Practitioner says gas fixes tooth decay

Calgary dentist Dr. Stuart Gough says he has the first HealOzone unit in Canada -- only the second in North America. It uses ozone to remove decay-causing bacteria, allowing the treated tooth to heal.

"Tooth decay is the number 1 disease on the planet," said Gough. "This is really good for people who have cavities on the root surfaces and for younger children, as long as they are primary cavities and don't have a filling on the tooth."
He said the treatment is good for people from age five to 95.

Gough said ozone gas destroys any bacteria, virus or fungi that come into contact with it. The bacteria inside teeth is destroyed without damaging the tooth or hurting the patient. He claims the sterilized tooth will re-mineralize, repairing itself.

Gough began using the technology only a couple of weeks ago at his Calgary Smiles Dental Care practice.

The theory behind the technology is that if a patient has a tooth with a decayed area, treating it with ozone means no injections, drilling and filling are required.

Studies have shown that early decay can be reversed, and one course of ozone therapy usually is sufficient.

The procedure consists of a rubber cap fitted to the affected tooth. Ozone gas is then applied to the tooth through a tube and an air-tight seal created by the cap. The gas kills the acid-producing bacteria and then allows the mineral content of saliva to repair the tooth over some time.

The technique was developed by Prof. Edward Lynch of Queens University in Belfast.
The HealOzone unit has been used in the United Kingdom for the past four years, said Gough.
One unit costs from $30,000 to $40,000.
Gough said costs for the treatment are about $40 per tooth compared with between $100 and $150 for a traditional filling. Patients using the ozone therapy also have to purchase a kit for about $41 which includes a one month's supply of special toothpaste and mouth rinse.

"By using the toothpaste and mouth rinse, the teeth become harder than before," said Gough. "Studies have shown that the enamel actually gets harder."

Gough added studies have also shown that within 30 seconds ozone kills 99.9 per cent of the bacteria in a tooth.

Because the ozone gas kills all the organisms it contacts, there is hope that it will be useful in a multitude of situations in the future.

Kimberly Fibke, director of membership services and communications for the Alberta Dental Association, said part of the reason for new technologies such as the ozone therapy is to alleviate patient fears and pain.

"There is always new technology coming in to help patients' comfort or for better treatment that works faster," said Fibke. "(Dentists) are always open to new technology."

The HealOzone unit has been designed so no ozone is released until a seal is made against the tooth being treated. Once the tooth has an airtight seal, the gas is applied for between 10 and 40 seconds, depending on the severity of the decay. A mineral wash is then applied to the treated tooth to eliminate any residual ozone and to start the remineralization process.

"There is no sensation whatsoever," said Gough. "It's a gentle sucking on the tooth."

He said there are no side effects with this therapy. And Gough said hardening of the enamel takes place within four to 12 weeks.

Maintaining Healthy Gums May Help Prevent a Heart Attack

Gingivitis is the most common and mildest form of oral/dental disease. According to the Food and Drug Administration, approximately 15 percent of adults between 21 and 50 years old, and 30 percent of adults over 50, have gum disease. Gingivitis is associated with inflammation and bleeding of the gums.

The main cause of gingivitis is plaque. Plaque forms when starches and sugars react with bacteria that are naturally present in the mouth come together. Plaque buildup can occur between the teeth and gums, in loose fillings, poorly cleaned partial dentures, bridges, and braces. If not removed within 72 hours, plaque will harden into tartar that cannot be removed by brushing or flossing. If left untreated this plaque then leads to a more severe condition known as periodontal disease, in which the inner gum and bone pull away from teeth and form pockets. These pockets can collect bacteria and debris, become infected or abscessed. Bacterial eventually wear down and cause decay of the underlying bone and connective tissue that hold teeth in place. The ultimate outcome is tooth-loss. Diseased gums and loose teeth are certainly bad enough. However, even more alarming, new research reports that gum disease can lead to heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.

A newly published study in the Journal of Periodontology confirms recent findings that people with periodontal disease (bacterial decay of the gums) are at a greater risk of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers found diseased gums released significantly higher levels of bacterial pro-inflammatory components, such as endotoxins, into the bloodstream in patients with severe periodontal disease compared to healthy patients. As a result, these harmful bacterial components in the blood could travel to other organs in the body, such as the heart, and cause harm. The increase in inflammatory chemicals may cause a rise in C-Reactive Protein Levels (CRP). Elevated CRP levels increase the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

2005, Vol. 76, No. 11-s, Pages 2089-2100;  (doi:10.1902/jop.2005.76.11-S.2089).

