Full Transcript for Episode 140: Are Your Teeth Making You Sick? The Hidden Mouth–Body Connection

Well, it goes way back to the 1960s when I was a Boy Scout and I got my first aid merit badge. 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:40.399 And one of the things I learned in there is that you had to really clean a wound out really good, or the bacteria could get in the bloodstream and make that person sick or even kill them. 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:45.519 So as a Boy Scout, I knew that wasn't it it was not good to leave infection going on in there. 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:50.959 As I went into dental school, we went to the dental instructors and said, What about infections in the mouth? 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:52.800 Aren't they going to get in the bloodstream? 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:54.720 Now, this is back in the 1970s. 00:04:54.800 --> 00:05:01.839 And at that time, we were told, oh no, there's an oral barrier, just like there's a blood-brain barrier, just like there's a placental barrier. 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:04.399 So like, okay, well, okay, that there's a barrier. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:05.279 We never saw it. 00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:09.519 We dissected the body, we never saw it, but we were told there's a barrier there. 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:21.279 In about 2012, the American Academy of World Systemic Health did a big conference up in Cleveland Clinic, and I saw the DVDs up there, and they had cardiologists and other physicians. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:22.879 They were showing the links. 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:28.240 Um, Sandy, if you have an infection in your arm, can that bacteria get in your bloodstream? 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:30.240 Absolutely. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:31.759 How about your leg? 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:33.600 I would think yes. 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:35.040 How about your mouth? 00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:41.040 I would think yes, but a lot of people may think no. 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:44.399 I I mean I I kind of quite you so you heard me pause on that. 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:45.680 So Yeah, yeah. 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:47.279 What if there's no pain? 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:55.040 Ninety percent of dental infections have absolutely no pain, so people don't know that it's going on. 00:05:55.519 --> 00:06:00.959 Gum disease, the bacteria in gum disease have already been proven to be causative. 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:07.199 This is a huge word in the medical industry, uh causative for cardiovascular disease. 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:08.240 Okay? 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:14.079 So you've got look at the number of people in the United States that have periodontal disease. 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:20.480 According to the CDC, if you're over 30 years old, about half of the population has gum disease. 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:25.600 If you're over 65, it's closer to 70% that have gum disease. 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:30.959 They already have the bacteria that has been proven to be causative for cardiovascular disease. 00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:34.639 When was the last time your physician asked you about your mouth? 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:38.959 Well, I just had

a wellness exam and yeah, you're right. 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:41.199 I don't think they they I got asked that question. 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:41.759 So yeah. 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:44.079 And I'm not blaming the physicians. 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:45.120 They're not trained to. 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:48.399 They're trained the dentist has the mouth, you've got the rest of the body. 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:51.519 But the trouble is there's the bloodstream that connects everything. 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:54.879 So if you have an infection in the mouth, it doesn't stay in the mouth. 00:06:55.439 --> 00:07:10.639 The diseases that they've shown are are caused or worsened from dental bacteria include cardiovascular disease, which is heart attacks, strokes, heart valve replacements, stents, bypass, sons of tons of medication. 00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:14.720 Then diabetic complications, pregnancy complications. 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:18.160 They're finding oral bacteria in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:22.160 Um rheumatoid arthritis is affected, but it's an inflammatory response. 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:30.079 So when you have inflammation in the mouth or anywhere in the body, your body is responding with inflammation, which again affects cardiovascular disease. 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:42.879 So we're all connected to try and leave the mouth out is uh a lot of times I think if we just remove the source of the bacteria causing the infection, the body is amazing at healing itself. 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:47.360 But you have to eliminate the source and not just treat the symptom. 00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:50.639 I had a patient come in, she was a new patient. 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:52.879 The only medication she was on was for blood pressure. 00:07:53.040 --> 00:07:57.600 She went to her physician, they took her blood pressure, it was high, so they gave her some medication. 00:07:57.759 --> 00:07:59.279 Her blood pressure came down. 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:00.879 Everything is healthy, right? 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:03.120 Well, she hadn't seen a dentist for years. 00:08:03.199 --> 00:08:04.959 She came in for a new patient exam. 