When symptoms arise, it’s VERY easy to look directly at the symptoms. This does NOT, however, mean that we are looking directly at the PROBLEM. Symptoms, are just that…SIGNS. They are there alerting us to an imbalance, to let us know that our body doesn’t have what it needs.
When clients come to me with symptoms, part of our process is Phase 1, where we Signify the story. We fill in the gaps by looking at the whole picture, the whole story, and all of the potential culprits that could be “clogging the river of health”. This might include assessment and/or labwork. It looks like nutrition analysis and a timeline to see what stories the nervous system recorded. we are looking for what is significant in the whole person's life. Once we see the pieces to the story that the nervous system and cells have recorded, it allows for options and strategies to be discussed. I believe that people need options. They need to hear these options, even if they aren't popular opinion, from trusted and informed sources, and then have help walking through the options so they can make the decisions that are right for them.
This is why, when 3 clients came to me last week with varying symptoms: chronic allergies, GERD, IBS, chronic diarrhea, headaches and sinus pain, I asked them about their experiences about the common denominator... their teeth!
During the course of all of my studies across the years, it never ceased to amaze me that our real goal with creating health in the body is creating the CONDITIONS for health to exist. The focus of forming an environment conducive to health his called “salutogenesis”. Rather than searching for the cause of disease, we create a reason for there to be health. We Support, Structure and Streamline the body and the lifestyle for this to happen through our process.
One of these necessary environmental components that has always held me in awe is the impact and necessity of the microbiome: the good bugs that we’ve all heard about by now. We know that good bugs help to balance out the “bad” bugs in our gut, but we are less privy to knowing that they help convert our nutrients to usable forms, that they “communicate” with each other through vibration, and that there are MULTIPLE microbiomes creating their OWN ecosystems in our bodies, ALL OVER our bodies. Not only does our skin have it’s own microbiome, but so does our mouth!
Every day, approximately 140 billion bacteria and fungi are swallowed down into the gut. It would make sense that the environment of our mouths, and the health of our teeth and gums would be quite relevant to what is happening elsewhere in our bodies. How much of our gut issues is coming from the environment of the mouth?
The common thread among these 3 clients was astonishing….they ALL had dental problems they were concerned about or actively working on, AND they had had multiple antibiotics. This means the microbiomes of the whole body have been greatly disturbed.
Biological complications (meaning problems elsewhere in the body) occur in over 69% of cases after cavities, root canals, or implants. Yes, your teeth affect the other parts of your body. It’s called “terrain theory”. This means that symptoms like these listed could be affected by the health of your teeth, your gums, and the dysbiosis of bacteria in the mouth. Symptoms like:
- Allergies
- Rhinitis
- Chronic sinus infections
- Brain fog
- Insomnia
- ADHD
- Bad breath
- IBS
- Cardiovascular disease
- Eczema and skin conditions
- anxiety
Harmful bacteria in the gut can disrupt the blood sugar, making diabetes difficult to manage, and certain strains can even elevate blood pressure.
The teeth are not separate from the health of the rest of the body. Terrain theory supports my belief that we need to create an environment where health can happen! The terrain of the mouth and teeth need to be created to be a well environment, and the microbiome needs to be re-populated.
Not all Bacteria are Created Equal
There are many strains of bacteria, and not all of them are good for every purpose. Not all of them “play nice” with each other also. For example, the kinds of bacteria we want for the healthy environment and how they are scientifically proven to help include:
- L reuteri – helps with inflammation and damage caused by toxins
- Salivarius A2 – helps with immune health and a bodyguard for the ear, nose, and throat
- Salivarius B – helps remove staining and plaque
- L paracasei – helps remove streptococcus mutants which corrode gums and cause airway inflammation
- Bifidobacterium lactis – helps to strengthen the attachment of teeth to gums and prevent tooth bone loss
- lactis – especially useful after antibiotics, actually supports weight loss as well!
Bacteria isn’t the only culprit of tooth decay and the potential problems cascading in the body as a result. Stress shifts the pH balance in the mouth, decreasing salivation, salivary enzymes, increasing bad bacteria, and can cause grinding, clenching, and infection. As in all cases of creating an environment that is proactive towards health, dealing with stress, anxiety, concepts, and building resilience is a key component.