�?Do you ever have pain in your mouth?

�?Do your gums ever bleed when you brush your teeth or when you eat hard food?

�?Have you noticed any spaces developing between your teeth?

�?Do your gums ever feel swollen or tender?

�?Have you noticed that your gums are receding (pulling back from your teeth) or your teeth appear longer than before?

�?Do you have persistent bad breath?

�?Have you noticed pus between your teeth and gums?

�?Have you noticed any change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite?

�?Do you ever develop sores in your mouth?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions then you may be suffering from periodontal disease.

Studies now suggest that gum disease may be passed from parents to children and even between couples. Therefore, the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) recommends that treatment of gum disease may involve entire families and that if one family member has periodontal disease, all family members should see a dental professional for a periodontal disease screening.

Certain prescription and over-the-counter drugs can contribute to plaque buildup. Over the counter cold medicines, tricyclic antidepressants (Trazadone, Doxepine, Elavil, etc.), amphetamines (stimulants), Effexor, Cymbalta, Wellbutren, and other drugs may decrease salivation, which allows plaque and tartar to form. Oral contraceptives pills can increase microbial flora (bacteria that reside in the mouth) that then contributes to gingivitis.

Poor Nutrition.

A diet deficient in adequate amounts of calcium, vitamin C, and the B vitamins can increase the risk of developing periodontal disease. Certainly a diet that contains too much sugar, which feeds the bacteria, contributes to the increase of gingivitis and plaque.

According to one study, smoking may be responsible for more than fifty percent of adult cases of periodontal disease in the US. The same study also found that smokers are four times more likely to develop advanced periodontal disease than non-smokers. Smoking prevents oxygen and essential nutrients from being delivered to the gum tissues. Smoking also interferes with chemicals that regulate immune function and inflammation.

The American Dental Association recommends having a professional cleaning twice a year. Some people need to have cleanings done more frequently. Non-surgical deep cleaning involves two procedures known as scaling and root planning, neither is very pleasant. Scaling removes plaque and tartar above and below the gum line. Root planing smoothes out the tooth root to remove bacteria buildup and encourage the gums to reattach to the teeth. Prevention is certainly the preferred choice.

Brushing your teeth 2-3 times a day, flossing, rinsing with mouthwash daily, and scheduling regular dental cleanings, should help you avoid periodontal disease.

Mouthwash rinses are helpful in preventing the onset gingivitis. Specially medicated mouth rinses containing a 0.1% solution of folic acid have effectively reduced gum inflammation and bleeding in double-blind trials. Studies have demonstrated that folic acid is very effective in preserving gum tissue and reducing the risk of gingivitis and periodontitis.

(Prescription antibacterial mouthwashes containing the ingredient chlorhexidine (Peridex®, PerioGard®) are also frequently used to treat gum inflammation.

Hydrogen peroxide, which is included in many toothpastes, is a potent antibacterial agent. It can be diluted in water or mouthwash. Simply pour 2-3 tablespoons in 4-6 ounces of water or mouthwash, rinse thoroughly, and then spit. Don’t swallow. Hydrogen peroxide can trigger harmful free radical production if ingested.

CoQ10, an antioxidant enzyme, helps prevent and reverse periodontal disease. Research shows that people with periodontal disease are often deficient in CoQ10. Recent studies have shown that CoQ10, at doses of 50 mg to 75 mg a day, can halt deterioration of the gums and allow healing to occur, sometimes within days of starting therapy.

Vitamin C helps prevent and reverse periodontal disease. In one study, those with periodontal disease who increased their vitamin C daily intake by a mere 70mg, experienced marked improvement in gum tissue within six-weeks. Increasing your dose of vitamin C to 1,000mg-2,000mg uses produces even quicker results.

Smoking depletes vitamin C levels. Smokers should be taking a minimum of 2,000mg of vitamin C a day.

If you find you have the signs of early periodontal disease, rinse daily with CoQ10 chewable tablets. Simply chew-up tablet or empty a CoQ10 capsule into your mouth, add a small amount of water, thoroughly rinse your gums, then, swallow. Also add an additional 1,000mg-2,000mg of vitamin C to your daily multivitamin/mineral formula.

This ESTER C formula is a non-acidic version and won't upset your stomach at high doses

Here's a great chewable CoQ10 formula

Quite a few of you wrote to tell me about your frustrations with dental issues.  At one time, I was managing a web site for a dentist and did not want to post too much on dentistry on my own sites.  This said, it seems the information is needed.

