There’s a children’s song, “Dry Bones” with lyrics that connect the bones of the skeleton:
The toe bone’s connected to the foot bone, The foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone, The ankle bone’s connected to the leg bone, Now shake them skeleton bones!
Similarly, many other parts of the body are connected, some in surprising ways.
For example, did you know that the teeth are connected to the heart? Actually, your teeth (and gums) are connected to your overall systemic health.
The article below, “Periodontal Disease and C-Reactive Protein (CRP)” shows recent research linking gum disease to other inflammatory conditions.
“It is now evident that cardiac disorders are worsened by periodontitis*, both experimentally and in humans.”
Periodontitis: A common but preventable gum infection, usually caused by poor oral hygiene.
The good news? You can prevent and often improve gum disease yourself, just by brushing, flossing, and improving your diet.
Better news? Periodontitis (gum disease) leads to costly and uncomfortable dental work. You can improve your systemic health and avoid a $10,000 dental program all at the same time!
Signs You Need to Take Action:
Swollen or puffy gums
Bright red, dusky red, or purplish gums
Gums that feel tender when touched
Gums that bleed easily
Pink-tinged toothbrush after brushing
Spitting out blood when brushing or flossing your teeth
Bad breath
Pus between your teeth and gums
Loose teeth or loss of teeth
Painful chewing
New spaces developing between your teeth
Gums that pull away from your teeth (recede), making your teeth look longer than normal
A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
Get Started Right Now
1: Throw away your toothbrush. Go get an inexpensive electric model that vibrates. Get several replacement brushes, and replace whenever you can see the brush is starting to “mush” a little.
2: Get a package of flossers. If you haven’t used these, you’ll be amazed at how fast and easy flossing is compared to the old “wrap around your fingers” technique.
3: Stop eating refined sugar, or reduce it in your diet as much as possible. This isn’t so much to save your teeth as to reduce inflammation and improve your immune response so your gums can heal. Read Sugar and Your Immune Systemto get a complete understanding.
4: Go to your dentist! The cheapest thing you can do for your dental health is getting your teeth professionally cleaned on a regular basis (your dentist will tell you how often you need to do it). Your dentist will also be able to tell you about your gum health and anything else you might need to do to get it under control.
Gum Disease can be a Symptom of Other Health Problems
Often I’ll talk to a patient who takes excellent care of their dental health but still has gum disease. Even more common are patients with gum disease that won’t improve no matter how much dental care they receive.
In this case, I could likely to help improve your health and ability to heal. This has often resulted in improved overall health and associated improvement in gum health.
Patient Stories:
When I went for my last appointment, the hygienist could not believe what she was seeing. She stopped cleaning and asked what in the world had I been doing to get my gums to do so well. No more deep pockets, and the gums were healthy enough to form new healthy tissue around the teeth. I just smiled and began telling her about Alternative Health Atlanta and the program. She again said, ‘I’ve never seen such improvement!’ –J.G.
After just a few weeks at Alternative Health Atlanta on an alternative health program, my next visit to the dentist was amazing. To the dentist’s surprise, the 6 probe measurement was now a 3! She asked me what I was doing, and I told her of my alternative health program. She stated that was good and that I should keep it up. And I didn’t need surgery. — W.G.
Find Out About Improving Your Health (and Dental Health)
Would you please take five minutes to fill out a health assessment survey and send it to me? I’ll call you for a phone consult and discuss what could be done about your health. It’s complimentary, no strings attached. Either I can help you or point you in the right direction to get help. Don’t give up! You can recover your health if you persist.
Read: The Trail Out of Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Heart Disease & Obesity
Periodontal Disease and C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP
Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection of the tissues that hold your teeth in place. It’s typically caused by poor brushing and flossing habits that allow plaque—a sticky film of bacteria—to build up on the teeth and harden.
Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease initiated by a bacterial biofilm called dental plaque, affecting both the periodontal ligaments and bone surrounding the teeth.
Signs and symptoms of periodontitis can include:
Swollen or puffy gums
Bright red, dusky red, or purplish gums
Gums that feel tender when touched
Gums that bleed easily
Pink-tinged toothbrush after brushing
Spitting out blood when brushing or flossing your teeth
Bad breath
Pus between your teeth and gums
Loose teeth or loss of teeth
Painful chewing
New spaces developing between your teeth
Gums that pull away from your teeth (recede), making your teeth look longer than normal
A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
Relationship betweenperiodontitis and C-Reactive Protein*
C-Reactive Protein (CRP):CRP increases in your blood when there’s inflammation in your body. It can be tested with a simple blood test. CRP shows if you have an infection and your risk of heart disease.
Many studies are showing an increase in CRP and periodontitis.
C-reactive protein (CRP) elevation is a part of the acute phase response to acute and chronic inflammation. Many clinical studies have shown that serum CRP levels were elevated in patients with chronic periodontitis. CRP levels increase to hundreds of μg/ml within hours following infection.
CRP and Increased Risk For Heart Disease (CVD) and Diabetes
In the last decades, several lines of evidence have supported the existence of a relationship between periodontitis and systemic health.
For instance, periodontitis acts within the same chronic inflammatory model seen in cardiovascular disease (CVD), or other disorders, such as diabetes.
It is now evident that cardiac disorders are worsened by periodontitis, both experimentally and in humans. For all these reasons, it is very plausible that preventing periodontitis impacts the onset or progression of CVD and diabetes.
It is recommended to be checked for periodontitis in the event you have an elevated CRP.
If you find you have periodontitis, it is necessary to see your dentist for immediate treatment.
The best way to prevent periodontitis is to follow a program of good oral hygiene.
Good oral hygiene. That means brushing your teeth for two minutes at least twice daily — in the morning and before going to bed — and flossing at least once a day. Flossing before you brush allows you to clean away the loosened food particles and bacteria.
Regular dental visits. See your dentist or dental hygienist regularly for cleanings, usually every six to 12 months.
Summary
If you have an elevated C-Reactive Protein, I recommend getting your teeth checked for periodontal (gum) disease.
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