14 Hidden Mouth “Splinters”
– Can Make You Sick –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

September 20, 2020 [printfriendly]

You may not see them, feel them, or even know about them. They are sources of infection and inflammation that I call “splinters”. I count 14 of them, and they could be lurking in your mouth and jawbone. These splinters could affect your entire body over time. And they could cause serious problems for you now or years down the road.

 

Ultimately, they might compromise your immune system and spread infection and inflammation to all cells and organs. Unfortunately, many medical doctors have no idea that these splinters exist even as these physicians try to treat the chronic diseases caused by them.

 

Here is a way to visualize this complex issue:

 

If a person were healthy by all definitions of health but had a splinter in his finger, the area of the splinter could not heal. However, once the splinter was removed, the puncture wound in the skin would heal. But if that individual began to stab that splinter repeatedly into the original puncture wound, the wound would open up and never heal.

 

Likewise, the immune system cannot heal the body as long as splinters exist. And the body cannot heal as long as splinters continuously enter the body and “stab” it.

 

 

Dental Splinters

A dental problem can act as a splinter in your finger that never gets removed. The longer it stays in place, the more damage it can do to the surrounding tissues. Eventually, inflammation and infection can spread to other parts of the body. They travel through the blood system, lymph, and even across nerve sheaths. And if new irritants occur or are placed in the mouth by a dentist, problems may compound.

 

Here are 14 of the most pressing dental problems I have seen in my patients over the last 44 years in practice.

 

  1. Mercury: This heavy metal is part of an amalgam filling in a tooth. Some mercury is released as a vapor 24/7. Airborne mercury is toxic to the body and has the potential to accumulate and damage cells in various parts of the body. An estimated 80% of mercury vapor is absorbed by the lungs and passed to the rest of the body, particularly the brain, kidney, liver, lung, and gastrointestinal tract. [1]
  2. Biologically Incompatible Dental Fillings: Dental fillings are made up of many different chemicals. Some of them cause toxic responses in some people.[2] The gum and cheeks can get sore, inflamed, and raw from the constant exposure to these substances, day after day. Not everyone is sensitive to the same materials. Your dentist could order biological blood tests to determine if you are sensitive to a specific dental material.[3]
  3. Broken or Decayed 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, pain, and swelling.
  4. Broken Fillings: These could cause the same problems as broken or decayed teeth.
  5. Poor or Ill-Fitting Dentistry: Sometimes a filling, crown, bridge, implant, or partial denture is not made to fit ideally in the mouth. Or it may become ill-fitting over time. Poorly fitting dental work could cause bite problems damaging the actual tooth, the bone around the tooth root, or the jaw joint and muscles. In addition, bad dental work can irritate the gums and other soft tissues of the mouth causing pain, bleeding, and swelling.
  6. Deposits Under the Gum: Generally, these could be calcified remnants of bacteria attached to the roots of teeth. You might think of them as barnacles attaching to the bottom of a boat that sits in the water. They are rough and are called calculus or tartar. These are irritants to the surrounding gum and bone and can encourage further progression of infection until they are removed.
  7. Cement Hiding Under the Gum: This is another splinter under the gum. It is the result of a dentist or dental assistant not removing excess cement at the time a crown, bridge, or implant crown is cemented in the mouth. Many times, cement under the gum tissues creates acute inflammation, infection, bleeding, and pain. If not removed quickly, it will cause bone damage and could result in the loss of the tooth or implant.
  8. Infections Inside the Tooth (necrotic tooth): The nerve that lives inside the canal of a tooth is positioned like the carbon in the center of a pencil. It contains blood vessels and nourishing fluids. If it dies or becomes infected, its infection would push out of the tooth at the base of the root (like the carbon point at the writing tip of a pencil). The infection could spread into the surrounding bone causing pain and swelling before moving to other parts of the body.
  9. Hopelessly Compromised Teeth: If a tooth becomes damaged in such a way that it can’t be repaired, it should be removed. If left unattended, further infection or damage will occur.
  10. Biting Forces Creating Unhealthy Pressures on Teeth: Normally, teeth come together to bite and chew food. However, one tooth could bite against another tooth with too much pressure. Poorly fitting dental work could be the cause. If this happens, the excess pressure could crack a tooth or cause the teeth to become loose. If these heavy pressures are not corrected, these teeth could be lost. Heavy biting pressures also could make the jaw muscles sore. This is likewise true for implants that are biting down with excessive forces.
  11. Improper Alignment of Teeth: Poor tooth position or jaw size can be corrected by a dentist with specialized training. Proper treatment could help treat or prevent chewing and jaw problems, swallowing difficulties, breathing complications, and speaking impediments.
  12. Dental Implants: Dental implants are artificial roots that are inserted into the jawbone to replace a missing tooth. They usually function extremely well. However, the material in the implant may damage the surrounding gum and bone tissues. Specifically, titanium implants have been shown to create inflammation in the surrounding tissues and weaken the immune system. A zirconia-type implant is more compatible in the mouth. Take a look at two articles I wrote about dental implants (HERE, HERE).
  13. Infections and Inflammation Embedded in the Jawbone: These lesions are called “cavitations”. They are areas of retained infection and inflammation in the jaw after a tooth has been extracted. Most of the time, these don’t cause pain. But sometimes they may be very painful. Cavitations may be the originating cause of other chronic diseases popping up in other parts of the body.
  14. Other Infections or Damage to Gum, Teeth, Bone, Jaw Joint, or Jaw Muscles: A meticulous examination by a well-trained dentist may uncover other potential splinters. An in-depth evaluation will take more than five minutes. For my patients, I spend an hour doing a thorough exam.

 

My Thoughts

This is a lot to consider. You may not know if you have or don’t have any of these potential problems. I encourage you to see a well-trained dentist who understands the biological relationships between what goes on in the mouth and what goes on within the rest of the body.

 

Every cell in our body communicates with every other cell. Our mouth is not an island unto itself. A healthy body depends on a healthy mouth, and a healthy mouth depends on a healthy body. If you discover you have any of these splinters in your mouth, you should be proactive and have them treated efficiently.

 

I’ve written a Blog to help you find an appropriate dentist. If you are searching for a biologically trained dentist, you may want to check out these sources to find a dentist near you:

 

 

 

[1] https://iaomt.org/resources/dental-mercury-facts/mercury-poisoning-symptoms-dental-amalgam/

[2] https://iaomt.org/practical-guide-compatibility-testing-dental-materials/

[3] https://biocomplabs.com/test-kit-testing-report/

11 Dental Problems
– That Cause Other Problems –

Dr. Al Danenberg ? Nutritional Periodontist
March 26, 2018 [printfriendly]

 

 

 

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.

 

 

If you don’t want to miss out on new posts, sign up for my email alert list here.

Buy My Book

Crazy-Good Living