5 Questions to Help Your Patients
Self-Motivate

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist
May 7, 2018

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My hygienist came to me last week totally flustered. She saw a patient who was not taking care of her mouth – nothing new. But this patient has been seen in our office for a while. Yet, she was not taking the steps to help herself – she was not self-motivating.

 

Lacy

I’ll call this patient “Lacy”. Lacy has been coming to our office regularly for over two years for her 3-month hygiene appointments. My hygienist would clean her teeth and monitor her gum health. She would show Lacy what was going on in her mouth with a mirror and would review and demonstrate the necessary cleaning techniques that might improve the health of her mouth. I also had discussed the importance of gut health and how it could affect her mouth health and overall health.

 

Lacy has had an unhealthy mouth, and she still has an unhealthy mouth. Although my hygienist always reemphasizes for Lacy what she needs to do for her teeth and gums, Lacy still presents at each cleaning appointment with lots of gum disease and lots of unhealthy dental plaque.

 

Understandably, my hygienist was frustrated, and she asked me, “What should I do with Lacy? It appears that Lacy has no idea what “compliance” means.”

 

Just the Facts

Sometimes (probably most times), just facts are not enough to make someone react in a positive way. No person can motivate someone else. No person can make another become compliant. Telling a person to get motivated is not going to work. Motivation must develop from within that person and often emanates from an emotional response. A person must believe in the “Why” to make a change. A person must self-motivate to move forward.

 

Self-Motivate

The science of helping people to self-motivate is complex. Each situation must be dealt with individually. However, there are some basic guidelines that might suggest a dialogue with the patient to help her.

 

I suggested 5 questions for my hygienist to ask Lacy, who apparently was not taking care of her mouth and not taking care of her overall health as we believed she should. The questions are designed to help the patient take personal responsibility for her actions and the eventual outcomes from these actions. Of course, the response to each question would determine the way the next question would be asked.

 

  1. “Lacy, are you interested in making your mouth healthier?”
  2. “What are your three main reasons to make this change?”
  3. “What do you think could happen if you don’t make this change?”
  4. “If you want to make a change, what do you think you need to do to be successful?”
  5. “What steps do you want to take for us to help you make that change?”

 

These questions emphasize “you”. They might help Lacy understand her “why”. They also could strike an emotional core within Lacy to spark her into action. Lacy may respond in a proactive way to make the change and to ask us how we can help her to make this happen.

 

Moving Forward

My hygienist already scheduled Lacy with a follow-up appointment in one month. At that appointment, I suggested that my hygienist ask these questions and listen to Lacy’s answers. Our goal is for Lacy to become emotionally involved with, and responsible for, her outcome. If Lacy begins to own her responses as well as the course of her health, then Lacy might ask us for the specific steps our office can take to help Lacy make a difference for herself going forward.

 

 

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Non-Invasive Test
for
Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist
April 9, 2018

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non-invasive test for mitochcondrial dysfunction

I’m going to discuss a unique, non-invasive test to determine mitochondrial dysfunction. But first, I’ll start with a discussion of mitochondria.

 

Mitochondria

Mitochondria are the energy sources of the cell. They are embedded within the cytoplasm of our 30 trillion human cells. Some individual cells have only a few mitochondria; our most active cells (like heart muscle) may contain as many as 2,400 mitochondria per cell. The only human cell lacking mitochondria is the red blood cell.

 

However, energy production is not the only purpose of our mitochondria.[1] Mitochondria also produce heat as necessary, assist in calcium signaling within the host cell and throughout the body, and will induce cell death (apoptosis) when its host cell is damaged beyond repair. In addition, mitochondria regulate insulin in the cell, synthesize cholesterol and other steroids, and participate in other functions required by specialized cells. Another critical function of mitochondria is to interact intimately with other organelles of the cell, especially peroxisomes, to create cellular homeostasis.[2]

 

Causes of Mitochondrial Dysfunction

When the mitochondria within a cell cannot produce enough energy for these mitochondria to function properly, then the cell cannot function properly. When this occurs, it is called mitochondrial dysfunction.

 

Mitochondria can become damaged and dysfunctional when necessary nutrients are not available from the gut, when the energy created by mitochondria is less than the free radicals they produce, and when mitochondria are unable to repair themselves or increase their numbers in their host cell. Also, specific environmental elements and medications can be toxic to mitochondria. These include xenoestrogens (estrogen imitators) in the environment; acetaminophen (Tylenol); statins (anti-cholesterol drugs); glyphosate (Roundup); heavy metals like lead, mercury, and aluminum; and dirty electromagnetic fields that are all around us.

