Our dental health is intricately linked to our overall health and wellbeing. Dental issues don’t just stay in the mouth but can have a systemic effect on the body.
The three most common dental problems that I see come up in my practice as roadblocks to healing from chronic illness are amalgam fillings, cavitations, and root canals. Let’s take a look.
AMALGAM FILLINGS
Dental amalgam fillings, sometime also called “silver fillings or silver amalgams”, are a mixture of mercury, silver, copper, tin and zinc. These dental silver fillings are composed of 45-55% elemental mercury. Mercury can accumulate in the body and negatively affect our health.
Mercury is also a known neurotoxin! This means it can poison our nervous system and disrupt the normal functioning of our nerve cells.
Conditions that have been linked to mercury exposure from dental amalgams include:
Allergies, especially to mercury
Alzheimer's disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease)
Antibiotic resistance
Autism spectrum disorders
Autoimmune disorders/immunodeficiency
Cardiovascular problems
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Complaints of unclear causation
Hearing loss
Kidney disease
Micromercurialism (a form of mercury poisoning resulting from long term exposure to low doses of mercury)
Multiple Sclerosis
Oral lichenoid reaction and oral lichen planus
Parkinson's disease
Periodontal disease
Psychological issues such as depression and anxiety
Reproductive dysfunction
Suicidal ideations
Symptoms of chronic mercury poisoning
Thyroiditis
Source: https://iaomt.org/resources/dental-mercury-facts/amalgam-fillings-danger-human-health/
When deciding to remove amalgam fillings it is important to work with a biological dentist who is trained in using safe protocols for the removal of mercury. Learn more about the safe removal of mercury amalgam fillings here - The Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART). Timing, preparation, close follow-up and management are keys to making sure the amalgam removal procedure goes well. Working with a qualified health practitioner, in addition to a skilled biological dentist, who can help prepare your system for amalgam removal is important for a successful outcome.
CAVITATIONS
A dental cavitation (hole in the jawbone) is an area of chronic inflammation in the jawbone that may develop when the bone does not properly heal after a tooth extraction. There are different reasons for the poor healing of the bone but ultimately the affected area can become breading ground for all sorts of microbes (parasites, viruses, fungi, bacteria), toxins that the microbes produce (hydrogen sulfide compounds such as thioethers and mercaptans), metals, pesticides and other environmental toxins.
Wisdom teeth extraction sites are common areas where these cavitations can develop but can also involve other areas where a tooth was extracted, including areas where root canals were performed.
The official name for a dental cavitation is neuralgia-inducing cavitational osteonecrosis (NICO). NICOs can present as silent problems, meaning they don’t create pain in the jaw or tooth necessarily but lead and contribute to symptoms elsewhere in the body.
Because NICOs create a burden on our immune system due to the infections and a toxicological burden due to the toxins produced by the bacteria, the list of health problems due to cavitations can be long and may included conditions, which on the surface seem unrelated. Some of the issues that can be caused by NICOs include:
Heart rhythm disturbances
Joint pain
Bowel issues
Skin problems
Fatigue
Diagnosing cavitations can be a challenge since they do not always show up on conventional dental x-rays. A 3D Cone Beam Scan when read by a trained biological dentist may be the best way currently to be able to detect these cavitations. Autonomic Response Testing can be helpful in detecting them as well.
Treatments may include injecting medical ozone into the gum over the cavitation or surgical curettage. Most people end up needing to get the cavitation surgically cleaned out and unfortunately some people need to do that more than once. To increase the chances of a successful cavitation surgery, pre- and post- cavitation surgery treatments to optimize overall health are important. Structural work to help improve blood flow and lymph drainage, antimicrobial and detox support, optimal vitamin and mineral intake, and a nutrient dense diet can all maximize the chances of success. I also find that people who do work to clear out past-generational trauma have better outcomes as well.
ROOT CANALS
When a root canal procedure is done, the pulp (the soft center of the tooth containing nerves, connective tissues, and blood vessels) is removed. The hollowed out tooth is then disinfected and packed with a rubber substance before a filling or crown is placed on top. This procedure leaves an individual with a dead tooth in their mouth.
The main issue with root canal treated teeth is that it is virtually impossible to completely disinfect and sterilize the thousands of microscopic dentin tubules that run perpendicular to the root canals. This creates an environment where bacteria can thrive. And even though a toothache that the person came in with may go away after a root canal procedure, later down the road systemic health problems may show up for the individual.
Dr. Weston A. Price is a dentist who had done numerous experiments on rabbits where he implanted infected root canal treated teeth under the rabbit's skin. The rabbits ended up developing the same symptoms as the patients from whom the tooth was removed. For example, if the human had heart problems, the rabbit would develop heart problems.
Systemic symptoms due to a root canal treated tooth may develop when the body burden from the bacteria and toxins they produce overwhelm the immune system and the detox pathways. Many health conditions have been linked to root canal treated teeth, including:
Heart disease
Rheumatoid arthritis
Kidney disease
The state of the immune system, total body burden and other reasons may play a role in whether or not an individual will manifest systemic symptoms due to a root canal treated tooth. If an individual is not able to heal from a chronic illness, consulting with a knowledgeable biological dentist would be important to evaluate the tooth and potentially have it extracted if indicated. Energetic testing can also be helpful in figuring out if a root canal treated tooth is creating a stress on the body and contributing to systemic symptoms.
MERIDIANS AND TOOTH / BODY CONNECTION
There is a connection between every organ in the body and a specific tooth in the mouth via the acupuncture meridian system. When this energy system is disturbed because of an infected tooth for example, the organ on the same acupuncture meridian can become unhealthy as well, which can then lead to health conditions and symptoms outside the mouth.
Note that the opposite can also be true, an imbalance or dysfunction in a specific organ can lead to a problem in a corresponding tooth.
FINDING A BIOLOGICAL DENTIST
When looking for a qualified and properly trained biological dentist, the following two websites can be a good place to start:
The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology
The International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine
References:
Meining, George E, DDS, FACD. The Root Canal Cover Up. Price-Pottenger, 2017.
Nischwitz, Dominik, DDS. It’s All in Your Mouth: Biological Dentistry and the Surprising Impact of Oral Health on Whole Body Wellness. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2020.
Williams, Louisa L, MS, DC, ND. Radical Medicine, Cutting-Edge Natural Therapies The Treat the Root Causes of Disease. Healing Arts Press, 2011.
Disclaimer: this post is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. Please do your own research and consult with your own personal licensed health care provider before making any treatment decisions.