Dentistry meets Naturopathy – Part I
No matter how holistic a medical practice might be, it is very uncommon for it to include the mouth.
The mouth is simply considered an entry into the throat, where the tongue is only vaguely recognized as being of importance, except for in Chinese and Ayurvedic Medicine.
The mouth, the teeth and the jaw are the dentist’s department, right?
That is pretty much what I was taught both in Dental School and in Naturopathic Medical School.
This view point is only slowly beginning to fade due to the enormous amount of research on the connection between the state of the oral cavity and its connection to chronic disease.
As Naturopathic Doctors we learn and passionately discuss the fact that the digestive tract is “one long tube” from mouth to anus.
Still, the immensely popular subject of the microbiome has for years been primarily focused on the gut microbiome, and the later years on the gut-brain axis and the microbiomes’ influence on our immune system.
Very little emphasis has been placed on the oral microbiome and its effect on “the tube”.
Wait up!, you say. Integrative Medicine does focus on the mouth. We have heard about mercury fillings and root canals and how those are bad for you, so doesn’t that count?
Sure, that definitely counts! And at our clinic we help people decrease their load of mercury and other heavy metals that are remaining in the system after proper amalgam removal.
At Verde Valley Naturopathic Medicine we test for the body burden of mercury and other heavy metals and then we facilitate the removal via oral or IV chelation therapy. (More on that in another blog).
We also refer to biological dentists who specialize in dental materials that are gentler on the body and the environment and who can responsibly remove the amalgam fillings. Biological dentists will also focus on the issues around root canals, the so-called cavitations in the jaw etc. (More on that in another blog as well).
However, there is so much more to the story.
The mouth is a very direct gateway to the rest of the body, and it influences every area of our lives.
Let’s begin with the very beginning.
It all begins at birth. We are designed to go through the birth canal so we can pick up our mother’s microbiome, and going through the birth canal will also help us recognize that we are now leaving the floaty existence of the womb and entering a world made up of hard surfaces and sometimes hard knocks.
Breastfeeding is designed to not only provide us with the most perfect food on the planet - yes, it is sad that our breastmilk nowadays contain environmental toxins; it is however still considered the very best for your baby – the contact between the baby’s mouth and the mother’s nipple is also paramount for hormone balance, including the most important hormone of all, the Love & Belonging hormone.
Breastmilk substitutes, such as formula have fortunately come a long way for the past 30-40 years, since naturally there are situations where it is not possible to breastfeed a child. However, we are still struggling to replicate or simulate mother’s milk. Nature is after all genius.
Suckling on the breast is extremely important for the development of the mouth, the jaw, the face, the head and the neck. While suckling the muscles are pulling on structures that will determine the shape of the dental arches, the height and width of the palate, the strength of the jaw muscles, and so much more.
Children who have been exclusively bottle fed and are left to use a pacifier or a thumb in between feedings tend to develop a narrow palate, a narrow face and an open bite. This is also an important factor for breastfed children, if they are not allowed to breastfeed on command, and instead are left to use a pacifier or a thumb for many hours of the day and night.
A narrow mouth and a narrow face often result in an open bite and mouth-breathing causing dry mouth, which is the perfect foundation for cavities and gum disease since the protective saliva has been dried out.
Crowded teeth in a narrow oblong dental arch often lead to more gum disease and more cavities. Mouth-breathing can also lead to poor quality of sleep which influences brain health, nervous system are more.
The weight of the facial bones, when a child has been entirely bottle-fed, is typically lighter than what nature had in mind. The lighter jaw, face and head is changing the fulcrum of where the head was supposed to be placed on top of the first and second vertebrae. This in turn creates a less-than-ideal curve of the neck and spine, a flattened curve with a ripple effect that touches every part of the physical structure.
As a side note, during birth, if the newborn has been pulled out by force, the first vertebrae in the neck can end up being locked in between the skull bone and the second vertebrae, which has a domino effect, where cranial nerves including the vagus nerve are impacted.
Fortunately, there are solutions to all of these concerning consequences.
CranioSacral Therapy can release the jammed upper vertebrae which in an infant often causes colic. The release with this gentle therapy is quick and effective. This same therapy, which I offer at our clinic can be helpful at any point in time during a long life whenever needed. The list of indications is long.
CranioSacral Therapy can also improve on the shape of the mouth, the face, the head, the skull and the alignment of neck, spine and major joints.
It is important to mention that the sugar type and content present in breastmilk compared to formula, together with the presence or absence of the right type and quantity of fatty acids, amino acids, etc. is very impactful in regard to the effect not only on the body but also on the teeth, including the enamel.
Typically, a child being breastfed on command during the night will not develop cavities, as opposed to a child who sucks all night on a bottle with formula.
A sugary solution sitting on the teeth all night has an impact on the enamel, but…there is more to the story.
An old study stands out, one I remember from my time in the breastfeeding organization, La Leche League, back from when my children were little. This excellent research study showed that rats – I know, rats are not human, but still – that were fed sugar via an IV developed an extremely high number of cavities within a short time.
The sugar never touched their teeth, but still the cavities were rampant!
So, the story that says “you can eat whatever you want, as long as you brush and floss” is not entirely true. Rather, what you eat influences the teeth from the INSIDE, which in turn affects the quality of the enamel.
Furthermore, what we eat, determines the composition of our saliva including the buffering capacities and the immune properties, which in turn influences not only the health of each single tooth – a tooth is an organ with blood, nerve and lymph supply – but the health of the gums and hence the health of the body. (More on that later).
Stay tuned for the next blog on Dentistry meets Naturopathy!
Until then, Be Well!
Dr. Susanne Macsay | Naturopath