It Takes a Village

I very well could be dentistry's number one fan! So much so, that you'll often over hear me say that without a healthy mouth, you're pretty much guaranteed an unhealthy body. You see, when we don't take adequate care of our teeth and gums, and there is pain and / or inflammation involved, our eating habits falter which weakens our immune system causing even more problems. Additionally, when our nutritional needs aren't being met, we begin to suffer emotionally as well as mentally ..... so, I'm here to tell you to be sure and make your dental health a priority! It's an important factor for quality health.

With this said, proper dental care involves more than flossing and brushing. It includes regular trips to the dentist which is typically NOT on someone's favorite 'to do' list. Truth be told, many people put off going for just a basic cleaning because they are afraid of the discomfort (not the cost like they like to say). Well, lucky for you, many dental offices offer darn near everything they can to make 'your' visit as comfortable as possible including having nitrous oxide available to alleviate the anxiety. While there aren't any true statistics when it comes to dental phobia, I can honestly say the numbers are extremely high. This only stands to reason why taking excellent care of our teeth and gums is incredibly important. It's a habit that promises fewer trips to the dental office over time.

However, pushing good oral hygiene is not why I chose to write this article. Quite honestly, my practice has turned a very valuable corner and is proving to be more so every day. The direction I'm referring to has to do with the effects many medications have on the body; and, it's fair to say, the drugs used in dentistry are no exception. Take nitrous oxide for instance; repeated, prolonged exposure to this anesthetic can cause megaloblastic anemia and immune system impairment. It also depletes your body of folic acid and vitamin B12. What's fascinating is that megaloblastic anemia is a rare disorder where the body does not absorb enough B12 from the digestive tract affecting the red blood cell production. Hmmm…..so this highly effective anesthetic has the potential to rob our bodies of this vital nutrient which could lead to a rare condition! Well, it would appear as if this is a Catch-22 situation. We benefit from using this ‘medicine', and yet, our doctors, staff and patients getting extensive dental work face some potential risks. The solution; supplements and proper nutrition. Vegetarians do face some difficulty simply because adequate sources of B12 are found primarily in meat and dairy; however, there are such foods like spirulina that contain reasonable levels of the vitamin.

It would also be to your benefit to utilize essential oils like grapefruit, lemon and lemongrass as support structures for your immune system as well as herbs and lots of dark green leafy foods.

Now there are other medications used in dentistry such as antibiotics, OTC's and other prescription pain medications; however, even though the intent is to relieve and heal, the need for awareness is significant. As is the case with nitrous oxide, these medications have a similar effect on the body.

There are a number of antibiotics that are prescribed depending on the type of infection. However, they all rob the body of its B vitamins including B12, vitamin K, potassium, acidophilus and bifidum (a probiotic). Additionally, Cipro, a very high powered antibiotic also depletes the body of zinc; a necessary immune system supplement. The best way to support your health while taking an antibiotic is to intentionally eat foods rich in these nutrients i.e. pumpkin and sunflower seeds, nuts, fish, oysters, whole grains, dark greens, citrus, chicken, avocados, bananas, dried fruit, garlic, onion, milk and yogurt.

I always find it fascinating how these great medications have the potential to seriously affect our health. Take inositol, a B vitamin manufactured by the body with the help of certain intestinal bacteria, is also found in both plant and animal food sources. The dilemma being that antibiotics interfere with this process by depleting the inositol stores as well as the bacteria; so, conscious eating / supplementation is vital.

The types of OTC's and prescription pain meds with acetaminophen deplete the body of glutathione; one of the more important antioxidants to our overall health. It plays an essential role in our body's defense system, helping to neutralize toxins and carcinogens as well as the repair of DNA, the production of protein, synthesis of prostaglandins, and transportation of amino acids. As you can see, running short of this nutrient is detrimental to our health, and something to pay attention to especially when you consider the fact that we take these types of drugs for more than just dental issues. Fortunately, vegetables, fruits and meat are all good sources and by keeping them a part of your daily diet, you'll be doing your body a world of good.

Also, remember not to limit your nutritional support to just foods. The health of your digestive system will determine how much nourishment is actually taken into the body; plus, emotional stress is a factor and will impact the uptake as well. So, let's just say, it's a good idea to also consider whole food supplements along with herbs and essential oils for immune support.

Science is a wonderful thing. The evolution of this field introduced us to dentistry; a necessary art and science. It also provided us with medications for assisting us to live in spite of the immediate symptoms. Unfortunately, there are consequences as there are with many things, and it's up to us to know what the ramifications are so that we can help these doctors help us. As they say, it takes a community.