 

Why Test?

Most, if not all, chronic diseases may have mitochondrial dysfunction at its core. From a dental perspective, a research paper published in 2016 showed that active periodontal disease is a disease of mitochondrial dysfunction.[3] An important goal for healthy functioning cells is healthy functioning mitochondria. Current research suggests that supporting the mitochondria’s ability to maintain health and homeostasis in the cell is crucial for life.[4]

 

So, it would be helpful to determine the overall health of the mitochondria in the body.

 

The “gold standard” method to determine mitochondrial dysfunction is an invasive test involving a biopsy of muscle tissue. Other tests have been used with questionable success such as testing levels of lactate, pyruvate, and alanine-lysine ratio.[5]

 

In 2012, a medical study[6] reported a unique, non-invasive method to determine the degree of mitochondrial dysfunction.  The technique has been further developed into a proprietary test called Mitoswab(R), which has at least an 84% correlation with the results of muscle biopsy testing.

 

Since healthy mitochondria are required for the healthy functioning of cells, then testing the health of mitochondria could alert a person of a potential problem. Also, initial testing could establish a reference level before treatment. Then, a second test after treatment could confirm improved mitochondrial health and success of treatment. Periodic future testing could provide important information about tweaking diet, lifestyle, and other medical therapies.

 

How To Test?

The testing process using Mitoswab(R) is simple.  The test kit comes with 4 sterile cotton swabs that are rubbed on the mucosa of the cheek area on the right and left sides of the mouth – two swabs for each side. The swabs are inserted individually into 4 plastic tubes, placed in a package containing freezer packs, and sent by FedEx to Religen Labs to be processed.

 

The lab will create a report describing the efficiency of the energy production of the mitochondria from the sample. These results are highly correlated to the overall health or dysfunction of the mitochondria in the body.

 

Moving Forward

Healthcare professionals could order and perform these tests quickly and easily for their patients. Also, individuals could obtain these tests from their healthcare professionals and take their own cheek samples at home. Moving forward, information from these tests could help create a protocol for repair.

 

Incorporating nutrient-dense foods, efficient exercise, restorative sleep, reduction of stress, and intermittent fasting could support healthy mitochondria. There is evidence that pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) may also improve the health of mitochondria.[7],[8] If PEMF is considered for therapy, the device’s efficacy should be supported by published medical research. (QRS-Direct is the exclusive importer of a unique PEMF medical device.)

 

My recommendation would be for individuals to consult their healthcare practitioners to determine if Mitoswab(R) might be beneficial. If this test is selected, the results could help the healthcare professional and the patient tweak specific diet and lifestyle changes as well as choose other medical therapies.

 

 

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My 5 Essential Lifestyle Tweaks

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist
April 2, 2018

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My 5 Essential Lifestyle TweaksThis month, I start my 6th year of living a Primal Lifestyle. I wrote about My Primal Lifestyle in 2016. Since then, I refined and perfected the ways I do things. Over the last 12 months, I began to incorporate my 5 Essential Lifestyle Tweaks to further improve what I had been doing.

 

Back in 2007, I had a stroke and could have died. Yet, I didn’t learn about a primal diet and a primal way of living until 2013. Fortunately for me, embracing a Primal Lifestyle in 2013 saved my life.

 

Fast forward to April 2018 when I will be 71 years old. I feel healthier today than I have ever felt. My blood chemistries have improved considerably from where they were in 2013 – with additional impressive test results since I included these 5 tweaks.

 

Following my stroke in 2007, my physicians prescribed 7 medications for me to take for the rest of my life. Not being comfortable with that scenario, I reinvented my life and have weaned off my last medication this month.

 

The way I live is based on a nutrient-dense diet, efficient exercise, restorative sleep, and stress reduction – all of which I discuss in my book, Crazy-Good Living. In addition to all this, recent medical research is uncovering new and exciting facts about the importance of the gut microbiome and the mitochondria. Both areas are where I have refined and focused my current efforts.

 

The Gut & The Mitochondria

I recently published two articles – one about the gut and one about mitochondria. Big Bang Theory of Chronic Disease describes the importance of the gut as the starting point for most systemic diseases. Mitochondria, Gut Bacteria, and Vitamin K2 describes the importance of mitochondrial health for the proper function of almost every cell and organ system. Both articles are loaded with links to peer-reviewed medical papers to support my conclusions.

