I have seen a change in toothpaste improve rashes around the mouth. The sodium lauryl sulfate can aggravate canker sores and mouth ulcers. The chemicals and flavorings can aggravate gastric reflux and heart burn, particularly at night. I have seen animals develop diarrhea from pet toothpaste. This was the first time I have ever heard of the chemicals in toothpaste contributing to asthma. But an internet search yielded an interesting array of toothpaste asthmatic experiences.

In 1990, the New England Journal of Medicine described a 21year old woman who would wheeze and cough at night, after brushing her teeth. It turned out that the artificial mint flavoring in her opaque tartar toothpaste was triggering the reactions. On switching to a gel, the wheezing resolved.

Much asthma is triggered by allergic stimuli such as chemicals in our environment, in our foods and in the substances we put in and on our bodies. Even the dyes used in the colorings of common drugs such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen can trigger asthma in some people. Sulfites in wines and salad bars (on lettuce to keep it green) can trigger asthma. Modern toothpastes have come a long way from the formulas suggested in ancient Egyptian writings. They really do help clean, strengthen, shine, protect, whiten and desensitize our teeth. But there are many chemicals involved, some of which may trigger pathological reactions.

Here’s the strangest thing that came up in my search. There are numerous anecdotal reports of people whose asthma improved when they switched to toothpaste for sensitive teeth containing potassium nitrate. Potassium nitrate, also known as saltpeter, is a component of gunpowder. It liberates potassium ions which depolarize nerve endings in the pores of exposed dentin, and prevents nerve transmission of pain in the teeth. English medical journals from the early 1900’s list potassium nitrate as a treatment for asthma. I am not using toothpaste as my main treatment for asthma right now, just pointing out that the ingredients in toothpaste are potent and can have significant effects beyond the teeth.

Commercial toothpastes contain a wide variety of chemicals which can contribute to some health concerns. This is particularly true for sensitive individuals, as well as for children, because they tend to eat more toothpaste than adults. Of course, there is the ongoing controversy surrounding fluoride in toothpaste and in drinking water, which is too big a topic to include in this email. But certainly, be aware that if you suffer skin, oral, digestive and/or allergic problems, it’s probably best to use simple, non-toxic toothpastes or powders. These are easily available in stores and you can even make simple tooth cleansers such as the examples below.

This intruiging research is courtesy of Dr. Jody Shevens, a friend and colleague in Boulder, CO.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):
1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless eating or bathing).
3.  Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t like salt).  H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms.  Simple gargling prevents proliferation.  In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one.  Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventive method.
4. Clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water.  Not everybody may enjoy neti pot use, but at least blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (leafy greens, orange veggies and citrus fruits).  If you prefer to supplement with Vitamin C tablets or powder, make sure to also take 50 mg  Zinc to boost absorption.  Zinc is a potent anti-viral itself, especially combined with beta-carotene or Vitamine A (25,000 IUs daily for 6 weeks).
6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, hot fresh lemonade, etc.) as you can.  Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction.   Both wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, because of the low pH of stomach acid.  This is a major reason why taking anti-acids on a regular basis is a really bad idea.  If you have heartburn, see other posts on this site about how to remedy that problem.

The modern use of milk thistle extract began in 1949 when animal studies showed that it could protect the liver against carbon tetrachloride poisoning.  Since then over 100 clinical trials have been performed on this miraculous medicine and it is carried in the Emergency Department pharmacies of most major European hospitals.  Milk thistle has successfully saved lives by reversing acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Amanita mushroom (one of the most deadly) poisoning. 

Milk thistle is thought to work in three main ways: first as an antioxidant, “quenching” free radicals created from poisoning or environmental pollution.  Folks living in a smoggy area are well advised to take 600-750 mg daily of standardized milk thistle.  The best quality milk thistle is standardized to contain 70% by weight of the major ingredient silybin.  The other mechanisms of action are by protecting the cell membranes (most studied in liver cells) and by stimulating production of new liver cells (hepatocytes).

