biochemical explanation for this as put forth by Dr. Boyd Haley, a Ph.D. and former chairman of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky. Finally, the friendly bacteria provide a formidable barrier in our intestines to invasion of foreign bodies. They also play a key role in conversion of proteins prior to being absorbed. The pH to keep them healthy in the intestines is higher (more alkaline) than the pH that seems to be necessary to promote the development of cancer cells.

So you can see that what we eat and how we eat have a direct bearing on the health of the mouth. In addition, it is not possible to separate the health of the mouth from the health of the body. For most of us, we cannot be healthy and resistant to disease without having a healthy mouth. Ironically, through very good brushing and flossing and high quality dental care, we can mask the presence of diseases elsewhere in our bodies. Only through blood testing where the results are compared to a health model can we know for sure how healthy we are.

Much credit for this line of thinking goes to Sam Queen, CCN. He has contributed greatly to alleviating human suffering and helping us understand how the body is designed and that it is designed to win. Below are his web site and phone number. He is headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO.

www.healthrealities.org

Institute for Health Realities (719-598-4968)

rev: JANUARY 2011

For over 37 years I have watched little openings occur between my patients’ teeth. Not only is it unsightly, but it causes food to stick between our teeth and it exposes root surfaces to the ravages of decay as we age. Within the profession, we call them black holes or black triangles. I had always attributed this phenomenon to either lack of or poorly performed hygiene or old, failing dental work, until one day I noticed these black holes between my teeth, one who flosses meticulously 365 days a year. I was stunned since not only do I carefully clean my teeth, but also because I have no significant gum disease or failing dentistry in my mouth.

I now believe I have figured it out. Through bone research, we know that there is a protein matrix present in healthy bone. This matrix supplies the cells needed to build bone as well as enamel on our teeth. We also know that attempting to build bone without a healthy matrix will be difficult at best and most likely leave us with brittle bone. We know that this matrix can be lost through several mechanisms. Eating insufficient amounts of protein, eating unusable protein (like what happens when we microwave a piece of meat), eating enough of the right kind of protein but the body cannot use them, the presence of toxins such as mercury, arsenic, solvents, pesticides, etc. all can play a part in losing this matrix. There is even a test that can be run from a blood sample that will tell if the matrix is coming out.

As the matrix leaves, so do the minerals in the bone. Bone mass shrinks. Since the edge of the gums maintains a specific distance from the level of the bone, as the bone shrinks, so does the gum. Consequently, as the gums move away from the teeth, black holes form.

There is no doubt that brushing too hard and a poor bite can cause the gums to shrink. I now believe that this subtle bone loss due to loss of the protein matrix, is a major contributor to this unsightly condition known as black holes. In addition, it would be naïve to believe that this loss of bone is occurring only in the mouth, which is another concern of mine.

Finally, I predict one day that patients will go to their dentist to check for osteoporosis. Right now there is an instrument that can measure the density of the jaw bones without radiation and it is a matter of time before the research is complete that will correlate the bone density in the mouth to the bone levels throughout the body. In addition, the good news is that there are natural, holistic techniques now available to re-build this matrix. This all kind of makes we wonder about the “one size fits all mentality” that says all women should take 1200 mg of calcium a day.

Several years ago I received a phone call telling me that a recently drawn blood sample revealed signs of kidney failure. I remember thinking how strange this was since I had no indication that my kidneys were failing. To make matters worse, my father was in the terminal stages of kidney failure. In a dramatic way, this incident showed me that medicine today is focused on disease and not health. Our “disease-care” system functions best when a crisis arises or a disease is identified. All the little physical changes that show up in the body as a disease begins to manifest are ignored by most health care professionals. Generally, it is not until a diagnosis is made and a label is applied to a set of symptoms that action is taken.

For those of you contemplating making positive health changes part of your New Year’s resolutions, you may be surprised to learn that the most significant things you can do are often overlooked by the current health care system. Sure, you need to be concerned about proper nutrition and exercise, clogged arteries, getting enough calcium, adequate sleep, and similar traditional healthy lifestyle markers, but maybe not for the reasons you think. Understanding the difference between health and disease may make it a whole lot easier for you to accomplish your goals.

