By Simon Yu MD
Have you ever had periodontal surgery for gum disease? To see what Canadian dentist Murray Vimy calls it, see the full version of this article on my website. The initial oral surgery results appear favorable, but the benefits usually do not last very long unless you can correct the underlying problems. Dentists often blame the patient for poor oral hygiene: not flossing enough, and not brushing properly. “The Mouth is the Mirror of all Disease,” according to Sir William Osler, one of the founders of Johns Hopkins. Current Western medical education was shaped by his teaching, but this wisdom got lost in the specialization of medical professions, and the importance of the dental/oral cavity has been ignored.
Dental infections and periodontal gum disease reflect systemic disease from eating a processed Western industrial diet, according to Dr. Weston Price’s classic book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Many physical degenerative diseases are due to periodontal infection. Many doctors treat chronic disease patients based on symptoms, labs and diagnostic tests; we get lost because proper dental evaluation as a cause of chronic illness is not a part of medical evaluation.
Bacterial infections may play a smaller part than originally thought in periodontal disease, while parasites and fungi play a larger part. Once established in the oral cavity, parasites become the dominant organism in the periodontal gum pocket. With no known enemies, they are the hidden kingmaker of most modern chronic “incurable” diseases. Simple gum and gingival inflammation and infections can transform into deep periodontitis, causing loss of teeth or deep jaw infection, and unintended consequences of periodontal surgery, including root canals and dental implants, and eventual demise of your health. Amoxicillin or Augmentin are typically prescribed by dentists but they do not cover anaerobic infections or spirochete infections well. I have found a combination of doxycycline (or azithromycin), tinidazole and clindamycin, along with antifungal nystatin, cover much better the broad spectrum of dental infections, and also Lyme disease hiding under the teeth.
Instead of relying on periodontal surgery and antibiotics to control periodontal disease, combine antibiotics with antiparasitic and antifungal medications, oil pulling and proper brushing, and improve your diet and nutrition. Dental DNA testing is now available, and it confirms Dr. Lyons’ findings about dental-medical connections for chronic fatigue, thyroid and adrenal hormone imbalance, cancer, Lyme, neurological diseases, and much more. It is time to connect the dots between dental and chronic, mysterious medical problems. Acupuncture meridian assessment (AMA) can help connect the dots by detecting the subtle energy disturbances described in ancient civilizations called acupuncture meridians. Dr. Lyons’ book is out of print, but posted on the Internet.Dr. Simon Yu, MD is a Board Certified Internist. He practices Internal Medicine with an emphasis on Integrative Medicine to use the best each has to offer. For more articles and information about integrative medicine, patient success stories, and Dr. Yu’s latest book, AcciDental Blow Up in Medicine: Battle Plan for Your Life, visit his website at www.preventionandhealing.com or call Prevention and Healing, Inc., 314-432-7802. You can also attend a free monthly presentation and discussion on Integrative Medicine at his office on the second Tuesday each month at 6:30 pm. Call to verify t