 

5 Essential Lifestyle Tweaks

The following 5 tweaks are focused methods, which I have added to my primal lifestyle program. They are reported to improve the gut microbiome and the body’s mitochondria:

 

1  Intermittent fasting and multi-day fasting
Published medical research has demonstrated that fasting is beneficial in a variety of ways. It improves fat-burning, builds muscle, enhances brain health, reduces oxidative stress, improves mitochondria health, and reduces inflammation to name a few. Several months ago, I wrote about my fasting experience.

 

2. 4-minute daily exercise created by Dr. Zachary Bush
This may be as effective as high intensity interval training. It is reported to increase the production of nitric oxide. I try to include this exercise protocol several times a week.

 

3. Spore-based probiotics
A randomized and double-blind study published in 2017 demonstrated that spore-based probiotics grow in the gut and can increase the diversity of other healthy bacteria in the gut. Personally, I take this probiotic daily along with the Vitamin supplement I discuss next.

 

4. Vitamin K2
This unique form of vitamin K helps prevent inflammation and move calcium into the proper areas in the body. In addition, medical research using an animal model showed that vitamin K2 could rescue damaged mitochondria.

 

5. Pulsed electromagnetic fields
Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy improves the energy of cells. In this way, it may improve the functioning of mitochondria, and thereby improve many chronic conditions. In the next few weeks, I will devote an entire Blog to the science and application of this important medical application. One company that offers this technology in the United States is QRS (Quantum Resonance Systems).

 

Wrapping It Up

I have experienced personal benefits from these 5 tweaks. My results are anecdotal; I am not part of a controlled study. You may not have the same effects as I have. The facts are that the gut microbiome is critical for overall health, and the mitochondria in every cell of our body are critical for the healthy functioning of each cell.

 

 

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I Will Be Speaking at Paleo f(x) 2018

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist
March 28, 2018

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Paleo f(x)™ 2018 event tickets

I am excited to be a speaker at Paleo f(x) 2018. I’ll be on stage, along with many of my Paleo friends, and it would be awesome to see you there, too.

 

Our friends at Paleo f(x) have tickets on sale now for their epic conference in Austin April 27-29, 2018, and you’re invited!

 

Why attend Paleo f(x)?

 

It’s the biggest Paleo gathering in the world, filled with like-minded people sharing the best and brightest ideas and the most cutting-edge science.

 

If you’ve never attended, it’s the perfect place to become inspired and empowered to take your health to the next level. Throughout the weekend, you’ll get plenty of opportunities to:

  • Mix and mingle with your tribe—Connect with like-minded colleagues and friends who are as passionate about living a vibrant life as you are.
  • Immerse and empower yourself—Discover something new or deepen your knowledge. We’ll have experts speaking about the latest in epigentics, biohacking, Keto, AIP, nootropics, blood testing, strength conditioning, sleep, stress and much more.
  • Play and try out the latest technology, gadgets and workouts—learn from our trainers, taste-test delicious, paleo-friendly foods, and discover how fit you really are with the Paleo f(x) Fit Score.

 

Click here to get your tickets now and save

 

You deserve to be vibrantly healthy. And you deserve to have supportive, uplifting friends who get you.

 

At Paleo f(x) you’ll have three full days to dive in and accelerate your learning about all things ancestral-health related. You’ll be among your tribe–the people who lift you up and really get you!

 

If you’re committed to taking charge of your well-being and optimizing your health, please join me for the full Paleo f(x) experience.

 

Meet me in Austin April 2018 – save $ on @Paleofx tickets.

 

 

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11 Dental Problems
– That Cause Other Problems –

Dr. Al Danenberg ? Nutritional Periodontist
March 26, 2018

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11 Dental ProblemsA dental problem can be similar to a splinter in your finger. The longer it stays in place, the more damage it can do to the surrounding tissues. Eventually, every part of the body could be affected by a dental problem.

 

Any of the following 11 dental problems may not cause any discomfort initially. But, each could cause swelling, spread of infection, and pain if not treated appropriately. They may cause difficulty in chewing your food, bad breath, and an unattractive smile. Also, they may create a weakened immune system.

 

Remember, the natural process of digestion begins in the mouth. If food cannot be broken down properly in the mouth, part of the digestion process could be compromised.