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:12.000 And when we did the new patient exam, her lower left, second molar, huge abscess, all around it, absolutely no pain. 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:13.439 She didn't know what was going on. 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:17.920 We showed her the x-ray and she's like, How can I have that much bone loss and it doesn't hurt? 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:19.360 And so that's the problem. 00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:20.079 There's no pain. 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:24.800 We put on antibiotics, removed that tooth, and in three weeks she came back and said, Guess what? 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:27.519 I don't need my blood pressure medication anymore. 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:30.399 Can a dental infection raise your blood pressure? 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:31.600 Absolutely. 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:34.799 An infection anywhere in your body can raise your blood pressure. 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:38.240 Your body is fighting that impression, that that infection. 00:08:38.399 --> 00:08:41.519 But what are the side effects of the blood pressure medication? 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:42.960 It gives you a dry mouth. 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:50.000 Well, if you have a dry mouth, now you don't have the saliva to dilute the acid that's being produced from the bacteria in your mouth. 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:56.399 So your cavity rate goes up and your gum disease rate goes up because you're treating the symptom instead of even looking for the source. 00:08:56.799 --> 00:08:58.799 Let me ask you a basic question on that. 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:09.519 So let's say that you go in, you mention the abscess, and you think about, or you most of us have probably gone in for dental cleaning and you get that those pockets and you get that bacteria. 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:11.039 Tell me what happens. 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:22.240 Does the bacteria travel to other organs or uh through the bloodstream that causes those uh but diabetes, high blood pressure, heart issues. 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:23.840 What happens with that? 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:25.519 That's a great question. 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:28.720 One of the things I like to ask people is what causes cavities? 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:31.039 And most people don't have the right answer. 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:32.480 Most people think it's sugar. 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:33.279 It's not. 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:36.240 When you and I eat eat food, we have byproducts. 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:37.519 We poop and we pee. 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:40.320 When bacteria eats food, it has byproducts. 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:41.679 Lactic acid. 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:45.039 When bacteria sticks to the side of your teeth, we give it a name. 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:46.480 We call that plaque. 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:49.440 Well, that bacteria eats the same foods that we do. 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:54.080 Now, sugar is worse, carbohydrates are worse, but the bacteria eats that. 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:56.960 And for the little kids, I don't call them bacteria, I call them sugar bugs. 00:09:57.039 --> 00:10:03.840 And the sugar bugs go poop all over your teeth, and that poop is so bad it eats holes in your teeth, which is really what's happening. 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:05.679 Think about that for just a second. 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:15.519 We've got bacteria dumping acid on the hardest substance in the human body, tooth enamel, and it's dissolving the enamel away. 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:18.960 Then it's dissolving the dentin away underneath. 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:24.639 What do you think this bacteria does when it grabs onto a heart valve, when it grabs onto some other parts of the body? 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:26.399 This is this is nasty stuff. 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:26.799 Yeah. 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:29.200 We don't think about those things because there's

no pain. 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:33.519 Again, 90% of dental infections have absolutely no pain. 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:36.639 So people think they're o that everything is fine. 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:41.120 What do you think the number one reason is that people do not see a dentist? 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:56.960 Well, I wearing my my former health insurance broker hat, I would probably tell you cost, and lovingly I do say this is people sometimes dread going to the dentist just because of the the tools and the poking and the prodding. 00:10:57.120 --> 00:11:02.000 And I'm it's not the most comfortable visit, but it's also insurance doesn't cover it. 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:06.080 And the third thing I would say is no pain out of sight, out of mind. 00:11:06.559 --> 00:11:09.759 Well, your your third answer is actually the number one answer. 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:10.799 Nothing hurts. 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:11.759 I'm fine. 00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:13.039 I don't need a dentist. 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:14.399 There's no reason to go. 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:18.240 This is why people go for years and years without seeing a dentist. 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:26.960 In the meantime, they got a pus factory right under their nose, dumping pus into the bloodstream 24 hours a day, seven days a week with absolutely no pain. 00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:28.960 You don't, they don't even know what's going on. 