While the most prevalent uses of this potent plant medicine are for liver diseases (including all type of hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver toxicity) milk thistle is also useful as a venous tonic (protects and strengthens weak veins), including, for example, reducing bleeding tendency in folks with thin gums or nasal passage mucous membranes.  

If your gums bleed when you brush your teeth, you may need more Vitamin C, and folic acid (1000 mcg daily) and CoQ10 (100-200 mg daily), but milk thistle will also help.  For nose bleeds, have your doctor check if you have an open blood vessel that needs cauterization (very easy and quick fix); otherwise extra Vitamin A (25,000 IUs daily) plus milk thistle may help reduce the sensitivity of nasal mucous membranes. 

Milk thistle is also helpful to promote circulation, particularly in the pelvis, so would be good for many aspects of PMS (cravings, bloating, irritability).  Because one of milk thistle’s actions is “anti-fibrotic” it can help to improve blood flow through fibrous tissue, such as in fibrocystic breasts.  It is important to remember that fibrocystic (lumpy) breasts are completely normal — almost all women have them.  This does not put you at higher risk for breast disease or breast cancer.  However, fibrous breasts may be more tender premenstrually.  Vitamin E also helps with PMS breast tenderness.  

Milk thistle is especially useful to women because it can reduce or prevent organ prolapse after childbirth.  Milk thistle also stimulates breast milk production (along with goat’s beard, fennel and hops).  Milk thistle is well tolerated and very safe, with no known contraindications.  It may produce darker or slightly looser stools, since it stimulates the flow of bile in the liver.  Furthermore, many chronic skin disorders are due to suboptimal liver clearance of toxins, “bad” fats and excess hormones. 

Milk thistle is often key to resolving pesky skin problems ranging from acne to eczema to psoriasis.

One the most important uses of milk thistle in my office is to support patients going through chemotherapy.  While chemo can save lives, it is very toxic and can permanently damage heart, kidneys, brain, bone marrow and the liver.  Using milk thistle during and after chemo is not thought to undermine the effectiveness of the chemo drugs, and has been shown to reduce likelihood of permanent organ damage

References:
Ogletree RL and Fischer RG “Physician’s and Pharmacists’s Guide to the Top 10 Scientifically Proven Natural Products”, Natural Source Digest, 1997

Tilgner S “Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth”, Wise Acres Press, 1999

Juneau says no to fluoride – Proposition fails 61 to 37 percent

Juneau’s voters delivered a resounding “no” to fluoridating the city’s water supplies on Tuesday, putting an end, for now, to one of the most hotly contested and expensive ballot initiatives in the city’s history.

Preliminary vote counts showed Proposition 2 failed 61 to 37 percent. Of 24,613 registered voters, 7,820 voted at the polls. Another 1,500 absentee ballots and 600 questioned ballots remain to be counted. The Juneau city clerk’s office plans to certify the final count by next Tuesday.

“There’s a lot of smart people in Juneau and they understood the issue very well and it was reflected in the result at the polls,” said David Ottoson, owner of Rainbow Foods and member of the anti-fluoridation group Juneau Citizens for Safe Water.

Karen Lawfer, spokeswoman for the pro-fluoridation group Citizens Promoting Dental Health, said she was disappointed and that there was a “fear factor” at the polls Tuesday.

“A lot of people, oftentimes, they vote with fear, and I can understand that,” Lawfer said. “We won’t see the fallout of this for another couple of years when people see the decline in dental health.”

Ottoson said there are better ways to deliver fluoride to those who aren’t getting it.

“Everybody wants our kids to have healthy teeth, and there’s other ways to do that besides putting it in the water,” Ottoson said.

As for the American Dental Association, which funded most of the pro-fluoridation’s $151,000 campaign, Ottoson said he hopes the group will continue its involvement in this community past this election.

“We’d like to see them participating in some of these other solutions. That (money) could have bought a lot of fluoride varnishes, and fluoridated toothpaste for people who can’t afford it,” Ottoson said.