 

11 Dental Problems

  1. Broken or Infected Teeth: These allow bacteria to seep into microscopic crevices and break down the tooth surfaces as well as infect the gum and bone tissues. Deeper infection could cause the nerve of the tooth to die, creating an abscess. 
  2. Broken Fillings: These could cause the same effects as a broken or infected tooth. 
  3. Toxic materials used in tooth fillings: Some materials in dentistry produce chemicals that slowly leach out of the filling and eventually may affect the overall immune system. One of the most offensive materials is mercury in dental fillings. If your teeth need to be restored by a dentist, discuss this with your dentist and choose the least toxic material that dentistry has to offer. If you are having mercury fillings removed, make sure your dentist is trained in the correct and biological procedures to remove these fillings. 
  4. Poor Dentistry: Sometimes a poorly designed filling or crown could cause bite problems. Bite problems could damage the tooth itself, the bone around the tooth root, or the jaw joint and the muscles of the jaw. Another result of poor dentistry is when the edge of a filling or crown was not sealed completely to the tooth surface. This would create a microscopic opening where mouth fluids and bacteria could enter and create decay under the filling or crown. If you are in need of getting a dental crown then you might be interested in checking out this  dental crowns nyc.
  5. Infections Inside Tooth (necrotic teeth): The nerve and blood vessels that live inside the canal of a tooth root are positioned like the carbon in the center of a pencil. If they die or become infected, toxic substances would push out of the tooth at the base of the root (like the pencil point at the writing tip of a pencil). These harmful products could then spread into the surrounding bone causing pain and swelling. Also, these could enter the blood system, affecting other parts of the body. 
  6. Hopelessly Compromised Teeth: If a tooth becomes damaged in such a way that it can’t be repaired, it should be removed as soon as possible, or further infection or damage could occur. 
  7. Splinters Under Gum: Generally, these are calcified remnants of bacteria attached to the roots of teeth much the same way as barnacles would attach to the bottom of a boat that sits in the water. They are called calculus or tartar. These are irritants to the surrounding gum and bone and can encourage further progression of an infection until they are removed. 
  8. Chewing Forces Creating Unhealthy Pressures on Teeth: If one tooth hits another tooth for whatever reason and in such a way as to wiggle the teeth, problems could occur. These heavy biting and chewing pressures could crack the tooth or damage the surrounding bone and the jaw muscles. However, a dentist could smooth down and polish these “high spots” on the chewing surfaces. This frequently will eliminate the rocking of the tooth and solve the problems. 
  9. Improper Position of Teeth: Poor positioning of teeth creates bite problems. These can be corrected by an orthodontist (a dental specialist who helps to move teeth using bands and wires or other appliances to get a healthier biting relationship). Aligning the teeth properly could help prevent future chewing or jaw problems and help maintain a healthy airway. 
  10. Poorly Fitting Removable Partial & Complete Dentures: Dental appliances that rock and wiggle in the mouth can irritate the soft tissues. Also, clasps on a partial denture that attach to teeth to keep it in place might eventually weaken these teeth and damage the jawbone. 
  11. Other Infections or Damage to Gum, Teeth, Bone, Jaw Joint, or Muscles of Mastication: A comprehensive examination by a well-trained dental practitioner could uncover other potential insults that may be occurring in your mouth causing unforeseen problems. An in-depth evaluation will take more than ten minutes. For my patients, I spend an hour doing a detailed mouth examination. The dentist also may need to take specific x-rays in order to see what may be hidden in the jawbone or the teeth. 

Be Proactive

Functional healthcare practitioners are concerned with determining underlying causes of disease. Unfortunately, few of these practitioners spend time to evaluate (1) how the mouth became infected and (2) how the mouth provides an additional source for the development of chronic systemic diseases. Be proactive with your mouth and seek out professional advice from trained biological dentists who know how to connect the dots between mouth problems and overall health.

 

 

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Fad Diets & The Mouth

Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS ● Nutritional Periodontist
March 19, 2018

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Fad DietsAn email about fad diets and bad breath was forwarded to me. This email claimed that some fad diets like fasting and low-carb could lead to dehydration and bad breath in the mouth. This might make sense to some extent about fad diets, but there was an underlying intent.

 

The ultimate purpose of the email was to promote a dentist-developed, bad-breath lozenge. I’ve already discussed how I feel about healthcare practitioners promoting products, so I won’t go into that here. The issues this email raised for me, however, were the definition of a “fad diet” and the side effects in the mouth. So, let me talk about fad diets as well as the effects of dehydration and bad breath in the mouth.