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:34.799 So what I'm trying to do is help people understand that just because it doesn't hurt doesn't mean it's healthy. 00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:36.240 We need to take care of this. 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:38.399 We need to remove the infection. 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:44.080 You know, it it is they have a whole list of diseases that are caused or worsened from dental infections. 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:50.000 But what I've noticed on my my private patients is that there are things not on the list that are improved. 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:56.399 For instance, I had one patient that were having difficulty with the bleeding when they unhooked her from dialysis. 00:11:56.559 --> 00:11:57.440 She felt horrible. 00:11:57.519 --> 00:12:00.639 She'd been on dialysis for a few years, had no energy. 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:04.559 When I saw her for the first time, she didn't have a toothache for years either. 00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:08.639 So she'd been seeing a physician on a regular basis for years. 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:10.799 Finally, she had a toothache. 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:17.840 Sandy, when I saw her, you didn't have to have a degree by your name to look at her mouth and say, Oh my gosh, that is a disaster. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:20.080 I mean, teeth, horrible teeth. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:25.840 We ended up putting on our antibiotics, removed all the bad teeth, which we were only able to save two. 00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:27.679 That's how bad they were. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:33.440 In three weeks, they weren't having any problem when they just disconnected her from the dialysis. 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:36.559 Her medications were working better, she had energy in her steps. 00:12:36.639 --> 00:12:39.360 She was an artist, she hadn't wanted to draw for the last three years. 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:46.559 But now, just just by cleaning up her mouth, the treatment was antibiotics and removing bad teeth. 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:50.240 Just by doing that, it changed her life dramatically. 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:53.279 I mean, there's there's lots of different stories that we see. 00:12:53.519 --> 00:12:56.399 I'm volunteering now at a um uh a dental clinic. 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:02.000 The Catholic Church does a dental clinic, and I'm asking the people before we take the teeth out, how do you feel? 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:04.480 And then three or four weeks after that, how do you feel now? 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:08.240 Every one of them comes back and says, Man, I feel better now than I have in years. 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:14.559 So this is just a a completely overlooked section in our health care, in my opinion. 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:28.240 Well, I have to ask the obvious question, because what you're saying sounds like, dare I say this, but silent killer, because we do know that diabetes or high blood pressure or heart disease can can result in negative consequences. 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:44.720 But I guess I can't get it out of my mind is what you what you're saying makes sense, but why isn't there more being done between a dental provider, medical provider, you know, or you think even of insurance companies that are always trying to be, you know, keep subscribers healthy. 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:50.399 Why isn't there a better connection of this to keep people healthy and avoid these illnesses? 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:53.039 It baffles me that that there's not more being done. 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:55.200 It bothers me too, Sandy. 00:13:55.360 --> 00:14:12.080 Um now I've retired from my practice, but when I was in practice, I would send faxes to the to the patient's um physician telling them about their oral condition uh so that they would know that they've got periodontal disease, they've got tooth abscess, they've got whatever's going on. 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:17.600 I would fax that over to the physicians and later on I asked them, what did you do with that information? 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:19.840 They said, uh, we put it in the circular file. 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:22.080 They just threw it away, they didn't use it. 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:28.799 Um when you look at the risk factors today for uh heart attacks, for instance, or um, let's see, where are they? 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:31.279 Risk is that for heart disease. 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:41.600 High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, overweight and obesity, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol use. 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:45.039 Those are the risk factors that the American Heart