At a seminar on oral toxicology quite a number of years ago, the organizer of the event stood up before a room full of dentists and said, "Folks, we are responsible for 98% of the deaths on this Planet."  You can imagine the shock waves that went through the room.  Thanks in part to his ground work, there is now a very bitter battle going on in New Mexico to ban mercury amalgams.  One of those involved in this struggle asked if I would testify about the problems people suffer.  I thought dentists can handle this all by themselves, but we'll see.

Mercury is a known poison.  Thus, the insistence that there is such a thing as safety when putting mercury into a tooth or vaccine is just another of those maddening crimes against the public that is being whitewashed by regulatory bodies.  Worse, the fact that mercury is as dangerous as it is has been known for a very long time since it was a treatment for venereal diseases and sometimes cancer in historic times.  In short, medical literature is replete with horror stories so claims of ignorance do not quite cut it.

If you read my articles on  kitchendoctor.com about cilantro, then you know that it is possible to remove mercury through a process called oral chelation.

kitchendoctor.com/articles/cilantro.html

If you went on to read the article on xenoestrogens, then you know that composite fillings may not be satisfactory either.

kitchendoctor.com/healthconditions/excessestrogen.html

Over time, you can also eliminate most of the side effects of these burdens on the body.

How dangerous are composites?  I think it depends on the person and the sensitivity to estrogenic substances such as the plastics used in the fillings and bonding agents.  I know a few people who are so sensitive to these issues that they have preferred to go around with holes in their teeth that they try to manage through extraordinarily diligent oral hygiene.  I know I'm too lazy to be this careful so I have been replacing the composites in my mouth with something called Cerec restorations.

I have spent many years, decades, trying to find adequate strategies for surviving in a complex world in which medicine is sometimes more dogmatic than scientific.  If the entities producing the "solutions" upon which our health depends were not subject to the profit motive and pressure from financial departments of companies, I am sure that scientists would be more than capable of developing safe medicines and dental materials.  Since this is not now the case, we live in a buyer beware society, and this unfortunately includes supplements because the big guys are buying into this industry and standards are uneven at best. 

Worse, some of the regulations that are purported to be for our own best interests are really just efforts to accord more monopolies to those who are afraid of using market share.  If you doubt it, see who is lobbying for what and ask whether anyone in the herb industry wants standardized products.  The answer will be that not a single authentic herbalist wants this and if you don't speak out, a few more freedoms will be lost.

Now, however, I want to say a bit more about Cerecs.  First, they're are fascinating.  The tooth is prepared for a restoration in the same manner as in normal dentistry.  I.e., the old fillings and/or decay are removed.  Then, a special camera with three lenses is inserted in the mouth and the images are sent to a computer-like piece of equipment that interpolates the images.  The dentist uses a simplified PhotoShop type of program to tweak the design.  Since the triangulated images are "perfect", a little has to be shaved off to leave room for the bonding agents.  The camera has already matched the tooth color to the adjacent teeth and a screen prompts the dentist to insert a ceramic block of a particular shape and color.  The dentist screws this onto a mount and pushes a button and the machine begins spraying water on the ceramic block and milling it to fit the cavity.  Depending on the size of the restoration, milling may take a couple of minutes, up to a maximum of 15 minutes.  I think that dentists have varying skills in tweaking so a word to the wise!

The restoration is removed from the machine and tested for fit.  If it is perfect, the screw is drilled off and the ceramic is bonded to the tooth, all in one visit with only one anesthesia:  no temporary fillings.  I like this for many, many reasons.  First, most of the anesthetics are toxic and some are carcinogens, of the same type as soot from chimneys or smoking.  Second, the temporary fillings are usually plastic and therefore estrogenic.

Cerecs are strong.  They allegedly improve the strength of a tooth so they can be used to reinforce teeth that are fragile.  They are stable in that unlike metals, they are inert so they are not chattering with the other restorations.  They are a completely natural color so are aesthetic.  They are quiet, meaning they do not send shock waves through the body when you put something very hot or very cold in your mouth.  The downside is cost and the bonding agent.  The cost is comparable to porcelain fillings.  Some dentists have argued with me that they can do more elegant work with porcelain, but the Cerecs are pretty elegant.  They can be used as fillings, inlays, or onlays.  This means, you can have a tiny restoration bonded to a surface very near the gumline or you can have something made that is comparable to a crown . . . or anything in between.

You have to go online to find a qualified dentist to perform this work, but if you are suffering from what is in your mouth now, this is a really good thing to do for yourself.

Best wishes,