Dr. Emily Kane said she hopes the community “can work together to repair the rift” caused by this election.

“Our common interest in improved dental hygiene supersedes our differences in approach,” Kane said.

Kane practices naturopathic medicine and is starting a task force to reinstate a program that will provide fluoride varnishes for kids.

Fluoride was taken out of the city’s water supply last year after the Juneau Assembly voted against it. They acted on the recommendations of a city commission that studied the issue for two years.

Mayor Bruce Botelho said he expects to see the issue of providing more dental care through the schools to come before the Juneau Assembly in the next few weeks.

Fluoridated water isn’t the answer to dental caries

When I joined the mayoral commission to study the issue of municipal water fluoridation in 2004, I was fairly certain adding fluoride to city water was not the best approach to dental health.

I also had some concerns about the ethics and safety of adding a medicine and waste product to the water system, which virtually forces everyone to consume, bathe in and breathe it. After three years of study, my stance has evolved to a deeper and more urgent level of concern.

For those who believe they, or their children, need fluoride – it’s everywhere! Almost all canned foods have high levels of fluoride. Virtually all toothpastes contain fluoride. Your dentist can apply fluoride to your teeth. Public health will give out sodium fluoride tablets and drops for free. Grapes, corn, chicken, fish, tea are all high in fluoride. Fluoride is not a necessary element for human life. In fact, in relatively small doses, it is toxic. Remember, fluoride accumulates. About 50 percent of all the fluoride you have ever ingested is still in your body and will remain there, in the bones, in the kidneys, in the brain and, yes, on your teeth. This is likely the way fluoride confers long-term damage to susceptible individuals.

Fluoridation advocates cite “60 years of public health research” to support the idea. About 60 years ago it was noted that areas of the country (Colorado and Texas) where aquifer-derived water was naturally high in fluoride, kids had more dental fluorosis (permanent dental staining) and, arguably, fewer cavities. This naturally occurring fluoride is calcium fluoride, which is almost insoluble, meaning it doesn’t bind well to internal tissues, such as bones and kidneys.

The soluble chemical, sodium fluoride, which is what is typically added to city water, is considered more toxic than lead and almost as toxic as arsenic, in comparable amounts. Sodium fluoride is 20 times more toxic than the naturally occurring calcium fluoride. The lethal dose for calcium fluoride in humans is 5,000 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. The lethal dose of sodium fluoride in humans is 250 mg per kg of body weight.

No studies on the toxicology of sodium fluoride in humans were undertaken at the beginning of the fluoridation experiment in 1945, nor have any such studies been conducted since.

Can you imagine our government in 2007 mandating the addition of another biologically active substance to everyone’s water supply – with no safety data, only marginal efficacy data and amidst a good deal of public protest? Can we learn anything from the fact that all of the European Union countries (except Ireland and parts of England) have rejected fluoridation?

Fluoridation proponents claim a 20 to 40 percent improvement in dental caries (cavities) rates in fluoridated cities. This is based on a small portion of one study of about 39,000 school children that followed dental caries rates in 1986-87. Only about 8,000 of these children fit the forgone conclusion (fluoridation is good), while the data from the other 31,000 children was rejected.

In reality, caries rates are no different in fluoridated versus nonfluoridated communities. To list just one (of many) references making this point is Yiamouyiannis JA (1990) “Water Fluoridation and Tooth Decay: Results from the 1986-87 National Survey of U.S. Schoolchildren,” Fluoride, 23, 55-67, which analyzes the data from all 39,000 children. Since 1990, 149 communities in North America (including Juneau) have discontinued fluoridation of their water.

Fluoride is clearly not the answer to dental caries. Overall, as oral hygiene has improved, the general trend for caries rates continues downward, regardless of fluoridation status. A huge amount of early childhood caries is caused by bottle feeding with high-sugar formula or juices, in which these sugary liquids sit on the teeth and literally make them rot. Sugary drinks also cause obesity and diabetes. Adding fluoride to the water is not the solution to any of our public health problems.