Association gives. 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:46.879 Not one mention of oral health. 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:47.279 Okay? 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:48.799 Nobody talks about the mouth. 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:51.039 What can a consumer do? 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:54.000 Because I always say that it is a partnership in health. 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:57.679 Given our traditional medical dental system, it takes a village. 00:14:57.759 --> 00:15:06.000 And so it really is me as a patient working proactively with my doctor to bring these concerns up and and to to be that partner in health. 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:07.679 What can consumers do? 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:10.879 They're concerned about that dental health and medical health connection. 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:14.960 First thing they can do is make sure they have a healthy mouth. 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:17.840 Uh just because nothing hurts doesn't mean they have a healthy mouth. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:22.639 So get a thorough dental examination from a qualified dentist. 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:24.799 And uh not all dentists are qualified. 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:29.600 You have good dentists and other than good dentists, you have good automechanics and other than good automechanics. 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:31.519 Same with physicians and and everything. 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:37.919 So find a good dentist, get yourself a good dental exam just to rule out if you have any dental infections. 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:41.440 One of the things you can do first is what you do at home for free. 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:44.320 This is what I push as much as I can is the free stuff. 00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:48.960 People complain about the expensive dentistry, but they're not even doing the free stuff. 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:50.399 Let's do the free stuff. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:54.000 It takes eight to ten minutes to thoroughly clean your teeth. 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:56.000 You can't do it in thirty seconds. 00:15:56.240 --> 00:16:00.159 The average person spends thirty seconds or less brushing their teeth. 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:02.159 Brushing does not clean their teeth. 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:08.399 Brushing gets where a brush can reach, but we need to clean the bacteria off of the teeth, including in between the teeth. 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:13.919 So one of the first things you can do right now is begin thoroughly cleaning your teeth. 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:16.000 And how do you know if you did a good job? 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:22.080 Have you ever seen something called disclosing tablets, these little tiny, tiny pills you chew up? 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:25.279 They've been around for 60, 70 years, okay? 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:30.720 So what you do is you clean your teeth as good as you can to where in your mind you've done a great job. 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:35.759 Chew up one of those things, swish it around your mouth, rinse your mouth out, and look in the bathroom mirror. 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:42.320 Wherever you have stain on your teeth is where you still have bacteria, it doesn't mean you didn't brush there, it means you didn't get it off. 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:44.879 Now go back and clean the bacteria off. 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:50.320 That's when you begin to learn what it takes to thoroughly clean your teeth, not just brush your teeth. 00:16:50.480 --> 00:17:01.840 And my suggestion is one time a day, one time a day spending eight to ten minutes doing a thorough job instead of two or three times a day doing a lick and a promise. 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:03.759 You've got to be thorough in there. 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:05.279 You got to do a good job. 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:08.000 And there are three ways of cleaning in between your teeth. 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:09.759 A lot of people think of just by floss. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:12.480 Well, most people that floss don't do a good job. 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:15.200 Most people are poppers when they just pop it in between them, pop it out. 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:16.000 That's not cleaning. 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:19.839 You have to literally hug that tooth to make sure you're getting the bacteria off. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:23.440 So floss is one way to make these interproximal brushes. 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:25.200 They can't look like a toothpick with hair. 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:28.559 They show in between your teeth and you can get the bacteria off that way. 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:32.640 And the third way, which is what I prefer, is directed water irrigation. 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:37.119 Now you can use a water pick, a shower breeze, or there are different ways of doing it. 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:50.799 But the way you use that is you want to use those warmer waters that you can comfortably tolerate, put it all the way on high, you want to aim it directly in between your teeth and let that water jet shoot the gap for five full seconds. 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:57.119 One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, four Mississippi, five Mississippi, then move one tooth forward. 00:17:57.279 --> 00:17:59.839 Same thing all the way around, top and bottom. 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:04.480 If people can get good at doing that, they're gonna save a lot of problems. 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:08.000 And what I recommend for families is to get the kids in there. 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:10.880 Everybody clean their teeth as good as they they can. 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:15.279 Everybody chews up one of these tablets, one of these disclosing tablets. 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:22.000 Everybody gets to look in each other's mouth, and whoever has the least amount of stain gets a prize. 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:26.960 I would much rather have your kids get a prize than have you spend the money at the dentist. 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:27.519 Okay? 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:34.319 I'd rather have them get motivated at a younger age to know how to thoroughly take care of their teeth instead of just a lick in a promise.

