Don’t Overlook the Mouth in Whole Body Health

Earlier this year, a CDC report noted that 94% of COVID deaths involved people with pre-existing conditions. Other research showed that, in particular,

cardiovascular disease may double a patient’s risk of dying from COVID-19. They also discovered that other pre-existing conditions may increase a COVID-19 patient’s risk of death by one-and-a-half to three times.

Unfortunately, chronic health problems like heart disease - or arthritis or cancer or diabetes or any number of ongoing conditions - are increasingly common around the world. Here at home, 6 out of every 10 Americans have at least one; 4 in 10 have two or more. Most are generally preventable, driven largely by diet and other lifestyle factors.

The debilitating nature of many of these conditions exacts a real cost - not just financially but with respect to quality and length of life.

One way of measuring this burden is with something called disability-adjusted life years, or DALYs. As the World Health Organization defines it, this measure

combines years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLLs) and years of life lost due to time lived in states of less than full health, or years of healthy life lost due to disability (YLDs). One DALY represents the loss of the equivalent of one year of full health.

MDLinx recently posted a summary of the 7 most debilitating diseases in the US, based on their DALYs rate. In order of least to most debilitating, these are

• Neurological diseases.
• Endocrine disorders.
• Musculoskeletal disorders.
• Injury.
• Circulatory diseases.
• Cancers and tumors.
• Mental health disorders and substance misuse.

While most of these conditions are multifactorial, it’s noteworthy that dental conditions can be one of those contributing factors.

The mercury that makes up the bulk of a “silver” amalgam filling, for instance, is most known for its neurologic effects and mental symptoms. In fact, the phrase “mad as a hatter” comes from centuries ago, when mercury nitrate was to make felt for hats. “Mad hatter disease” described the neurological and mental symptoms that arose from the toxic exposure.

Mercury is known to impact the cardiovascular (circulatory) system, as well, and to act as an endocrine disruptor.

Another dental factor can play a role in more than half the listed conditions, as well: gum disease. As we saw last week, cancer is just one of them. Poor periodontal health has also been consistently linked with other inflammatory conditions, including arthritis (musculoskeletal), cardiovascular issues, and cognitive decline (neurological).

Injury might seem to stand alone, without a dental relationship, but parafunctional habits such as bruxing (habitual grinding or clenching) can actually contribute over time to chronic TMJ pain or other problems. While not life-threatening, TMJ disorders can still limit activities and significantly detract from one’s quality of life.

To be clear, we’re not suggesting that dental factors are the sole or even primary cause of any of the debilitating conditions that made the MDLinx list - nor will they contribute to the same sorts of problems for every single person. What we are saying is that when seeking healing, it’s important to not overlook the role the mouth may be playing in whole body health.

The following post Don’t Overlook the Mouth in Whole Body Health is republished from: https://pridedentaloffice.com

Mouth/Body Connections: Gum Disease & Cancer

One brutal reality about gum disease is that the damage doesn’t necessarily stay limited to your mouth. Emerging research, for instance, has suggested that it may raise your risk of certain cancers.

One study, published this past summer in the journal Gut, found that those with a history of gum disease had a 43% higher risk of esophageal cancer and a 52% higher risk of stomach cancer. Those who had lost teeth - a consequence of severe gum disease - were also at greater risk: 42% and 33%, respectively.

The risks jumped even more for those with a history of gum disease once tooth loss began.

As this study looked only at the associations, it didn’t have anything to say about possible reasons why, though the research team offered some possibilities in a news release.

The authors point to possible reasons for an association between oral bacteria (oral microbiota) and esophageal and gastric cancer, with evidence from other studies suggesting that tannerella forsythia and porphyromonas gingivalis -- members of the 'red complex' of periodontal pathogens -- were associated with the presence or risk of esophageal cancer.

Another possible reason is that poor oral hygiene and periodontal disease could promote the formation of endogenous nitrosamines known to cause gastric cancer through nitrate-reducing bacteria.

Not long after, another study - this, in Cancer Prevention Research - similarly found a higher risk of developing at least two types of precancerous cells in the colon: serrated polyps and conventional adenomas.

This study analyzed data from over 42,000 participants who had been in one of two health surveys. Those with gum disease were found to have a 17% higher risk of serrated polyps and an 11% higher risk of conventional adenomas. The risk of the polyps was a little bit higher for those who had lost multiple teeth to gum disease: 20%.

