My Mouth Is Healthy
– EXCEPT … –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

November 7, 2021

I have no gum disease.

I have superb nutrition and an extremely diverse gut microbiome.

In fact, one of the core elements of my Balanced Metabolic Coaching Program focuses on dental health. So how come my latest periodontal exam showed signs of tooth decay? And why is it highly likely this decay is connected to my cancer battle?

 

My “25 Hydroxy Vitamin D Blood Level” is 83ng/mL, and I take 300 mcg of Vitamin K2 daily. The 2-week standard deviation of my glucose variability is 10 (amazing!). And I cycle into and out of ketosis weekly. I think these factors suggest that I have a robust immune system.

So, my mouth should be in perfect shape.

But something happened. I have an area of root decay on my lower right cuspid. Even though it is incipient, I am concerned that this could have happened to me.

Let me be candid and transparent, which I have been throughout my cancer journey.

1. How was the decay diagnosed?
2. How could that have happened?
3. What am I going to do about it?
4. My personal experiment to remineralize active decay

Well, let’s get into this.

 

How was it diagnosed?

I made an appointment with my buddy periodontist to exam my mouth on 10/28/21. This was my first periodontal exam since being in Hospice in August 2019.

After his detailed evaluation, he determined my overall mouth health was excellent. But he noticed a small area of soft decay on the side of the root of my lower right cuspid (tooth #27) between the cuspid and lateral tooth. It was not significant on the x-ray, but he diagnosed it with a dental instrument.

What??? How could that be? How could I develop tooth decay?

 

How Could That Happen?

When I fell in my bathroom in August 2019, I split my right femur and right humerus in half and broke a couple of ribs. That was my worst setback. I could not imagine that my body and quality of life could recover from so much damage.

My original prognosis in September 2018 was to live only another 3-6 months. In August 2019, I already outlived my original prognosis by 6 months. Lying on my bathroom floor, writhing in pain, seeing my leg and arm in positions I could never bend them, I was ready to die. I wanted to die. I was placed in hospice to die.

In hospice, I was bedridden, catharized, demoralized, depressed, and constipated. I was unable to clean my mouth for over a month. My right arm was broken and not functional. The best I could do was to try to brush and use Tepe Easy Picks until my right humerus began healing and my right hand could function.

I recovered, revoked hospice, and reintroduced my Unconventional Cancer Protocols. I amazed all my doctors!

By the middle of October 2019, I returned to my oncologist and was on the mend. He couldn’t believe I was still alive!

However, the weeks in hospice and then several more weeks of recovery came with various infections, mouth issues, and antibiotics.

While on narcotics and many drugs during hospice, my gut microbiome was severely compromised. The catheterization caused me to develop two urinary tract infections which required antibiotics. As a result of antibiotics and other meds, I also had several bouts of yeast infection in my mouth, which needed to be treated.

Once I was able to start flossing and cleaning my mouth correctly, I mistakenly believed all was OK. There were no signs or symptoms of any residual damage in my mouth – no pain, no bleeding, no swelling, no problem eating, and no problem speaking.

Six months after I began a strict animal-based diet on 1/1/20, my gut biomarkers showed a well-diversified garden of bacteria, and other metabolic biomarkers were exceptional. Even my PET Scan in May 2020 showed no signs of cancer cells.

So, I went on my merry way.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to have my mouth checked out since it was over 2 years since my last dental exam.

I know! How stupid was it to procrastinate until now?

As I said, on 10/28/21, I scheduled my first periodontal exam in a long time. Thinking I was in great shape, I looked forward to an excellent report.

Surprise! I didn’t get it.

I was diagnosed with isolated early root decay.

This should be a “heads up” warning for all of us. You don’t know what you don’t know!

 

What am I Going to Do About It?

My isolated decay appears to be very early. One option would be to place a composite restoration to repair the decay. That would involve some mechanical trauma to the tooth to place the filling.  It also could cause possible nerve damage to the pulp of the tooth depending on the depth of the existing decay and further preparation of the tooth for the filling. In addition, there would be a chemical in my mouth that I would prefer not to have if possible.

A better option would be to attempt to remineralize the area of decay naturally. Since the decay is very early, remineralization should be easy and predictable.

There are several peer-reviewed medical papers discussing the benefits of micro-hydroxyapatite particles remineralizing active decay. There also are a few published dental clinical trials showing that manuka honey will decrease the pathological activity of decay-forming bacteria (ex: Strep mutans) as well as decrease the pathological potential of various periodontal pathogens (ex. P. gingivalis).

Since my entire cancer journey has been an experiment with only me as the subject (N=1), I am going to try to remineralize this early but active decay. I’ll document the existing decay with a current x-ray and then follow-up with necessary dental appointments.

 

My Personal Experiment to Remineralize Active Decay

1. On 11/2/21, I had a full-mouth series of dental x-rays confirming root decay on the mesial of #27 and evaluating other areas in my mouth.

 

2. My dentist mechanically removed the soft decay in the area and placed ozone in the area to kill the bugs.
3. Immediately, I began using a Tepe Easy Pick dipped in Manuka Honey and then dipped in OraWellness MCHA Powder (a micro-hydroxyapatite powder marketed by OraWellness). Then, I’ll gently rub the medicaments onto the surface of the decayed root 3-4 times a day. I also apply it to the other tooth surfaces between each of my teeth.

 

 

 

 

 

4. I will let the OraWellness MCHA Powder stay on the surface of the root decay and other tooth surfaces without rinsing it out of my mouth.
5. Every couple of months, I’ll have my dentist check the area to evaluate remineralization.
6. If I am unsuccessful, I will have a composite restoration to fix the decay.

 

Your Bottom Line

This should work for me. It might work for others who have early tooth decay.

But many other factors must be in place to create remineralization – a nutrient-rich way of eating, a diverse gut microbiome, a healthy gut lining, and a daily mouth cleaning regimen. I’ve got all those bases well-covered.

I also can help you cover those bases. I offer a one-on-one 12-week balanced metabolic coaching program if you are interested.

 

Schedule a ”30-Minute Free Consult” with me to answer some of your questions and determine if we are a good fit for a coaching program! CLICK HERE.

 

If you don’t want to miss out on new posts, sign up for my “Belly Bites” Newsletter HERE.