So what is health? Surely it is much more than the absence of disease. Just because we are not sick doesn’t mean we are healthy. The reference ranges seen in blood chemistries today are a reflection of the state of health of the general populace (they come from patients entering hospitals) and have little to do with what health is. It takes decades for many chronic illnesses to express themselves. We don’t typically all of a sudden get plaque in our arteries and have a heart attack. It takes a long time for this plaque to build up, and the evidence of its presence can be found in the blood chemistry long before the heart attack occurs. In dentistry, one doesn’t all of a sudden lose a tooth from gum disease. It takes a while for the gum to recede and the bone to dissolve with numerous early signs that tell us way in advance that a problem is developing.

Contrary to the traditional medical school training which focuses on the recognition of symptoms and diagnosis of illness, the enlightened dentist is trained to recognize a healthy mouth. We have an established model of health against which we compare our patients at each visit. When the patients begin to stray from this model, we discuss with them the options available that will bring their oral health back in line. Usually these options include doing nothing, stopping the disease process, and/or restoring the broken parts of the system to more closely resemble the model. As dentists, both our education and experience teach that all disease is preventable, and that one can have healthy teeth and gums for a lifetime. We also know that wellness is a shared experienced, and that our patients and the dental team must work together.

With the help of H. L. “Sam” Queen, a researcher – biochemist – nutritionist from Colorado Springs, I was able to use natural methods to reverse the damage and restore my kidneys to normal function. Unfortunately, my father, who had been diagnosed with the same kidney problem over 10 years earlier, was prescribed a meaningless diet and his disease progressed “normally” by today’s medical standards. When his kidneys finally failed, he underwent dialysis, which was followed by a transplant, and he ultimately died later of related complications. My father’s story brought home in a poignant and painful way how dysfunctional our health care system has become, and emphasized the need for all of us to assume full responsibility for our health.

What is significant about Sam Queen’s work is that, bucking the standard medical “disease model” for measuring health, he established a “health model”—a reference of physiological ranges that is a reflection of wellness with much more narrow deviations from the norm than found in the “disease model”. Queen’s model operates from the premise that our physical systems are created by precise design, and that given the right nutrients and care, we can remain healthy and free of disease. In a very unique way, Queen can ask the body a series of questions through a unique blood profile, understand where a person’s chemistry has strayed from the health model, and determine what the body needs to return to health. Finally, he has identified 6 subclinical (not readily visible) defects that are present in all chronic illnesses, infections and toxicities.

Ironically, all 6 defects identified by Queen are seen by dentists everyday as we look into the mouths of our patients. These include pH Imbalance, free calcium excess, anaerobic tendency, chronic inflammation, connective tissue breakdown, and oxidative stress. One could easily describe health as the opposite of these 6 defects. A stable acid/alkaline ratio, a healthy proportion of free and bound calcium in the blood, a robust aerobic metabolism, a sufficient acute inflammatory response, connective tissue integrity, and a good balance of oxidant/antioxidant activity within the body would be a good representation of a healthy individual.

Before examining these defects in further detail, it is important to remember that the body is much more complex than can be portrayed in a short article. There is no “one size fits all”/quick fix approach to these defects and this mentality can be very dangerous when it comes to our health. Only through careful analysis of each patient’s blood chemistry can one determine how best to eliminate these 6 defects in any given individual. In addition, the order in which these defects are treated is extremely important and should not be compromised. For example, to begin taking antioxidants without dealing with the other defects first is potentially dangerous.

The most tightly controlled parameter in the human body is the pH of arterial blood, with the range being between 7.35-7.45. Outside of this range human life ceases—there is no leeway so to speak. The body will preserve this pH range at all cost.