Part of the solution is to take as much personal responsibility for your health as possible. Stay informed and make choices. Please vote no to enforced fluoridation on Oct. 2.

Several dentists and public health workers are attempting, with American Dental Association funding, to gather the 2,000 signatures needed to put the fluoride issue on a ballot in October. While I believe that the citizens of Juneau would step up and vote the right way- to keep our water uncontaminated – as a member of the mayor’s fluoride commission who gave up many nights to research and meet on the issue of fluoridation, it makes me groan to think about going through this again.

Six members of the community, all professionals with many years of higher education, combed through all the available research we could find and hashed through the citations, casting aside conspiracy theories and strictly focusing on science. The mayor’s fluoride commission made a recommendation to the Juneau Assembly after more than two years of study. The Assembly, guided by our research, very sensibly voted to get fluoride out of Juneau’s water. Most of the developed world reached the same conclusion at least a decade ago.

Before signing this petition, please make sure you have studied the research, not just looked at the dogma on an ADA pamphlet. Fluoride is bad for people, especially young children. It is a hazardous waste product. It’s much better to take care of your teeth, and your children’s well-being (including dental health), by eating whole foods (not processed junk) and brushing or at least rinsing after every meal or snack.

The classic toothache is almost always caused by nerve pain due to an exposed nerve root. While it is true that receding gums can expose nerve roots, causing “tooth” pain, another scenario is that of a filling worn down or fallen out. Chewing gum regularly will make fillings come out more quickly; avoid it if possible. Usually a toothache requires a trip to the dentist, however there a number of treatments you can access relatively easily if you can’t see the dentist right away.

First of all, avoid very hot or very cold foods or beverages, such as hot coffee or ice cream. Also, avoid hard to bite foods such as raw carrots or apples. Gentle pressure onto the hurting tooth through the cheek may provide some relief. You could also try holding a warm wrung out towel against the cheek or jaw over the painful area, or a castor oil pack. The castor oil pack is a marvelous tool for pain relief anywhere. Simply apply a generous layer of castor oil to the area that hurts (in the case of toothache apply the oil to the cheek; putting castor oil in your mouth could cause stomach cramps or loose stools), cover with a layer of saran wrap then apply a hot towel or heating pad to the area. Be careful not to burn the skin. Rest with the heat on for at least 20 minutes. The castor oil will stimulate “drainage” of the blood congested with microbes, in the case of infection, or with pain producing elements, such as cytokines, in the case of dental nerve irritation. Castor oil is available in most health-food stores.

One of the easiest and most effective natural pain killers, especially for toothache, is clove oil. Many dentists still use clove oil in their offices where stronger analgesics (pharmacologic agents for pain suppression), such as Novocaine, can be avoided. You can rub the clove oil directly onto the painful area inside the mouth. Dilute it with olive oil if it is too strong straight. You can also hold a whole peg of clove in your mouth at the site of the toothache. The numbing sensation will kick in quite rapidly, and will last up to 90 minutes. Although not quite so effective as clove oil, garlic or myrrh oils can be locally applied for pain relief. Wintergreen oil works too and so does Aloe vera juice, especially if the pain is accompanied by inflammation or obvious irritation. Another trick is to roll a small amount of beeswax onto crushed aspirin, or aconite powder if available, and stick this little ball of medicine onto the tooth that hurts.

For those inclined towards Homeopathy, which works especially well for children, these are a few classic toothache remedies: Belladonna 6X every 15 minutes until you get to the dentist especially if the pain is accompanied by fever and/or bright red cheeks. Plantago 6X is a good choice if the child feels better when eating, or complains of reflexive pain from the tooth to the eyelids. Mag. Carb. 6X may help if the child seems sensitive to the least bit of touch. Chamomile 6X is the remedy of choice in cases that seem worse from heat.

The good news about toothache is that the tooth can usually be fixed.

