Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS April 28, 2016
Your mouth is the mirror of your body. It is intimately and intricately involved with everything that goes on in your body. When your mouth is diseased, your body suffers. When your body is diseased, your mouth suffers. To treat gum disease is to treat your entire body, and to treat your entire body is to treat gum disease.
Be proactive. Declare war on gum disease by attacking these 8 specific areas naturally:
- Eat a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet. Give your body the fuel it needs to biologically function optimally. Here is a classic paper that shows how a healthy diet could significantly reduce gum disease.
- Clean your mouth effectively and efficiently. Remove the accumulated unhealthy bacteria from your teeth, your gums, and your tongue. Once you learn and practice these methods, you’ll see how simple it is.
- Remove deep tartar that is embedded under your gums. A dental hygienist can remove tartar easily and non-surgically. This deposit is like barnacles that attach to the bottom of a boat, which sits in the water. Tartar is actually hardened remnants of bacteria attached to the tooth surface at and under your gum line. Tartar causes infection under the gum tissues as a splinter would cause infection in the skin of your finger.
- Check your vitamin D levels in your blood. Vitamin D is critically essential for most biological functions throughout your body including the health and repair of your gums and jawbone. Nearly every cell in your body has receptor sites for Vitamin D. To determine your blood level of Vitamin D, have your doctor schedule a blood test called a 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D test. Be aware that some of the spot blood tests you can order online might give inaccurate results. If you are deficient, you only may need to increase your healthy exposure to the sun. Other options might include increasing your consumption of certain foods or taking proper supplementation.
- Reduce your stress levels. Stress damages your gut and your immune system. Surprisingly, stress can cause severe damage in your mouth all by itself.
- Determine if you have a damaged gut; then, heal it. Tests can be run by a functional medicine practitioner to help determine if there are microbes in your gut that are causing problems, which may affect your mouth.
- Protect your jawbone if you clench or grind your teeth. If you clench or grind your teeth, you will wiggle your teeth in your jawbone. The pressure from wiggling your teeth in the jawbone will damage the bone around those teeth. This damaged bone leads to more periodontal destruction. (HERE. HERE.) Most people are unaware of this habit. You might need to wear a night guard while you sleep. In addition, you might need a dentist to correct the chewing pressures on your teeth.
- Stay clear of toxic substances. Eat fish that are low in mercury. Drink filtered water. Avoid chemicals in skin products and commercial toothpastes. Consult with a dentist who practices healthy removal of mercury fillings to determine if any fillings in your mouth need to be replaced. Above all, be proactive in what you put into your body. (HERE. HERE.)
Everyone knows that brushing and flossing are important, but that’s not all. Addressing each of these 8 battlefronts can win the war on gum disease. Not only will your mouth be healthier, but also your body will be healthier.