There is a much stronger tendency for our bodies to become acidic (where arterial pH falls below 7.4) than alkalinic (where arterial pH rises above 7.4). Foods containing refined flour and sugar, excess alcohol consumption, coffee on an empty stomach, and exposure to environmental toxins such as plastics, solvents, pesticides, mercury and other heavy metals can all lower the pH. Any time insulin is stimulated by eating refined foods or foods such as carrots, white potatoes, beets and orange juice, we will burn sugar, store fat, and make acid. When coffee, which is acid in itself, hits an empty stomach, hydrochloric acid is released and both go into the gut and are absorbed by the blood, thus lowering the pH.

Changes in body pH are seen in the pH of the saliva. For years I’ve observed patients with rampant decay but little plaque—a seemingly inconsistent finding, only to learn since we started checking the pH of the saliva that these patients had a pH of 5.5, what has been termed the critical pH. At this level, minerals leave teeth and bone. Small changes in the pH of the blood have a tremendous effect on the pH of the saliva. Exercise and eating certain foods, (for example, proteins) can stimulate the thyroid which burns fat, makes oxygen, and makes us more alkaline. Finally, eating cultured dairy products and drinking lemon water will also help us to become more alkaline.

When acidic, one of the ways the body will raise the pH is by sending the blood into the bone and extracting phosphates. These phosphates help to neutralize the acids. Interestingly, attached to these phosphates are calcium ions, which are discarded in the process. Ever hear of kidney stones, hardening of the arteries, or the need for calcium channel blockers for high blood pressure? How about tartar on the teeth? Ever wonder what the hygienist is scraping off of our teeth? We’ve observed calcium deposits for so long on our patients’ teeth that we’ve come to believe it is normal, lending credence to the concept that what is common must be normal. When we are in good health, however, we will not get calcium deposits on our teeth.

Another indication of excessive free calcium is showing up with much more frequency in routine autopsies—calcification of the pineal gland, the gland that makes melatonin, which is important in regulating sleep and the repair functions in the body. Do you know of anyone who has trouble sleeping? Also, until we correct the low pH/acidic condition, calcium will continue to be leached from the bones. No amount of supplementation alone will stop this. In light of this knowledge, an across the board prescription that every woman should take 1200 mg of calcium daily is ludicrous.

The more acidic we become, the more our bodies move to anaerobic metabolism—meaning lacking in oxygen. The lower the pH, the less oxygen the blood can carry. The bugs that cause our most serious infections love an acidic, sweet, and oxygen free environment. Wouldn’t it make sense that in fighting an infection we would make it uncomfortable for those bacteria that are trying to hurt us by decreasing our sugar and refined foods intake, making ourselves more alkaline, and if possible, doing a little walking or some other form of mild exercise? That certainly makes more sense than a soft drink filled with phosphoric acid and at least 10 teaspoons of sugar.

In 1994, Dr. Alan Fogelman in his keynote address to the American Heart Association revealed that the underlying defect in heart disease was chronic inflammation. It always precedes the deposition of calcium and cholesterol. The risk of heart attack is dramatically increased when there is active gum disease present. We also know that all cancer metastasis begins in an acid, calcium-rich environment and in the presence of chronic inflammation. As a practicing dentist, this knowledge gave a whole new meaning to bleeding gums and “watching” failing root canals. In such patients, the prudent dentist of the future would want to obtain specific blood chemistries to determine whether gum disease and failing root canals are impacting more than just oral health. The routine prescription of anti inflammatory drugs without determining the source of the inflammation appears risky.

Connective tissue breakdown is evident in varicose veins, hernias, hemorrhoids, lower back pain (ligaments begin to unravel and discs begin to slip), popping jaw joints, and of course gum disease. It is as though the invisible wiring that holds us together begins to unwind. This is a huge factor in aging, and is physically manifested in “sagging” as we grow old.

Finally, so many of the chronic diseases we see today are due in great measure to the presence of oxidative stress caused by an abundance of free radicals. Some of the sources of free radicals are cigarette smoking, toxic wastes in the colon, chronic inflammation, U.V. light, excess alcohol consumption, exposure to mercury and other heavy metals, and excess stored iron (a good reason for men to regularly donate blood). Free radical production is greatly enhanced in an acid environment. Taking antioxidants in the presence of a low pH will greatly reduce the effectiveness of these supplements, and in some cases may produce deleterious affects.

