Food is the Best Medicine for Gum Disease and Gum Care

And A Wholesome Diet Is Also Good for the Brain

Gum disease can be elusive. By the time symptoms appear, the disease is already advanced.  It is estimated that as much as 80% of the population is affected by gum disease, signs of which can range from simple bleeding gums to sore, loose teeth.  What does gum disease have to do with stress, inflammation and intestinal permeability, commonly known as leaky gut?

The modern day American diet and environmental toxicity, when combined with our stressful lifestyle, has increased our level of inflammation. This affects the body’s ability to self-regulate and function optimally. One of the first things affected by stress is our gut or intestines, but it doesn’t stop there. Once the gut lining is inflamed, then other systems often follow suit, including organs, hormones, the immune system, and the brain. Keep in mind that approximately 50% of our immune production is contained within the gut lining.

The impact of a leaky gut on brain functions happens via the connection through the vagus nerve, which regulates intestinal blood flow and immune activation. Secretion  of hormones from the hypothalamus is also involved.  Numerous studies have shown that disturbed neural regulation, inflammation and/or trauma along what is known as the brain/gut axis will disregulate both systems.  At some point, this inflammatory condition will affect the gums as well.

One root cause of intestinal permeability is traumatic stress of any type.  Any impactful event with life-changing consequences can be a stressor of such magnitude that it causes the gut to lose its ability to function properly.  Examples of this may include loss of a job, death or injury or a loved one and divorce.  Commonplace yet significant events like childbirth or changing residences can be traumatic enough on a cellular level to cause the tight junctions of the intestines to weaken and loosen, thus allowing through substances that can become immune triggers.  This is one way that the cycle of leaky gut begins, which may impact the signs and symptoms of gum disease.

This decade has seen a lot of improvement in laser technology and applications.  Nowhere is this more evident than within medicine and dentistry. 

A decade ago lasers were large, expensive and somwhat experimental as they had not yet stood the test of time.  The research was just not available and doctors were not experienced enough in proper applications and usage.  Those days are gone.  Lasers are proving to be a valuable tool for oral health in treating and resolving certain dental conditions and problems. 

The most obvious use for lasers is soft tissue remodeling or cutting.  Another is applying light energy at specific wavelengths to stimulate tissue and promote healing.  This is called biostimulation and makes tissue respond around 25% better than it normally would without the aid of a laser. 

This really helps when dealing with gum inflammation or gum disease.  The bacteria that causes gingivitis and the inflammation that ensues causes tissue damage and breakdown, eventually leading to bone loss and loose teeth.  With lasers it is possible to control the environment where the bacteria has gotten a foothold and colonized.  It does this by killing a large percentage of the bacteria and by stimulating the gums to heal more quickly resulting in tightening of the gum tissue and pocket elimination.

In the study ‘Treatment of periodontal pockets with a diode laser’ done by the Dental School of the University of Vienna, Austria, the researchers examined the effectiveness of lasers in treating gum disease.  Their conclusion was that the laser kills bacteria and helps to reduce inflammation in the gums when combined with oral hygiene.  To quote the article, “The diode laser therapy, in combination with scaling, supports healing of the periodontal pockets through eliminating bacteria.”