Risk jumped even more with respect to conventional adenomas: 28% for those who had lost up to three teeth and 26% for those who had lost four or more.

While this study likewise looked only at associations and not causes, its lead author, Dr. Mingyang Song, similarly suggested the impact of harmful mouth bacteria to Forbes Magazine:

“The oral cavity harbors a wide array of microbial communities,” said Song. “Various factors, including poor oral hygiene, genetic susceptibility, smoking, diabetes, and obesity can result in an excess of oral pathogens that may induce host inflammation and immune dysregulation,” added Song.

Just another reminder that taking care of your oral health is an essential part of maintaining your whole body health.

The following post Mouth/Body Connections: Gum Disease & Cancer was originally seen on: Pride Dental

“Fluoride Is Presumed to Be a Cognitive Developmental Hazard to Humans,” Says NTP Report

Earlier this month, the US National Toxicology Program’s report on fluoride dropped - a review of hundreds of studies, including 60 in vitro studies, 339 animal studies, and 159 human studies. Its conclusion?

The human body of evidence provides a consistent and robust pattern of findings that higher fluoride exposure...is associated with adverse effects on neurocognitive development, including lower intelligence quotient (IQ) in children.

Thirteen of the 29 studies classified as “high quality” found neurotoxic effects at 0.7 mg/L - that is, the recommended fluoridation level here in the US. Another 5 studies found fluoride to affect the brain at less than 1.5 mg/L.

“Fluoride,” the authors said plainly, “is presumed to be a cognitive developmental hazard to humans.”

As noted researcher Dr. Christine Till and colleagues wrote in a recent opinion piece for Environmental Health News,

The loss of a single IQ point for an individual child is imperceptible, but the societal cost of millions of children losing 5 IQ points, or more is enormous. A decrement of even one IQ point translates to a 2 percent reduction in lifetime economic productivity (roughly $20,000), not to mention the additional educational costs required for children with lower IQs.

Many health and dental organizations in North America recommend community water fluoridation. Given the weight of evidence that fluoride is toxic to the developing brain, it is time for health organizations and regulatory bodies to review their recommendations and regulations to ensure they protect pregnant women and their children.

Dr. Till’s own research - which you can read about here - was included in the NTP report. Here she is talking a bit with CTV about her research and what the results showed:

To absolutely no one’s surprise, the American Dental Association is not pleased with the NTP report and is doubling down on their commitment to water fluoridation. Just as unsurprising is the fact that Dr. Till has come under fire for her research. As the Canadian National Post recently reported,

Till has become something of a lightning rod in the debate over fluoridated water since she published a study last year that found an increase in fluoride levels in pregnant women was associated with their children having slightly lower IQ.

Fluoridation experts wrote to York University last week, demanding it convene an independent investigation of the professor’s research, suggesting she may be putting ideology over science.

Some reviews of her study have questioned its methodology and statistical analysis. But the NTP cited it and other research in saying there is a “moderate level” of evidence that fluoride is associated with cognitive effects in children.

Till said the conclusions were no surprise, given the high-profile journal that published her own work first subjected it to an unusual amount of scrutiny and peer review.

“We responded to hundreds of critiques just to get the study published,” she said. “I haven’t heard anything new.”

Image designed by Wannapik

The blog post “Fluoride Is Presumed to Be a Cognitive Developmental Hazard to Humans,” Says NTP Report was originally published to: https://pridedentaloffice.com

Should You Be Chewing Sugarless Gum?

A question posed by a recent headline in Evidence-Based Dentistry seems to beg only one answer: “Well, duh!”

If you’re going to chew gum at all, of course sugarless is the way to go. Sugars make the mouth more acidic as harmful bacteria feed on the sweet stuff. But does sugarless necessarily prevent decay?

For the current study, researchers analyzed data from 38 previous studies on the impact of sugar-free gum on all aspects of oral health. All together, they showed that there was significantly less decay when sugarless gum was used. The effect was even greater in studies that looked only at gum sweetened with xylitol.

And that makes sense, considering that xylitol is known not only for NOT causing cavities but actually helping prevent them. For instance, it’s been found to reduce harmful bacteria such as S. mutans while leaving helpful bacteria alone.

