Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.
Did you know your mouth is the gateway to total body
wellness? There are thousands of studies that link oral disease to systemic
(whole body) disease.
Inflammation is a known disease causing force that leads to
chronic illness. Gum disease and other oral diseases produce chronic low grade
inflammation that can affect any major organ system in the body.
Advanced gum disease can raise your risk of fatal heart
attack by up to 10 times. There is a 700 percent higher incidence of Type 2
diabetes among those with gum disease.
Unbalanced micro flora in the mouth cause inflammation which
in turn leads to increased systemic inflammation. When the bacteria that cause
tooth decay and gum disease enter your circulatory system it causes your liver
to increase C-reactive proteins. High C-RP in your blood is a sign of systemic
inflammation and should be investigated thoroughly.
So how do you care for your oral hygiene? Do you listen to
the dentist who still believes fluoride and mercury fillings have no effect on
your health?
According to a 500 page scientific review of studies,
fluoride is an endocrine (hormone) disrupter that affects your bones, brain,
thyroid gland, pineal gland and more. At least 34 human studies and hundreds of
animal studies link fluoride to brain damage, including lower IQ in children.
My opinion is you should never, ever put fluoride in your mouth. No, you do not
need it for healthy teeth, and your kids don’t either!
At present 4 out of 10 adolescents in the US have fluoride
damaged teeth!
Don’t use antiseptic mouth washes. Sure they may kill some
bacteria, but it’s like over using antibiotics, eventually they end up causing
bacterial imbalance and then the bad bacteria overrun the good bacteria.
Did you know that over 50% of your “silver” filling is mercury?
A typical mercury (amalgam) filling contains about 750 to 1000 milligrams of
mercury! A single filling has been tested and shown to release up to 15
micrograms of mercury vapors per day.
Do you remember the advice from our government about eating mercury
tainted seafood? They gave this advice and warning based on evidence that
showed you could be exposed to 2.3 micrograms of mercury when eating fish.
Here, we have up to 15 mcg released per day, per filling;
compared to 2.3 mcg in fish. Yet the government warns you about the fish but
encourages continued use of mercury fillings.
Mercury is an absolute, potent, neurotoxic poison. It
shouldn’t be near your mouth or any other part of the body.
If you decide to remove current amalgam fillings, be sure to
choose who does it wisely. There are precautions that need to be taken so you
do not get acute mercury poisoning from their removal, which can cause acute
kidney problems.
Finally, choose to support good oral health with a better
diet, fluoride free toothpaste and non-antiseptic mouth rinses. Vitamin C and
CoQ10 are also good supplements for oral health.