[Nurse Mark note: this article is a reprint of a HealthBeat Newsletter originally published on May 13th 2006 – which can be found here. We feel this important information deserves to be brought forward.]
By Dr. Dana Myatt
I think you’ll be surprised at these hidden causes of disease that are often overlooked in medicine. Read on and learn how to protect yourself…
Three Hidden Causes of Disease Lurking in Your Mouth
The cause of numerous health problems— from mild to life-threatening— may be lurking in your mouth if you have ever had any conventional dental work performed. Fillings, root canals and crowns can create a ticking time-bomb for disease elsewhere in the body. Dentistry-caused problems can range from osteoporosis, chronic infections, high blood pressure and arthritis to cardiac irregularities, neurological disorders and even cancer. But don’t expect your conventional dentist to tell you about any of this. In fact, he or she may not even known about these dangers, because the American Dental Association (ADA) denies that these problems exist in spite of vast amounts of evidence.
The “Root” of the Problem: What’s Wrong with Root Canals
“Root canals” are a procedure that destroys the tooth’s nerve, thereby allowing a diseased (rotten) tooth to be left in the mouth without causing pain. This procedure also destroys blood supply to the tooth. The dead tooth is supposedly sterilized at the time of the procedure, but in truth it is difficult if not impossible to completely sterilize a tooth because of the complex network of bone matrix (thousands of little nooks and crannies). The dead tooth, left in the mouth with no blood supply to bring immune factors and oxygen in and carry waste out, becomes a haven for bacteria. Root canal infections are rarely recognized because, unlike living teeth which have nerves to give “pain feedback,” root canal teeth are dead. An infection in a root canal tooth has to be incredibly severe to be obvious to most dentists, and patients will rarely feel any pain because the nerve is gone.
Anaerobic bacteria (a deadly kind of bacteria that thrive without oxygen) take up residence in the dead tooth and from this “safe haven,” shed into the bloodstream where they can infect heart valves, joints or other organs, as well as damage the immune system. Root canals are a HUGE overlooked source of chronic inflammation and infection.
Toxic Metals in Your Mouth
Toxic metals are normally found in the body only in minute amounts. These metals include mercury, cadmium, lead, aluminum, antimony, nickel, and tin. When such metals accumulate in the body beyond these tiny levels, they interfere with normal nerve flow and poison organs and tissues. Toxic metals are commonly used in dentistry as components of fillings, crowns and pins (anchors).
With the exception of plutonium, mercury is more poisonous than any other metal. The safety of mercury-containing dental fillings has been debated by dentists and physicians since the 1800’s, but the “going line” of the American Dental Association (ADA) is that mercury used in amalgam dental fillings is harmless. Unfortunately, a vast amount of scientific evidence contradicts this position. Mercury vapor can be measured in significant quantities from the moment amalgam fillings are placed in the mouth. Mercury is swallowed, inhaled and absorbed directly from the mouth. Other toxic metals found in fillings, crowns and pins can be leached out of place by acidic mouth pH or by galvanic current, the third major “time bomb” in your mouth.
Galvanic Current: A Surprise Problem with Numerous Consequences
Toxic metals leaching from fillings and other dental materials are only one hazard of metal-containing dental materials. When two different metals are in close proximity, a phenomenon called “electro galvanism” (electrical current) is created . This current occurs when two or more different metals are present in the mouth, such as when mercury amalgam fillings and cadmium-containing crowns interact. NOTE: to see this phenomenon in action, chew on a piece of aluminum foil. If you have ANY metal in your mouth (fillings, crowns, pins), you will feel the electrical current, and it will be surprisingly painful.
Electrical currents cause chemical reactions to take place, analogous to electroplating reactions used in jewelry manufacture . Mouth bacteria digest food trapped between teeth and produce acid wastes which contribute to this “battery effect.” The result of having an electrical current in the mouth is two-fold:
I.) Toxic metal release. Mercury and other metals leach from fillings, crowns, pins, etc. under the influence of galvanic current. These toxic metals liberated from dental work can damage the brain, nervous system, immune system and other organs. (Ever hear of “mad hatters disease”? This type of insanity, caused by mercury poisoning, was prevalent in hat-makers who used to use mercury in hat-making).
II.) Electrical currents in the mouth. Electrical currents in the mouth can interfere with brain and nervous system function, endocrine gland function and circulation.
How To Know If Your Mouth Is Making You Sick
If you suffer from any medical condition for which a cause cannot be found by your conventional doctor, consider that a “hidden” cause may be lurking in your mouth. Symptoms known to be associated with toxic metals, galvanic currents and root canals include: allergies, cancer, chronic fatigue, depression and other mood and psychiatric disorders, endocrine disorders, GI problems, immune suppression, neurological disorders (MS, ALS, neuropathy), osteoporosis, gum disease, reproductive disorders, birth defects, kidney disease, heart disease (especially arrhythmia, electrical dysfunction or bacterial disease), high blood pressure, lung and respiratory problems and skin disease. Because of the nature of electrical currents, it is also likely that many cases of tinnitus may be caused by dental problems.
The Method for Accurate Diagnosis
Any doctor or dentist who “doesn’t believe in” any of the above-listed problems won’t offer you sympathy or help. (Remember, these docs and dentists are the ones “spoon fed” by conventional medical propaganda). You need to talk to an holistic physician who can evaluate your case and refer you to a good holistic dentist. More about that in a minute.
Hair analysis is an accurate, inexpensive screening tool for many heavy metals that occur in dentistry, including mercury, cadmium and nickel. Although unproven for nutritional mineral evaluation, the presence of a toxic metal on hair analysis is known to be accurate and warrants further evaluation for the source of toxicity. The mouth is the most likely source of heavy metal toxicity. Learn more about where to get hair mineral analysis performed here
Even in the absence of heavy metal toxicity, the galvanic current effect and/or a root canal infection may still be present. To diagnose theses, I use a careful symptom intake, review all other medical records (to make sure the cause of the problem hasn’t been overlooked and NOT coming from the mouth— we call this a “rule out” in medical practice). Next, I request your full-mouth X-rays and, together with your symptoms, history, other medical records and hair analysis, I consult with an holistic dentist on your behalf. This procedure gives me a solid idea about whether or not your mouth is the source of your medical problems. I’m sorry to report that I don’t know many doctors— even holistic ones— who diagnose dental problems this way, but this is the way I am convinced it should be done.
Beware of “Holistic Dentists”
Dentists who are aware of the potential for toxic metal poisoning from amalgam fillings are becoming increasingly common. They bill themselves as “holistic dentists” and offer to remove amalgam fillings. DON’T GO THERE until you have all the facts!
Remember, there is currently no such thing as an holistic dental school (as there are holistic medical schools), so all “holistic dentists” are self-taught. A very few of them may understand all of the above-listed principals, but in my experience, most do not. The majority are only concerned with amalgam filling removal, and even then, their lack of understanding of the galvanic current phenomena means that they cause more harm than good by failing to remove ALL the offending materials at one time. Further, incautious removal can release mercury into the environment – and the patient – potentially making matters worse!.
In a future installment I’ll explain what to look for in an holistic dentist.
In the meantime, even if this report has concerned you that your problems could be dentally-related, take heart! In the skilled hands of someone who knows what they are doing for, these “time bombs” in your mouth are correctable.