 

Fad Diets

Let me be clear: I do not believe in fad diets. I wrote an article that described some fad diets over the past decades. But, what is a “fad diet”?

 

If a nutrient-dense diet that has sustained our primal ancestors for at least 160,000 years is considered a “fad diet,” then I disagree with labeling it a fad diet. If the diets of various primal societies existing in isolated areas in the world today are considered “fad diets”, then I disagree they are fad diets.

 

“Fad Diets” are quick fixes to lose weight by removing critical nutrients, which the body requires.

 

Fasting is Not a Fad

Fasting has been studied and researched for many years. Peer-reviewed medical articles have been published in various medical journals. The overwhelming evidence is that fasting can produce significant health benefits like regulation of insulin and other hormones, repair of mitochondria, and increase in longevity. Of course, drinking water is necessary when fasting. Water does not break a fast.

 

Low-Carb is Not a Fad

A low to very low-carbohydrate diet and even a “keto diet” have been studied. Our body can make the extra glucose it requires from other nutrients we have ingested. We don’t need excess carbohydrates from our diet. Becoming a “fat burner” and not a “sugar burner” is healthy. However, this may cause a change in odors on the breath. I remind my patients that these odors frequently will go away as these eating styles become stabilized in the body.

 

One popular diet question I get from my patients is about lean meats. I don’t eat lean meats. I eat meats from pastured or wild caught animals that live humanely in their natural environments and only feed on their natural food sources. I include their healthy fats and their amazingly nutritious organs.

 

Another popular question I get is about whole grains. Whole grains are problematic, as they have:

  • Phytates that bind to necessary nutrients
  • Proteins that are not completely digested and damage the gut microbiome and the intestinal lining
  • Excess carbohydrates that are unnecessary for healthy metabolism.

 

However, low-carb is not for everyone. For example, those who are children, are pregnant, have hypothyroidism, or have “adrenal fatigue” should not go “low carb”. I try to talk with my patients about this, not always with success. In general, it is probably fair to say that most people will benefit from eating significantly fewer carbohydrates than are eaten by the majority of individuals in the modern world.

 

Dehydration

We often hear about how much water we should drink each day. Humans do not need to drink a specific volume of water daily. Your body will tell you when you need water. When you are thirsty, you should drink water – all the water you want. If you are thirsty but you don’t drink sufficient water, then you could get dehydrated. Listen to your body!

 

Bad Breath

Everyone occasionally will experience bad breath, which is usually caused by the digestion of some odoriferous foods. However, chronic bad breath can be caused by many things –excessive protein consumption, bacterial overgrowth in the mouth and other parts of the digestive system, systemic infections, gum disease & tooth decay, sinus problems, and tonsil stones. Dehydration could cause bad breath by decreasing the flow of saliva.

 

I explain to my patients that adequate saliva is necessary to begin the digestion of certain foods, lubricate the mouth, and wash away food particles and bacteria. So, a decrease in saliva could cause bad breath by allowing the level of unhealthy bacteria to increase. Adequate saliva also provides necessary nutrients to the healthy microbiome in the mouth as well as the healthy biofilm around the tooth margin called dental plaque. (By the way, dental plaque is healthy until it’s not.)

 

My Final Comments

Fad diets are unhealthy. They might cause dehydration and bad breath, among other complications. But, a healthy diet of nutrient-dense foods is not a fad diet and will not cause dehydration or bad breath. Let’s be sure to define fad diets correctly. “Fad diets” are quick fixes to lose weight by removing critical nutrients that the body requires.

 

 

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What Gets Me Inspired?
… My Double-Blind Study …

Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS ● Nutritional Periodontist
March 12, 2018

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My Double-Blind Study

 

I get inspired about things to which others may just respond with a yawn. Well, it’s the geek in me coming out. For example, here is a study, which was published in July 2017, that gets me inspired – inspired enough to write a protocol for a double-blind study, which will be fully funded by a US company.

 

According to Dr. Figueredo and the other authors [1], their paper was the first published research that showed IBD could directly affect the gum tissues in the mouth.

 

What is IBD?