Getting back to my 3 clients. Though they all had different symptoms, the root was the same (no pun intended): teeth and the antibiotics treatment were part of the story, a piece to the puzzle, and a component of the rebalancing needed.
When antibiotics are used, though sometimes necessary, dysbiosis needs to be taken into consideration. The fallback can be that the internal environment is left weakened without its beneficial bug soldiers and prone to the attack of other harmful invaders, like h.pylori for example. This can cause belching, bad breath, and altered gut capability. Since we swallow, drink, chew and breathe everyday, how much of our gut bacteria could be coming from the mouth? True, the body is made with an acidic system in the stomach meant to kill bacteria before they can cause real damage, but how many suffer from low acidity and poor digestive juices? Also, when the microbiome of the mouth needs to be supported, how much good is it going to do to ingest a capsule that doesn't open until it reaches the intestines?
As the health of an organism comprises the WHOLE organism, including vibration of thought, feelings, sounds, and experiences, the whole story needs to be observed, and teeth are an excellent place to start.
It is why, though I am not a dentist, including the story of a person’s dentistry is so necessary. We do assessments that can help work alongside your dentist, providing more information about your mouth terrain, and which nutrient supports and nutrition can be most beneficial for you to provide a better environment for the health of your teeth, but also support the strong ecosystems necessary for your whole body’s thriving.
We also provide the supplemental protocol that can naturally support healthy mouth, teeth, gums, respiratory tracts and gut. I often recommend a soft melt away chew specifically containing nutrients and the necessary bacteria to create that healthy strong microbiome. This is what I use daily and what we use with our clients at our office.
The Protocol:
Brushing with charcoal or natural toothpaste
This Supplement, once daily
Spry or xylitol gum or mints
Schedule a Dental Bioenergetic support assessment.
Happy health until next time!
Amanda
ANMC Holistic Health, the Advanced Nutrition and Lifestyle Management Center, was founded by Amanda Plevell, a Natural Health Practitioner and Clinical Nutritionist. Together with ANMC’s team of support professionals, she’s bringing the pieces of nutrition, the mind, and therapeutic ongoing relationships to the healthcare continuum. ANMC combines curated education programs with personalized plans that make it easy for anyone, anywhere to benefit from.
“Our unique offer fills in the gaps to complete your picture and provides a powerful therapeutic relationship for a complete whole health solution, because I know that our clients want to have all the pieces, education, and trust so that they can make informed decisions for themselves.”
References:
Booth S. Bacteria in your mouth can affect your brain. Healthline. 2019, May 5 - https://www.healthline.com/health-news/bacteria-in-your-mouth-can-find-its-way-to-your-brain
Burhenne M. The oral microbiome & its impact on every other system in the body. Ask the Dentist. 2020, April 9 - https://askthedentist.com/oral-microbiome
Burhenne M. How to avoid toxins in your toothpaste: 12 ingredients to ditch now. Experience Life. 2022, January 14 - https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/article/safe-toothpaste
Schlagenhauf U, Jockel-Schneider Y. Probiotics in the management of gingivitis and periodontitis. A review. Frontiers in Dental Medicine.2021: 2 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fdmed.2021.708666
Daniells S. Probiotic lactobacillus paracasei shows oral health benefits: Study. nutraingredients.com. 2014, September 2 - https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2014/09/02/Probiotic-Lactobacillus-paracasei-shows-oral-health-benefits-Study
Daniells S. Live or dead reuteri bacteria may offer oral health benefits: Study. nutraingredients-latam.com. 2019, December 12 - https://www.nutraingredients-latam.com/Article/2019/12/12/Live-or-dead-reuteri-bacteria-may-offer-oral-health-benefits-Study
Invernici MM, Salvador SL, Silva PH, et al. Effects of Bifidobacterium probiotic on the treatment of chronic periodontitis: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Clinical Periodontology. 2012;45(10):1198-1210 - https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpe.12995
Sudhakara P, Gupta A, Bhardwaj A, Wilson A. dentistry journal Oral Dysbiotic Communities and Their Implications in Systemic Diseases. doi:10.3390/dj6020010
Bui FQ, Almeida-da-Silva CLC, Huynh B, et al. Association between periodontal pathogens and systemic disease. Biomed J. 2019;42(1):27-35. doi:10.1016/j.bj.2018.12.001