The former Surgeon General of the United States, Donna Shalayla, has stated, "It is impossible to have optimal health without having good oral health…studies have demonstrated an association between periodontal disease and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and adverse pregnancy outcomes."
Keeping these statements in mind may be why, today, dentists are becoming known for playing a very important role in helping to keep you healthy.
The terms oral health and general health can no longer be interpreted as separate entities. The phrase "the mouth is a mirror" has been used to illustrate the wealth of information that can be derived from examining oral tissues. Studies now link an association between the degree of healthiness in the mouth to the general health of a person.
We know that proper nutrition is an essential ingredient of long life. We also know that raw fruits and vegetables are the most important part of the diet for generating antioxidants that fight cancer and heart disease. You do not see people with dentures snacking on apples, celery and broccoli. It has been estimated that dentures provide only 15% of the chewing efficiency of real teeth, and many denture wearers have gastric and other stomach problems. So, we have to ask, "Why did they lose their teeth?"
Seventy percent of tooth loss today is not from cavities, but from periodontal (gum) disease. Periodontal disease is an infection in which the bacteria can enter the blood stream. Scientists now link increased CRP levels and diabetes to this infection as well as other diseases throughout the body.
As a Center for Dental Medicine, we are now offering our patients tests to determine if they have the bacteria that cause periodontal disease and, if needed, CRP tests to see if you have elevated levels that may put you at risk for a heart attack, and HbA1c test to determine if you are in danger of becoming diabetic.
Whoppi Goldberg is one of the latest celebrities to announce that she has periodontal disease and is losing teeth. She is currently undergoing treatment and telling everyone to visit their dentist.
People do not realize that they have this disease because it does not cause pain in most instances. However, bleeding gums when you floss or brush is a sign that you may have this disease and need therapy.
Another symptom is bad breath. The skin on your gums dies and is reborn every day and this tissue contains sulfur. This sulfur mixes with the bacteria and food forming sulfur compounds which has a rotten egg smell. If your body's defenses are low because of poor nutrition, other diseases or even aging, it will not be able to fight off the bacteria penetrating the gum tissue. Gum tissue and bone are destroyed which form periodontal pockets and allow additional harmful bacteria to breed and enter the blood stream.
Previously, there were only two forms of periodontal treatment. Soft tissue maintenance required returning to your dentist every three months for "deep cleaning." Sometimes antibiotics are added to remove the bacteria. The second treatment is periodontal surgery. If the pockets deepen and cause too much bone loss, the only cure is to visit the periodontist for surgery and possible bone grafting. This process is not enjoyable and is expensive. Therefore, it would be beneficial to halt periodontal disease before this procedure becomes necessary.
New developments have added options to treatment that allow a rapid reduction in pocket depth and home maintenance, without the need for regular "deep cleaning" and most often, avoiding surgery. These include the following.
- Laser treatment to painlessly but effectively kill the bacteria, vaporize the diseased tissue and treat the roots to provide better re-growth of attachment and bone.
- Targeted nutritionals to accelerate curing and building up the defense system.
- Specialized toothbrush to remove more of the plaque and massage the gums.
- A Hydrofloss unit to remove food remnants and prevent the buildup of plaque and calculus.
- Special toothpaste and rinse to keep the bacteria and sulfur compounds away daily.
Our goal is to allow you to play the most important role in staying healthy for life. Your first step is to come see us for a complete periodontal examination. If we find you have periodontal disease, we will do an hs-CRP test to assess your risk of heart attack and stroke and an HbA1c test to see if you are in danger of becoming a diabetic.
We will work with your physician to help you regain your optimal health. Call (231) 744-6661 to make your appointment today and start on a path to wellness.
Many people are able to regulate their blood pressure with medication and a change in lifestyle, but for some this is not enough. Renal artery stenosis (RAS) causes hypertension in 2% to 5% of hypertensive patients.
It is important to exclude the possibility of RAS before long term treatment of hypertension is implemented. Even subtle disruptions in kidney function play a role in most cases of high blood pressure, increasing the risk of injury to the kidneys. This injury can eventually cause malignant hypertension, stroke or even death.
How does RAS cause Hypertension? As the severity of the renal artery stenosis increases, the volume of blood flow to the kidneys decrease. As the kidneys continue to receive less and less blood flow, natural processes in the body begin to cause retention of sodium and water, causing blood pressure to increase. Another sign of RAS is an increase in BUN and creatinine levels.
Renal Artery Assessment. There are multiple modalities that can be used for evaluating RAS. Invasive testing such as MRA or angiography are considered to be the gold standard for diagnosing arterial disease but can be costly and may expose the patient to unnecessary contrast agents. Renal Artery Doppler testing is a non-invasive, low cost test to rule in or rule out the possibility of RAS.
Having a simple noninvasive Doppler study of the renal arteries can provide valuable information regarding whether or not it is the cause of the high blood pressure. If a blockage is found in the renal arteries the cause can be treated and repaired, aiding in the lowering of high blood pressure. If blockage is found not to be the cause, the study will still give valuable information regarding the health of the kidneys.
Renal artery Doppler testing can take 30 minutes to one hour. The patient is asked to avoid eating or drinking four hours prior to testing.
How is RAS treated? In most cases, RAS can be treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and/or stents. In some cases PTA is all that is required to treat RAS, but in most cases a stent is also placed in the renal arteries to maintain renal artery patency.
In rare cases, a renal artery bypass may be needed if the blockage is too severe for conventional treatments.
After RAS treatment the patient is monitored on a regular basis to decrease the risk of reoccurring stenosis. Monitoring the renal arteries is done more frequently within the first two years because reoccurrence rates are higher within the first two years. If the renal arteries remain normal after two years, monitoring is done on a yearly basis.
Renew enthusiasm to live life. Exercising, eating raw fruits and green leafy vegetables can give you the energy you need. This helps in shaping your body, but has other benefits that affect different aspects of your health. Have a positive mood and speak good things. Addressing nutritional deficiencies with supplements may help combat depression.
Of course, there are supplements that can help you also, such as green juice powders, tablets, and capsules. They help take toxins from the blood, acting like a magnet for pulling heavy metals such as aluminum, lead and mercury and excreting them out of the body.
For mental clarity, there are items that help such as Ginkgo Biloba (helps strengthen the mind/brain), Antioxidants (which include Vitamins A, C, E, Beta-carotene) help prevent oxidation which effects neural transmitting, and B Vitamins (B1, B6, B12, Folate) help improve cognitive functioning.
It is not your age that decides that you've grown older, but you. You can do the things that give you pleasure, such as swimming, gardening, walking, hanging out with friends and family, church groups and more. This will relax your mind, body, and soul, which can rejuvenate you.
Avoid high sugar or high saturated fat content food. Eat healthy food and make exercise an integral part of your routine, thus paving way for leading a healthy lifestyle.
Stop in today at one of the three locations of the Health Hutt for more suggestions and ideas for energy, strength and healthy living!