IBD is the acronym for inflammatory bowel disease. This term relates to a group of chronic intestinal diseases characterized by inflammation of the large or small intestines. The most common types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. IBD creates endotoxemia [2], and endotoxemia compromises the immune function and contributes to systemic chronic inflammation. [3]

 

Dr. Figueredo’s Study

Dr. Figueredo and his investigators recruited 21 patients with IBD and chronic periodontitis. The research showed those patients with active IBD had increased gum tissue inflammation compared to those patients with their IBD in remission. The authors suggested that changes in one mucosal surface in the body could affect other mucosal surfaces anywhere else in the body.

 

My takeaway from this study is that the gut directly affects the mouth and the progression of gum disease. If the gut microbiome can be restored to a state of balance along with repair of the gut membrane and elimination of chronic inflammation, then I can infer from this medical trial that there could be a reduction and possible remission of active gum disease.

 

Current, vigorous medical research is uncovering the importance and the causal relationships between dysbiosis in the gut and the proliferation of many chronic and autoimmune diseases. With this supporting science by Dr. Figueredo, there may be a potential path originating from the gut that may improve what I treat daily – periodontal disease.

 

Studies that Support My Premise

Brian K McFarlin and other researchers [4] published a paper in 2017. The investigators selected 28 participants whose blood tests demonstrated significant endotoxemia after consuming a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal. This select group of individuals were divided into two groups. Both groups took two capsules of a daily supplement for four weeks. One group took placebo capsules, and the other took capsules containing five different spore-based bacillus probiotics.  At the end of the trial, participants ate another high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal. Their blood was tested before the meal and then retested after the meal. Five hours after the meal, the results showed an average 42% decrease of endotoxemia in the group taking the probiotic capsules. However, the group taking the placebo actually had a 36% increase in endotoxemia. The authors suggested that the positive results might be improved significantly if the probiotics were taken for several more months.

 

In 2016, Xue Li and others [5] published their medical research. They used healthy human gum tissue cells for their experiment. These tissue cells were exposed to lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which are present in the pathogenic bacteria of periodontal disease. The results of the research showed that mitochondria in the gum tissue cells exposed to LPS created excess reactive oxygen species (ROS). Following the production of excess ROS, the gum cells produced excess cytokines that could lead to periodontal destruction. However, when the mitochondria of these gum tissue cells were treated to reduce excess ROS production, chronic cytokine production also was reduced even in the presence of LPS.

 

Melissa Vos and others [6] published a paper in 2012 using an animal model. In summary, they demonstrated that vitamin K2 was able to rescue damaged mitochondria, which had been altered at the beginning of the research to represent damaged cells of Parkinson’s Disease.

 

My Double-Blind Study

The articles above have inspired me to connect the dots.

 

The questions I ask myself are:

  • “Can a healthy gut heal or prevent gum disease?”
  • “Can vitamin K2 rescue the mitochondria in unhealthy gum tissue cells?”

 

I want to investigate the potentially beneficial effects on active gum disease of a daily Supplement. In the study, participants will consume this daily Supplement once a day with meals over the course of 30 days.

 

I am collaborating with a microbiologist and a medical doctor specializing in immunology and toxicology to write the protocol for this double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Half the selected group will take a Placebo; half will take the Supplement, which will consist of 5 spore-based bacillus bacteria as well as a high-dose of vitamin K2-MK7. At the beginning of the trial and 30 days later, dental hygienists will document active gum disease in these individuals and will obtain gum tissue cells using a non-invasive “gum swab”. Laboratory analysis of the cells will determine the degree of mitochondrial dysfunction.

 

Currently, we are enlisting dental offices that may want to participate in this study. As you may know, human research requires various regulatory steps. After receiving approval from an Institutional Review Board, our team will initiate the study in several dental offices in the US and Canada.

 

Stay tuned for the results!

 

 

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Dr. Alvin Danenberg & Dr. Steven Lin
Chat on FaceBook Live

Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS ● Nutritional Periodontist
March 9, 2018

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Dr. Steven Lin and I had a chat on FaceBook Live. We talked about so many topics including:

  • Bleeding gums, gum disease, and mitochondrial health
  • Vitamin K2
  • Spore-based probiotics
  • Daily Mouthwash: Good or bad?
  • Nitric oxide
  • My recipes: Homemade applesauce, Seaweed soup
  • And much more…..