Xylitol isn’t the only sugar substitute with that effect, though. Erythritol, which we’ve looked at before, also seems to inhibit the “bad bugs” and may even be more protective than xylitol. But it doesn’t seem to be used much in chewing gum right now.

More common is stevia, another zero-calorie sweetener that appears to be anticariogenic - that is, protective against cavities, clinically known as dental caries. In vitro studies - studies done outside the body - have found that

Stevia extracts have anti-bacterial activity on Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus and Lactobacillus acidophilus, organisms that are closely related to the production and development of tooth decay.

More, both in vitro and in vivo (inside the body) studies have found that they reduce the production of acids by the bacteria, along with “a lesser effect of the demineralization of the enamel in comparison with other sweeteners.”

One triple-blinded study published this past summer compared stevia directly with xylitol in girls aged 8 to 13 who had more than three decayed, missing, or filled teeth. Saliva samples were taken from all 20 participants who were then divided randomly into two groups. One was given stevia gum while the other got xylitol. Additional saliva samples were taken 15 minutes and 1 hour after they chewed the gum to check for the presence of S. mutans.

Since the study had a crossover design, each group also chewed the other type of gum and again gave saliva samples. In both cases, researchers found a decrease in S. mutans after the gum chewing, leading them to conclude that

Stevia containing chewing gum is equally effective to Xylitol chewing gum in reducing salivary S. mutans counts.

So can chewing sugarless gum help keep your teeth healthy? There's not enough evidence to say that for sure. But we do know what works when it comes to prevention: Eat real food, minimizing sugars and other refined carbs, and practice good oral hygiene.

The post Should You Be Chewing Sugarless Gum? is republished from: https://pridedentaloffice.com/

Oral Pathogens May Fuel Oral Cancer, New Study Says

Oral cancer screening is a crucial part of your oral exam. After all, when caught early, it’s readily treatable, with a 5-year survival rate of 84%.

But less than a third of oral cancers are diagnosed at this stage. This is why the overall survival rate is much lower: just 57% - worse than for many more familiar types of cancer.

By far, the most common form of oral cancer is oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), accounting for 90% of all cases. If the cancer is on the tongue or floor of the mouth, the 5-year survival rate is 75% or better. But if it spreads to the lymph nodes, the survival rate drops by roughly half.

Early diagnosis can be literally life-saving.

Tobacco use, heavy drinking, and HPV infection are the three biggest risk factors, but new research in PLoS Pathogens suggests that some bacteria in the mouth may make these cancers worse.

The guilty parties? Three of the big time drivers of gum disease: P. gingivalis, F. nucleatum, and T. denticola. The research team found that, at least in mice, these three “enhanced OSCC cell migration, invasion, and tumor formation.”

But they also found that nisin - “a bacteriocin and a commonly used food preservative” - appeared to interfere with that process. A bacteriocin is a toxin produced by bacteria to inhibit the growth of similar microbes, and this particular one is produced by culturing Lactococcus lactis, which is used a lot in the production of buttermilk and cheese.

According to the authors, this study offers the first direct evidence that a bacteriocin inhibits oral cancer formation mediated by periodontal pathogens. Moreover, the findings suggest that nisin could have broad therapeutic potential as an antimicrobial and anticancer agent, and as an inhibitor of pathogen-mediated cancer formation.

So can keeping your gums healthy help lower your risk of developing cancer - oral or otherwise? More evidence is needed, to be sure. Still, findings like these can be powerful motivation to keep up with the habits that support healthy teeth and gums - not just brushing and interdental cleaning, but also things like healthy eating, quality sleep, regular exercise, and stress management.

P. gingivalis image by Enara Ramirez Monge

The blog post Oral Pathogens May Fuel Oral Cancer, New Study Says is available on: https://pridedentaloffice.com

Need to Stop Snoring? Laser Treatment from Your Dentist May Help

There have been some pretty strange contraptions invented to help folks stop snoring - shock collars (really and truly), tongue-holding devices, open-mouth alarms. Of course, there are plenty of less peculiar appliances and devices, as well, offering various degrees of help, and, of course, plenty of tips for making long-term changes that can help reduce a mighty snore.

But what a lot of folks don’t realize is that there are solutions for snoring that can help more quickly without making you dependent on wearing a mouthpiece, mask, or other gizmo.