00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:41.039 Because the parents are gonna not only save a lot of of money from the dental work, but they're gonna have healthier kids. 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:42.240 Wouldn't that be nice? 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:46.240 Because they've shown when kids miss school because of a toothache, their grades suffer. 00:18:46.400 --> 00:18:50.240 When kids miss school because of a scheduled appointment, their grades do not suffer. 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:56.000 So, you know, there's a lot of good reasons for starting this at a young age and bringing it through. 00:18:56.720 --> 00:19:01.599 You were talking, I went in my head for a moment to think of, you know, taking a shower in the morning. 00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:08.640 You go in, you shower, you wash your hair, your body, the whole thing, maybe 15, 20 minutes, whatever your routine is. 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:17.200 But yet we do, and I'm just as guilty, you know, that a lick and a promise of your teeth, or it's such a second thought, if one at all. 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:22.240 So uh taking that extra five minutes, it sounds like some good dental brushes. 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:26.559 It sounds like the water pick is is a good affordable option as well. 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:29.680 What are your thoughts on on back on the lick and promise? 00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:39.039 Because I laugh, my husband's like, oh, I got that Listerine purple blue special, and I just do a couple of quick swishes and I'm good to go. 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:41.759 And and so what are your thoughts on that as an option? 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:46.240 Well, they've identified over 700 different bacteria in our mouth. 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:48.079 Those are healthy for us. 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:49.039 We need those. 00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:50.880 They produce good things for us. 00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:54.000 One produces nitric acid, which is really good for our body. 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:54.799 We need that. 00:19:54.960 --> 00:19:59.359 When you start using these antibacterial mouth rincials, you're killing the good ones. 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:01.440 Okay, we don't want to kill the good ones. 00:20:01.599 --> 00:20:02.640 We want the good ones to live. 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:07.200 There's only about 20 bad ones, so out of the 700, you're you know, most of them are good. 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:10.480 Let's remove the bad bacteria from the teeth. 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:15.759 That's my thing, is let's I don't want to kill the good ones, but let's remove the bad ones from the teeth. 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:17.039 So I do not recommend. 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:20.880 If you want to rinse them up with some warm salt water or something, fine, go ahead. 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:28.079 And they just had had uh periodontal surgery, they might have you on a a uh uh a special mouth rinse for just for a couple of weeks. 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:38.720 But uh to to stay on that for long term, uh there were a lot of things that we

were told in dental school as we go, well, this is what we believed back then, but now we look at things a little different. 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:41.440 So so uh things change over time. 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:44.079 No, they do, and I I appreciate that. 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:45.920 So, full confession, you know, too. 00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:49.920 I went through that periodontal surgery and I would not recommend it to anyone. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:52.079 It was one of the most painful things I had gone through. 00:20:52.559 --> 00:21:02.960 I wasn't the worst flosser, I think, but I, you know, I kind of laugh in comparison to my husband who hadn't seen a dentist in 30 years, and he didn't have to go through any periodontal procedure. 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:09.279 So it's so interesting the differences that you have, but I am now a ninja flosser. 00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:14.160 And so, and it really, and I literally have three different kinds of dental picks. 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:18.319 It my point in even mentioning that is, you know, I've made the mistake. 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:29.680 And but it really honestly, you know, I get up in the morning, I'm sitting down at my vanity before I start doing my hair, whatever it is, a quick five minutes to really just take care of those teeth. 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:45.680 And it's not a lot of time, especially kind of going back to what you talked about, again, the staggering statement of tens of millions of Americans walking around with hidden dental infections and those potential medical risks that can come from that, and or just be prevented. 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:48.079 So, with the simple things that you mentioned. 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:48.960 Yeah. 00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:56.240 And even on the the great cardiologists that you've had on your program, because I've listened to them, nobody mentions the mouth. 