 

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… BEAUTY …
it’s an inside thing
(4 active steps)

Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS ● Nutritional Periodontist
March 5, 2018

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Beauty ... it's an inside thing

Several years ago, my dental colleague, Dr. John, told me about his patient, whom I’ll call Gloria. John told me Gloria was fixated on beauty. She dressed immaculately, wore expensive perfume, and must have taken a long time to apply her makeup. She went to Dr. John to have her upper front six teeth crowned to make her look “more beautiful”. John told her that she had many back teeth that were broken down and needed repair, but she only was concerned with her front teeth. Her response to John was, “These front teeth are the ones that people see when I smile”.

 

My dental colleague explained to Gloria that she had active gum disease and active tooth decay. However, facts only confused Gloria. She wasn’t motivated to change her lifestyle and nutrition to recover from the chronic diseases of tooth decay and gum disease. Gloria reemphasized that she only wanted her upper front teeth to be beautiful.

 

What is Beauty?

Beauty is defined as, “a combination of qualities – such as shape, color, or form – that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.” The problem with this definition is that it focuses attention on external beauty only.

 

To me, beauty goes far beneath the superficial surface. As a matter of fact, external beauty is often the end result of internal beauty. I see real beauty as an inside thing.

 

The inner workings of our amazing machine we call the human body affects not only the inside of us but also the outside of us. When you start making yourself beautiful from the inside, beauty reveals itself on the outside.

 

Some Examples

 

  • Most people want to smell good, so they use various soaps and perfumes to create a fragrance they think is pleasing to others. Certainly, we all want to smell good, and everyone should clean their body to remove unhealthy bacteria and dead cells. But, to use artificial fragrances made from various chemicals and to apply them on the skin in excess may be masking other internal problems. In my way of thinking, it would be best to understand and repair the internal problems in order to improve the external manifestations.
  • Some people use various mouthwashes several times a day to conceal odors in the mouth because these odors are offensive to others. While antibacterial mouthwashes may kill many bacteria that may cause unpleasant mouth odor, these mouthwashes also kill very important and beneficial bacteria in the mouth. The “bad” bacteria are overgrown in the mouth because of unhealthy bacteria in the gut, unhealthy food choices feeding these offensive mouth bacteria, a compromised immune system, and poor oral hygiene.
  • Others may use various chemical preparations on their skin to cover up pimples and kill bacteria and other microbes. However, these skin blemishes are frequently the result of a compromised immune system, poor nutrition, and damage to the healthy gut bacteria.

 

The common denominator to much of what is happening on the outside of the body is a result of what is happening in the gut and in the overall immune system. In fact, when a person begins an internal beauty program to improve the inside of his or her body, many of these outward “offensive” body odors, mouth problems, and skin ailments diminish or disappear. Real beauty is an inside thing.

 

Beauty on the Inside

So, how does a person get beautiful on the inside? What is the “inside thing” that has to occur?

 

The four most important proactive steps you can take to repair that “inside thing” are:

  1. Create diversity, quality, and quantity of balanced gut bacteria, which a unique blend of spore-based bacillus probiotics may provide
  2. Remove most grain products, added sugars, over-processed seed oils, and pasteurized milk products from your diet
  3. Include organic vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, healthy fats and oils, and animal products that have been raised humanely in their natural environments and allowed to feed in their natural way
  4. Remove or reduce any chemical and toxic exposures to your food, air, skin, and the water supply.

 

Here are some links to articles I have written about gut bacteria, mouth bacteria, healthy eating, and toxic exposures: HERE, HERE, HERE

 

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My Favorite Paleo Recipes:
Cashew Butter

Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS ● Nutritional Periodontist
February 28, 2018

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Cashew ButterKids love peanut butter, but peanuts are legumes, and they have their problems. So, I prefer nut/seed butters like almond butter or cashew butter.

 

It’s easy for me to find organic almond butter (that meets my standards) online and in my healthier grocery stores. But, I have not been able to find organic cashew butter that is smooth and creamy without unhealthy, over-processed seed oils mixed into the butter. So, I tried to make my own with great success. I only use three ingredients: raw organic cashews, organic avocado oil, and Himalayan sea salt. Try it; you may love it; your kids may love it.

 

In the photo above, I spread it on slices of radish and sticks of celery. Create your own way to serve it.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups organic raw cashews (use more cashews if you want it thicker)
  • 1/2 Cup organic avocado oil
  • 1/4 Tsp Himalayan sea salt

 

Preparation:

  1. Place all ingredients into power blender like the Vitamix® or the NutriBullet Rx®
  2. Blend until smooth
  3. Enjoy

 

 

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