This year, our office has begun offering NightLase to patients who are looking for a better, quieter night’s sleep. The procedure uses an E:Yag laser to pulse heat into the soft tissues around the upper airway, tightening collagen and stimulating new growth so air can pass freely to the lungs. (What you hear as a snore is the sound of air being forced through relaxed tissues around the top of the throat.)

There’s no cutting involved. Often, no anesthesia is even needed. The laser and your body’s own renewal mechanisms do all the work. It’s a pain-free procedure. Two or three treatments is all it takes.

Earlier this year, researchers did a systemic review and meta-analysis - basically, a study of studies - on laser treatment for snoring. Seven studies of nearly 250 study participants made the cut. The authors found that laser treatment reduced snoring significantly and that airways were clearly wider.

Patients were followed for up to 36 months. There were “minimal side effects,” and no serious ones. Eighty percent of patients were satisfied with the results.

And while this analysis found no impact on patient AHI scores - high ones being a standard marker for sleep apnea - other studies, such as this one, have suggested otherwise. Snoring, after all, can often - but not always - be a sign of the condition, too.

Another study of cases ranging from simple snoring to severe OSA found that by their third treatment with Nightlase,

patients reported improvement better than 85%. Average improvement after one treatment session was 51% and after the second session, 61%.

Yet other research has shown broad improvement in a number of symptoms associated with apnea and other sleep disordered breathing after Nightlase - symptoms like daytime sleepiness and being wakened by loud snoring or choking. More,

The incidence of dreaming during the night also raised significantly; 30/40 (75%) of cases perceived less tightness in their throat and better breathing after treatment. These results were stable at 20 months follow-up (14–24 q) in 72% of cases.

Overall, Nightlase has a success rate of 90%, with the results typically lasting up to 36 months before retreatment is necessary.

Ready to find out if NightLase might be the solution that you - or a partner - has been seeking in the quest for a better night’s sleep? Give us a call or email us today!

Need to Stop Snoring? Laser Treatment from Your Dentist May Help was first published on: https://pridedentaloffice.com

“Silver” Mercury Amalgam Fillings Aren’t Alright for Everyone, New FDA Guidelines Say

The US took an important step forward this past week when the FDA issued new guidance on mercury amalgam, recommending that it not be used in a number of high-risk populations:

• Pregnant and nursing women.
• Women who are planning on pregnancy.
• Children, especially those under the age of 6.
• People with MS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other pre-existing neurological conditions.
• People with impaired kidney function.
• People allergic or highly sensitive to mercury or other components of dental amalgam.

Still, some folks stressed that this is just a partial victory. “Mercury shouldn’t be placed in anyone’s mouth,” said IAOMT Executive Chair Jack Kall, DMD, in a news release.

All dental patients need to be protected, and dentists and their staff also need to be protected from working with this toxic substance.

This is true. Mercury is extraordinarily toxic, particularly to the brain. Even if you don’t have a single “silver” filling in your own mouth, you are still affected. Roughly 100 tons of dental mercury enters the waste stream each year. About 150 kg (over 330 pounds) is released into the air each year just from breath exhaled by people with amalgams.

But we feel the FDA should still be commended for taking action - as should everyone who shared the truth about dental amalgam in last year’s request for consumer input and subsequent hearings on implanted metal medical devices.

“The decision culminates our three-year campaign that successfully persuaded FDA to reconsider its amalgam policy,” said Charlie Brown of Consumers for Dental Choice and the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry in a recent email.

We organized the non-profit organization community behind the Chicago Declaration to End Dental Industry Mercury Use….we had meetings with FDA top brass….we called for and got the FDA’s scientific advisory committee to reexamine the amalgam issue….we brought 16 expert witnesses to that committee’s hearings….we ran robust petition and public comment drives that showed FDA that we, the people, wanted a change in American amalgam policy….and we got it!

No big, meaningful change of this nature happens overnight. It takes time and perseverance, one step after another until we reach the place where mercury amalgam is nothing but a bad memory.

But for the moment, there’s every reason to celebrate this latest turn of events.

The article “Silver” Mercury Amalgam Fillings Aren’t Alright for Everyone, New FDA Guidelines Say is available on: https://pridedentaloffice.com/