00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:57.519 I'm not blaming them. 00:21:57.680 --> 00:21:59.440 I mean, it's just they're not trained that way. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:00.319 Yeah. 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:05.599 Now wanted to ask you, we talked about this briefly, but as we're we're getting some great insight from you. 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:10.559 Um, you and I had mentioned kind of initially, you know, AI is a big, big thing out there today. 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:13.039 And we, you know, some people are like, Yeah, let's use it. 00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:14.000 I'm ready to go. 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:22.240 What are your thoughts on how people can use that um to also contribute to their um better dental health habits or inquiries? 00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:28.079 Well, I the the first thing you have to do is grasp it mentally yourself and realize that this is not a joke. 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:29.440 This is really going on. 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:31.599 So so it's a it's a serious thing. 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:35.599 Ask AI, what are the medical consequences of dental infections? 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:39.920

I asked AI that it gave me a huge list with references on that. 00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:42.480 So you can see that this is this is proven. 00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:43.279 This is not maybe. 00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:44.720 I mean, it really does. 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:49.119 But once you get this information, begin implementing it. 00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:52.799 Umledge is not power, it's potential power. 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:54.799 It only becomes power when you put it to work. 00:22:54.960 --> 00:22:58.160 So if you know how to do something but don't do it, it doesn't do you any good. 00:22:58.319 --> 00:23:01.519 If you know how to clean your teeth but don't do it, it doesn't do you any good. 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:13.119 Following through with your your personal home care, following through with a dentist to make sure you don't have any dental infections going on there, those are the personal things that you can do. 00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:23.839 One of the things I recommend everyone to do is next time you see your dentist or your physician, ask them, does my dental health have anything to do with my medical health? 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:26.559 And be quiet and just listen to their answer. 00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:30.960 You're not going to try and convince them of anything, but just listen to their answer. 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:43.519 My uh my brother had a brain tumor and down in Orlando at a major hospital down there, and when I was visiting him, there was an infectious disease doctor that was in there to examine him and make sure there wasn't any any problems with his surgery. 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:46.400 So I asked him, I said, When you're finished with him, can I ask you a question? 00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:47.200 He said, Sure. 00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:48.000 So we finished. 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:54.400 And I said, When you're looking for the source of bacteria, do you ever consider the mouth? 00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:57.759 He looked at me and said, Oh no, the mouth is totally insignificant. 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:00.960 Blew me away. 00:24:01.119 --> 00:24:09.680 I've been looking in mouse for at that time it was like, you know, 38 years, seen thousands of huge infections that people had no idea was going on. 00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:13.200 We need we need to close this gap in in our health care. 00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:18.880 And this to me is one thing that I want to help people do is just include the mouth when you're looking at your health. 00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:24.000 The the Surgeon General in the year 2000 said, uh, you need a healthy mouth to have a healthy body. 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:29.039 That was the conclusion of the Surgeon General in in 2000 as Oral Health in America. 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:31.279 You need a healthy mouth to have a healthy body. 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:32.640 That's all we're saying. 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:34.079 Yeah, no, absolutely. 00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:36.079 And thank you for your thoughts on the AI perspective. 00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:37.039 I'm a big believer. 00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:41.759 We have to educate ourselves too so we can be proactive back to that partnership. 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:44.079 And to your very point, ask the questions. 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:48.160 Um, and where it went in my head too when you we talked about the mouth. 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:51.839 I was talking to a guest on the show that was a mental health provider. 00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:53.359 And I love what this person said. 00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:57.279 And it's like, you know, mental health is just as important as physical health health. 