Gum disease is more serious, generally more chronic, and not readily responsive to “quick fixes.” Gum disease is caused by infection, and prevention, as always, is the best approach to this disease. Avoid over-eating, avoid excessive stress which may cause nighttime teeth griding (bruxism) and avoid sugary foods and beverages. Gum disease is very common, in fact it is listed as the most prevalent infectious ailment in the United States after the common cold. The rate of infection increases with age; it is a major cause of adult tooth loss. The first stage is gingivitis, or inflammation of the gums, caused by sticky deposits of bacteria, mucus and food particles. These sticky deposits are called “plaque” or may still be referred to by a more outdated term: tartar. The plaque builds up around the teeth and, at the gum line, irritates the gums causing bleeding and ultimately infection. Gingivitis is the medical term for gum infection; pyorrhea means bleeding gums. The accumulation of plaque eventually causes the gums to swell and become infected, widening the gaps between the gum and the tooth, like pockets, which further enhances disease. These “pockets” gather food debris and can become soft, red, shiny and will bleed easily. When gum diseases progresses ad begins to affect the jaw bone, it is called periodontal disease.

All of this can be prevented or improved with physical measures. Foremost is consistent, thoughtful tooth, gum and tongue brushing with a clean, soft brush. Brush the teeth at a 45 degree angle to get under the gum line. Get a new toothbrush regularly (at least 4 times yearly) and make sure your toothpaste isn’t irritating. If you make lots of plaque, consider an alkalinizing toothpaste, such as one containing baking soda. Bacteria prefer an acid environment. The FDA has recently approved the first toothpaste (made by Colgate) that can claim on the label to “prevent gingivitis and plaque” but you probably don’t need drugs in your toothpaste to keep your gums healthy. If you can’t get to your toothbrush soon after eating, at least vigorously swish out your mouth with water. Gum disease is a major cause of bad breath.

The next obvious preventive approaches to gum health are eating nutritious whole foods (not processed), flossing daily and regular dental check-ups. Avoid refined carbohydrates including alcohol and soda pop. Faulty dental fillings and ill-fitting prostheses can also accelerate gum disease by providing sites for plaque accumulation. Sufficient saliva is also critical to clear the mouth of plaque and bacteria. Persons with dry mouth due to age or disease will need to stimulate their salivary glands more vigorously by chewing carrots or sugar-free candies, sipping fluids throughout the day and attempting to breathe through the nose only.

Bacterial plaque is not the only cause of gum disease. A compromised “host” is also a factor in any disease; that is, someone with a poorly functioning immune system due to substance abuse, poor nutrition or poor general hygiene. Smokers suffer from much more rapid gum deterioration than non-smokers — in case you needed just one more reason to quit! Smoking promotes periodontal disease and ultimately tooth loss by doing free radical damage to the cells on the surface of the inside of the mouth. Smoking also drastically reduces Vitamin C stores.

Gum problems which progress from gingivitis to periodontal disease may be a sign of a more systemic condition, such as diabetes mellitus, collagen diseases, leukemia or other disorders of white cell function, anemia, or vitamin deficiency. White patches on the gums or elsewhere on the oral mucous membrane (inside the mouth) that can be scraped off are a sign of fungal infection (thrush) which must be treated, principally by avoiding sugar, antibiotics and steroids (including inhalers) whenever possible. The reason you would want to avoid antibiotics, if possible, in treating gum disease is that they destroy “good” bacteria, which help to break down and digest food, in the mouth as well as along the whole length of the gastrointestinal tract.

Once you have gum disease, what can be done? Luckily, quite a lot, including many non-drug and non-surgical methods. For example, natural bioflavonoids, the molecules that give plants their colors, decrease wound healing time and are useful in treating gum and periodontal disease. Blueberries, hawthorn berries and grapes are all rich sources of flavonoids. Other nutrients which are essential to gum health include CoEnzyme Q-10, Vitamin C and Folic acid. CoEnzyme Q-10, or CoQ-10 for short, is a tiny molecular catalyst in the middle of a series of chemical events called the electron transport chain. These chemical reactions take place in the walls of tiny organs called the mitochondria which, among other functions, convert water into oxygen. CoQ-10 is well known for its role in preventing and treating heart disease, since it provides more oxygen to the tissues at a cellular level, thus reducing the requirements of the heart muscle to pump oxygenated blood around the body. CoQ-10 is essential for treating gum disease because it provides more oxygen to the rapidly turning-over cells of the mucous membranes in the mouth. Oxygen is deadly to anaerobic bacteria, which are the type most likely to damage the gums. (Read the section Dosages For Basic Gum Health Nutrients for recommended dosages of the nutrients discussed below.)

