“The terms oral health and general health should not be interpreted as separate entities. Oral health is integral to general health: oral health means more than healthy teeth and you cannot be healthy without oral health.” —Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services, in Oral Health America: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2000The renouned German physician Dr. Reinhard Voll estimated that nearly 80% of all illness is related entirely or partially to problems in the mouth. The reason the teeth are such a threat to health is that, in addition to their connection to every organ and gland in the body, they can harbor infections without symptoms. There's no pain or discomfort. Yet, there may be chronic infection eroding the body's immune response-wearing out the immune system. This infection is very difficult to detect. Few people today have escaped the problems of dental cavities and gum infection. About 98% of Americans have some areas of diseased gum tissue in their mouths, over half of these are also experiencing a progressive "bone loss." Fortunately, cavities and pyorrhea (gum disease and bone loss) are both 100% preventable and reversible.
The mouth is a hostile environment. It's warm, moist, and full of nutritient-laden saliva, decaying teeth, and soggy gums, which makes it a haven for bacteria. Teeth are subject to sudden changes of temperature created by extremes such as coffee and ice cream. Mechanical stresses challenge the mouth in the form of a combination of hard and soft foods. It is attacked chemically by foods that are highly acidic and highly alkaline with overtones of salinity and sugar. All these conditions provide corrosive influences, necessitating artificial replacements supplied by the dentist.
Mercury amalgam fillings are the major source of mercury exposure for the general public, at rates six-times higher than from fish and seafood. Continue Reading >>
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