00:24:57.359 --> 00:24:59.359 It's not like you take your head off your body. 00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:00.799 It's kind of one in the same. 00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:03.680 And I would say the same with your mouth. 00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:06.160 I mean, it's a you can't separate any of it. 00:25:06.319 --> 00:25:09.359 It's it's a whole process, it's a whole body that works together. 00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:16.880 I tell physicians, if you think your mouth is not part of your body when you go to work on Monday, leave your mouth at home. 00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:18.000 There you go. 00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:19.839 Well, tell us more about your book. 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:22.079 You've written a book, Are Your Teeth Making You Sick? 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:23.839 The answer is right under your nose. 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:28.000 So share with us a little bit about what people can expect in your book. 00:25:28.400 --> 00:25:30.160 Well, it's written for the general public. 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:34.319 I tried getting into our local hospital some years ago, and they rejected it. 00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:37.839 They said, We don't want you coming in diagnosing things that we don't treat. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:39.039 I said, wait a minute. 00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:40.960 Every week I diagnose things I don't treat. 00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:42.799 I refer to that patient as someone who can treat it. 00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:45.200 Their answer, we don't want to be in the referral business. 00:25:45.440 --> 00:25:46.400 This is a hospital. 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:47.920 Blew me away. 00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:49.759 So then I went to local physicians. 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:53.359 I said, can you include the mouth when you're evaluating someone's health? 00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:54.559 Because that could be the source. 00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:57.200 They said, Chuck, we'd love to, but we don't have enough time. 00:25:57.359 --> 00:25:58.559 I said, What do you mean? 00:25:58.799 --> 00:26:02.000 Today, about 70% of physicians work for corporation. 00:26:02.079 --> 00:26:03.599 The corporation sets the schedule. 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:05.440 They've got 15 minutes per patient. 00:26:05.519 --> 00:26:06.640 They don't have time. 00:26:06.799 --> 00:26:13.279 So if the hospital doesn't want to refer out and the physicians don't have enough time, I decide I'm

going to write a book. 00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:15.279 So I wrote it for the general public. 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:17.039 It's it's easy to read. 00:26:17.119 --> 00:26:22.160 Um, and it's backed up with references in the back where there's many pages of references. 00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:26.079 But real simple, um different chapters, let's see. 00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:30.240 Why most physicians are in the dark about your mouth, how to fix the deadly gap. 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:31.599 It's simple but not easy. 00:26:31.839 --> 00:26:32.640 What's your why? 00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:34.640 What causes cavities and gum disease? 00:26:34.799 --> 00:26:37.039 How to thoroughly clean your teeth, new tricks. 00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:38.559 Kids, is there hope? 00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:41.519 How to find a good dentist, look before you leave. 00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:44.559 My dental exam, what's involved, and will it hurt? 00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:46.640 What are my options for dental treatment? 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:47.839 Begin at home today. 00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:51.920 It's critical and it's free, and end the deadly gap, start the communication. 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:56.880 So that's what we're trying to do on this is is have people connect to us and make it simple for people. 00:26:57.039 --> 00:27:01.599 And then once you connect the DOS, please share this message, this information with your family and friends. 00:27:01.920 --> 00:27:07.839 Because nobody your parents didn't tell you, your teachers didn't tell you, your physicians didn't tell you, and your dentist aren't telling you. 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:10.000 Where's people people supposed to learn this? 00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:11.599 That's why we're talking. 00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:12.160 Yeah. 00:27:12.240 --> 00:27:15.680 And one thing I want to throw out there, because you mentioned dental cleaning. 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:26.960 I know sometimes dental insurance and dental health can be expensive, but most dental cleanings, depending upon regional location, of course, can be under$200 to get done maybe twice a year. 00:27:27.359 --> 00:27:35.119 And a lot of times your dentist will work with you, you know, on that, or sometimes they have different dental plans that you can pay a moderate monthly fee. 00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:40.480 I have to mention that because I think some people feel like I can barely afford my health insurance premium. 