So there you have it…the antithesis of the “one size fits all” mentality. This new “health model” will ultimately shift the focus in medicine from disease to wellness, or, stated another way, from cure to prevention. This state of the art information (which usually precedes standard of care by 10 to 15 years) will eventually result in patient lifestyles that reflect self-care and self-responsibility—a stark contrast to the current “quick fix pill” mentality of many people today. I believe the ultimate driving force for change will come from patients themselves, as our increasingly toxic lifestyles result in indefinable illnesses, with multiple symptoms that fail to respond to our standard treatment protocols, and more and more of our middle class find themselves without health insurance. This information and its subsequent implementation offer, in my opinion, the best defense to the spiraling costs within our health care system.

At least twice a year, I try to get away and reflect on my life, my relationship with God, family, and friends, and my practice. I’m blessed to have a spouse who understands the importance of this and supports me in my endeavor to stay fresh and engaged in my life and my profession.

One of the themes that continually comes up for me is the differentiation that is emerging among a small segment of the dental profession, the dental profession as a whole, and the medical profession. What I see is confusion and anxiety among the patients as they interface with these different entities. Come with me now as we step back and look at what is happening in these various arenas.

It is important to note that medicine and dentistry were created to deal with critical, emergency type situations. At their infancy, patients sought the care of physicians and dentists only when they had a problem. Perhaps one had an infection or a serious injury or maybe a tooth was hurting. If one looks at what is happening today, it is pretty much the same. We go to the doctor when we have a problem. With the exception of the annual pap smear, mammogram, or annual physical, little preventive care is actually seen. When we have blood drawn and evaluated, if our numbers are within the “range”, we are considered O.K., in spite of the fact that these ranges are derived from patients entering the hospitals, (usually someone with a problem), and are in no way related to health.

Therefore, in effect, we don’t have a health care system but rather a disease care system. The way medicine is practiced today, there is an underlying message that says when you get the disease, we’ll go into action. We won’t look for the cause but rather we’ll find a medication or surgical procedure or device to eliminate or suppress the symptoms. Isn’t it striking that a by-pass procedure is estimated to last about 10 years? Ever wonder why no one seems interested in finding out more about why the arteries are clogging up instead just blaming it on heredity?

We know that the initiator of heart disease is chronic inflammation (American Heart Association Meeting 1997) somewhere in the body, which is followed by the deposition of calcium and then cholesterol. To my knowledge, checking for chronic inflammation is still not the norm within the medical profession. We now know that all cancers begin in an acidic, oxygen deprived, calcium rich environment and in the presence of chronic inflammation somewhere in the body. So why do we continually spend billions of dollars each year looking for more new drugs to treat cancer instead of studying how we could eliminate these situations from occurring within our bodies and thereby preventing it from ever showing up. We know that there are six hidden defects. (see article this section entitled “Invisible Signs of Chronic Illness and Infection) present in all infections, chronic diseases, and toxicities and that if we support the body in its effort to eliminate these defects, we usually see signs and symptoms of disease disappear. We know that the mouth is a mirror and is intimately related to our overall health yet physicians and dentists rarely interact to find ways to help a patient get healthy.

So what is the answer? I don’t believe there is one answer but I do believe a 180 degree change of thinking by all parties is in order. First, we must assume total responsibility for our health. This is difficult because our culture has evolved more towards a blaming, entitlement, and quick fix mentality. Also, many of us no longer have the freedom to choose where we seek our care due to the ever increasing tentacles of the insurance industry and the high costs of disease care. We, however, can choose the things we eat and drink, whether or not to exercise, where we get our information about our health, and with whom to consult outside the insurance network, for example, the alternative realm. We can let go of the idea that everyone should do the same things to get healthy, the old “one size fits all” way of thinking and find ways to customize our approach to health because we are unique, one of a kind creations. We can understand that our Maker created us by design and we could work to support that design naturally rather than telling the body what to do.  A true master of this approach is H. L. “Sam” Queen, C.C.N., C.N.S.  He can be found at the Institute for Health Realities web address is healthrealities.com.