Vitamin C is also critical to gum health, and my favorite “anti-oxidant” for several reasons. First, a word on why, after expounding on the virtues of more oxygen, we now want to provide “anti” oxidant support? Anti-oxidants is a rather unfortunate term and these important nutrients would be more accurately described as “anti-free radicals.” Free radicals are chemical species that possess lone electrons, which is a very unstable chemical state. Lone electrons will do anything to be paired with another electron, including ripping an electron off a perfectly stable structure, thus creating a domino effect of tissue destruction. This is what is known as “free-radical damage,” and is probably the underlying cause of aging. Vitamin C is a large, complex molecule that can “absorb” a free-radical and stop the chain of destruction. Vitamin C is inexpensive (manufacturers never cheat in its production, unlike with Vitamin E), widely available in a variety of forms and generally well tolerated. Some people with very sensitive stomachs need to take a buffered form, rendered a neutral pH with the addition of minerals such as calcium or magnesium.

Another crucial nutrient for gum health is folic acid, or folate. The mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, which starts in the mouth, has the highest rate of cell turnover in the entire body. This is why many chemotherapy drugs, which are geared to “attack” cancer cells that are rapidly dividing, are folic acid inhibitors. People taking chemotherapy drugs will often suffer terribly from sores and blisters in their mouths, and all along the GI tract. Folic acid is essential for normal cell proliferation and the constantly renewing mucous membrane over the gums would not stay healthy without this important B vitamin.

Please give these methods a try, and hopefully surgery and/or antibiotics can be avoided. Now, truthfully, when was the last time you changed your toothbrush?

Dosages For Basic Gum Health Nutrients

• CoQ10, 100 mg daily to increase oxygenation of the blood, which ultimately translates to more “fresh” blood in the mouth, which is highly vascularized.
• Vitamin C, 4-9 grams daily to promote collagen healing and retard plaque growth. Gums which bleed easily may be a sign of Vit C deficiency.
• Folic acid, 400 mcg daily to enhance cellular regeneration. Many chemotherapy drugs inhibit folic acid which is why cancer patients on chemo are often plagued with sores on the inside of their mouths.
• Calcium and Magnesium, 500-1,000 mg of each daily to help prevent bone loss.
• Vitamin A, 20,000 IUs or the safer, water soluble form of Vit A, Beta-carotene, 10,000 IUs daily to heal mucous membranes in the mouth by providing anti-oxidants and bioflavonoids.
• Vit E, another potent anti-oxidant, 400 IUs daily to promote skin integrity, including in the mouth. Vit E has a long standing and well-deserved reputation as the “anti-aging” vitamin. Vit E oil can be applied directly to the inflamed gum for rapid healing.
• Selenium, 200mcg daily, enhances the anti-oxidant effects of Vitamins E and C. It is also a catalyst in nearly 75% of all enzymatic reactions in the body, which means without it we wouldn’t run very well, just like a car without spark plugs.

Bibliography

• Murray M and Pizzorno J. Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA 1991
• Carlson KJ, Eisenstat SA, Ziporyn T. The Harvard Guide To Women’s Health. Harvard University Press Reference Library, Cambridge, MA 1996
• Golan R. Optimal Wellness. Ballantine Books, New York, NY 1995
• Dean C. Complementary Natural Prescriptions for Common Ailments. Keats Publishing, New Cannan, CT 1994
• Balch JF and Balch PA. Prescription of Nutritional Healing. Avery Publishing Group, Garden City Park, NY 1997