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:42.559 Dental is going to be a little bit harder. 00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:47.599 I'm not saying you do some people$175, whatever it is, is not a lot. 00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:52.559 But considering the things that you brought to our attention, it may be well worth those dollars. 00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:59.920 With that said, as we we draw to a close, I would love to hear your final thoughts that you would like to leave listeners with. 00:28:01.039 --> 00:28:03.119 I'd love for them to visit our website. 00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:07.119 It's called the Dental Medical Convergence.org. 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:10.400 We have a lot of information on that site. 00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:11.119 Videos. 00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:13.039 I did a TED Talk, that's on there. 00:28:13.279 --> 00:28:18.559 There's a lot of other things, simple information for people to just grasp the concept. 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:20.000 So that would be thing. 00:28:20.319 --> 00:28:21.839 Start getting your education. 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:29.039 Uh the few minutes that you spend every day cleaning your teeth is a fraction of the amount of time you spend in a hospital with a heart attack, with the stroke. 00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:38.799 When you look at how many people go through that and don't know it, um I could I I could go through many different stories, but let's just say we need a healthy mouth to have a healthy body. 00:28:38.960 --> 00:28:46.240 So whatever it takes you to have that healthy mouth, in fact, you don't even need teeth to have a healthy mouth. 00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:49.279 But if you have teeth, you can't have infections. 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:50.640 That's all we're saying. 00:28:51.119 --> 00:28:58.640 I've seen real healthy people that have complete dentures and other people that have a beautiful smile, horrible gum disease, and and they're sick. 00:28:58.799 --> 00:29:01.200 So uh do the free stuff at home. 00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:02.400 That's the biggest thing right there. 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:03.279 Do the free stuff. 00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:07.440 Thank you for your expertise, your mission to bring awareness to this. 00:29:07.599 --> 00:29:09.920 And I know that listeners will greatly benefit. 00:29:10.079 --> 00:29:17.279 We will make sure and link to uh uh dental medical convergence as well as your book so people can uh learn more. 00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:18.720 And again, thank you, Dr. 00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:22.720 Chuck, for your time, your expertise, and your words of wisdom. 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:23.359 Thank you. 00:29:23.839 --> 00:29:24.480 My pleasure. 00:29:24.640 --> 00:29:25.839 Thank you for sharing this information. 00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:27.119 I enjoyed having Dr. 00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:28.160 Chuck on the show. 00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:33.440 I love this topic of treating the mouth as part of your overall health for all the reasons that Dr. 00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:34.319 Chuck mentioned. 00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:38.240 It really was an enlightening conversation, and I hope that you enjoyed it. 00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:42.000 And know that there are options out there to do so affordably. 00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:45.359 So make sure and check out those links in the show notes to Dr. 00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:50.400 Chuck's website and also his book, Are Your Teeth Making You Sick? 00:29:51.039 --> 00:29:59.599 In our next episode, many consumers and employers feel powerless over this unpredictability and ever increasing cost for healthcare. 00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:01.200 What are our options? 00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:05.039 I am bringing on the show Dan Costrog to talk more about this topic. 00:30:05.200 --> 00:30:14.960 Dan is the CEO of Better Benefits USA, a nonprofit on a mission to close the healthcare gap on care, cost, and coverage for hardworking Americans. 00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:18.480 Dan is passionate about the structural incentives behind U.S. 00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:27.519 healthcare, including how brokers, insurers, and employers interact, and why many cost-saving efforts fail due to misaligned incentives. 00:30:27.680 --> 00:30:36.559 Dan's also going to talk about preventative care models, wellness programs, and tax-efficient benefit design to improve retention and employee health outcomes. 00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:45.759 Dan challenges the assumptions that better healthcare must cost more, showing companies how they can improve employee benefits without increasing spend. 00:30:45.920 --> 00:30:53.440 He urges leaders to question traditional healthcare incentives and whether they truly align with employers and employees. 00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:55.039 Such a great conversation. 00:30:55.119 --> 00:30:55.839 Don't miss it. 00:30:56.000 --> 00:30:59.839 Make sure and subscribe so you always get a notice when that episode comes out. 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:04.480 I appreciate you listening and sharing with others so they can benefit as well. 00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:07.039 Until next time, get savvy.