In dentistry, the approach we’ve followed for over 30 years, the health-centered concept, is making more and more sense each year I practice. You see, we have a clear picture of what healthy teeth, healthy gums, and a healthy chewing system look like.  The heart attack in dentistry is an abscessed tooth. We know that a little cavity in the top of a molar, left alone, will eventually abscess the tooth so we proactively seal off “dirty” grooves.  We know that a crack in a tooth with a large, leaking filling, will lead again to an abscess, so we remove the decay and old filling, sterilize the tooth, restore the tooth with the latest composite resin, often times negating the need to crown (cap) the tooth. We know that bleeding gums will ultimate lead to bone loss and perhaps loss of the tooth, so we teach people how to clean their mouths and where they fail, we help them by removing hard deposits and stains so that the gums can return to health. We know that subtle wear on the teeth, left alone, could irreparably damage the teeth, any dentistry placed on the teeth, and/or the jaw joints, so we make orthotics (night guards) to prevent the chewing system from deteriorating.

One final thought. Insurance benefits in dentistry are important and we work hard to help our patients get their benefits. However, insurance companies and their policies are not designed or created to help us get healthy. They are designed to help us take care of some of the costs of repairing the ravages of disease, all the while promoting, at best, average care and technology. The real answer to the health care crisis and the rising costs we’re seeing, lies in our ability to move the condition of our mouths as well as our general health closer to health. The good news is that we don’t have to be perfect.  We just need to move in the direction of wellness.  Integrating natural, holistic concepts with state of the art technology has served my patients well for decades and still remains our best option to achieving that goal.

As those of you who have regular checkups know, we have been measuring the pH of the saliva now for years. Some of you ask why and want to know more about it so I thought I’d explore this fascinating topic with you within this newsletter format.

Exactly what is pH and what does it mean? Consider this. We know that water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen ions. When there is an equal number of each of these ions, we have a pH of 7.0 or a neutral pH. When we put a fish in the water and it begins to use some of the oxygen, we get more hydrogen than oxygen ions. The water now has become acidic which means that the pH has dropped. The lower the pH (below 7.0) the greater acidity and less oxygen. The higher the pH (above 7.0), the greater the capacity for oxygen.

So what does this mean to you. When we check the pH of your saliva, we are actually checking the pH of your blood and tissues. Small changes in the pH of the blood produce great changes in the pH of the saliva. What’s interesting to me is that the bacteria which produce decay in our teeth and infections in our mouths love a sweet, acidic, and oxygen-free environment. Imagine if you had a house guest that you were ready for them to leave and suppose they liked the house warm and they loved pasta and hated garlic. Wouldn’t you make the house cold, serve rice, and put garlic in everything? The same holds true for disease in our mouths. Wouldn’t it be tough on the bacteria that were producing the illnesses in our mouths if we made the environment alkaline, free of sugar, and oxygen rich? Maybe they just might leave to find a better home.

We know that the most common finding in all infections, chronic illnesses, and chronic toxicities is a low pH. We often times see a pH of 5.5 in the saliva. This is what is called the critical pH, one in which minerals leave the teeth and bone. We expect to see decay and bone loss at this pH over a period of time. If one thinks about this, it would be hard to believe that the bone loss is only occurring around the teeth, but in all likelihood is happening throughout the body. In addition, we know that all, I repeat all, cancers begin in a low pH environment. It also predisposes us to arterial disease, all degenerative processes, and yeast infections.

So why would we lose bone when the pH drops. See if you can follow me here. The pH of the blood is one of the most tightly controlled parameters in the body because if the pH falls to low we will die. In an effort to buffer the pH so that it stays in a healthy range, the body has at its disposal, 8 buffering systems. One of the most important of these is a process where the blood will go into the bone and extract phosphates which have the effect of raising the pH. Unfortunately, attached to these phosphates are calcium ions. In the process of buffering the blood with phosphates, these calcium ions are discarded. Signs of this are everywhere and have been happening for so long that we now consider them normal. Think about the tartar on our teeth, kidney stones, hardening of our arteries, calcification of our heart valves and parts of our brain. We’re literally hardening our bodies.

Why do we become acidic? There are two areas that seem to be the greatest source for producing most of our stress relative to pH – the foods we eat and environmental toxins. It is important to realize that insulin burns sugar, stores fat, and makes us acidic so that any foods that we eat that stimulate insulin will create problems for individuals who are trying to control their pH. Foods like white flour, sugars, orange juice, carrot juice, white potatoes, bananas, and colas.

Environmental toxins such as heavy metals (aluminum, lead, arsenic, and mercury) , solvents (alcohol, dry cleaning fluids, household cleaning products), pesticides, and petroleum products are everywhere and are playing a big part in the illnesses that so many of us are experiencing. It has been estimated that 80-90% of all deaths are related to these toxins. When you think about what kinds of foods the body would need to process these toxins and expel them and one looks at the nutritional quality of our foods, it is no wonder that so many people are taking so much similar medications.

So now you know why we measure your pH at your regular recare visits. We will never gain the health in our mouths that many of us seek nor experience maximum longevity of the dentistry we have placed in our mouths unless we maintain a healthy pH. Let us know if you have any questions about your pH.

Perhaps the most significant question we can ask our health care professional is …How will I know when I’m healthy? My guess is that most physicians would have a tough time with that question given their training and daily experiences of relieving symptoms and dealing with life threatening health events. For those of us in dentistry who are health-centered and focus on wellness, we do have an answer. We have a healthy mouth when the gums are attached to the teeth like an oyster to its shell and there is no bleeding, when all the openings in the teeth are sealed and there are no infected teeth, and finally when the forces within the chewing system are evenly spread amongst all the teeth. Once achieved, the mouth will not deteriorate and the aging process will stop.

So what do we know about the health of the mouth and our overall health? The evidence that there is a link between gum disease and heart disease is substantial. In addition, chronic gum disease has been linked to insulin sensitivity and may play a role in Type II diabetes. We know that an abscessed tooth can depress the immune system and can raise the PSA in males. The ancient Chinese even linked the teeth with different organs of the body and this concept is still in use today.

A continuing source of controversy both within and outside of the profession is the use of mercury fillings. We know 2 things for sure. First, mercury is one of the most dangerous neurotoxins known to man. There are no safe levels of mercury in the human body. Secondly, and even the FDA has finally confirmed, that mercury vapors leave for the life of these fillings. We even have strict guidelines for the disposal of scraps of mercury fillings due to the potential deleterious effects on the environment.

Beyond all this, what if I told you that there are 6 subclinical defects (not readily visible but seen readily in blood work) that present in all chronic illnesses, chronic infections, and toxicities. Ironically, all of these defects show up in the mouth, making dentistry much more about health than just fixing teeth. For more details on these defects go to mikerobichauxdds.com/health articles. Let’s look at one of these, free excess calcium.

For years, when a patient came in with “tartar” (calcium) on their teeth, we immediately worked with them to better care for their teeth at home. Now we know that healthy people do not get calcium deposits on their teeth and that these deposits are more of a systemic problem than a dental. Less than ½ of 1% of all the calcium in our body is unbound or free. Slight elevations of this percentage leads to excess free calcium. One has to ask …”From where is this calcium coming?” Is it coming from the diet, or from excess supplementation, or is it coming from the bones?

If it is coming from supplementation, we have to question the validity of all women taking 1500mg of calcium daily, as though they are all the same. If it is coming from the bones, it begs the question, why, and if that is so, will the calcium that is being supplemented actually get into the bones? And where else is this calcium being deposited? How about in the breasts as seen on mammography? How about in the arteries as seen in “hardening of the arteries”? What about the popular high blood pressure drugs called calcium channel blockers?

So what now? How can health-centered people deal with all that is happening and find the right dentist? Make sure your dentist listens to your concerns without judgment. Make sure you’re treated in a comprehensive fashion, meaning that the health of the gums, the teeth, and the chewing system are evaluated together. Finally, make sure that the dentist is as concerned about the cause of your problems as he/she is concerned about fixing the problems.