VIDEO
Does the health of your mouth have anything to do
with the overall health of your body? As it turns
out, it has everything to do with your health!
When the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on
Health stated, “You cannot be healthy without
oral health. Oral health and general health
should not be interpreted as separate entities,” it highlighted
the growing awareness of the profound connection between the
health of your mouth and the health of rest of your body. This
connection is known as the oral-systemic link.
The knowledge that what goes on in your mouth, does
not stay in your mouth is revolutionizing the important role of
dental health. When we think of gum disease or periodontal
disease from a traditional perspective, it’s hard to understand
how bleeding gums, deep pockets, abscesses, and loose teeth
might impact the risk for many chronic illnesses. However, your
oral condition has a systemic influence throughout all bodily
systems because of the dangerous pathogens found in diseased
gums and teeth. It is estimated that as many as 75 percent
of Americans over the age of 35 may suffer from periodontal
disease.
The Hidden Life of Your Mouth
The path to gum disease has many steps, beginning with
plaque, an invisible, sticky film containing millions of bacteria.
In healthy mouths, plaque itself actually provides some barrier
against outside bacterial invasion. When it accumulates to
excessive levels, however, plaque sticks to the surfaces of the teeth and adjacent gums and causes cellular injury, with
subsequent swelling, redness, and heat. Although it is removed
each time you brush, plaque can reform within 24 hours.
When plaque stays on your teeth for longer than two or
three days, it is transformed into calculus (commonly known as
tartar) and gets under your gum line. It acts as a reservoir for
bacteria and makes plaque even more difficult to brush away.
Tartar has a rock-like consistency and grabs onto the tooth
surface. It is much more difficult to remove than plaque, which
is a soft mass.
The longer that plaque and tartar persist, the more
damage they inflict. Initially, they may just irritate and inflame
the gingiva, the part of the gum around the base of your teeth
causing gingivitis. If left untreated, however, gingivitis can
progress to more severe periodontitis. Evidence now suggests
that periodontal disease is an autoimmune disorder, in which
immune factors in the body attack the person’s own cells and
tissue—in this case, those in the gum. This final stage of gum
disease leads to the development of pockets between your
gums and teeth that fill with more plaque, tartar, and bacteria.
Over time, these pockets can spread under your gum tissue.
Chronic gum infection and periodontitis cause inflammation
and damage that eventually destroys the support structures and
bone and can lead to tooth loss.
Periodontitis, however, is much more than just a serious
gum infection; it is a chronic inflammatory oral disease that has
direct impact on all at the systems of the body.
There Is More to the Oral-Systemic Health Story
As an example, periodontal pathogenic bacteria were
discovered in atherosclerotic plaques as well as major arteries.
So the same nasty plaque bacteria causing periodontitis have
been implicated in the thickening of the carotid artery. In fact, 50
percent of heart attacks are triggered by oral pathogens. Here
is a shocking statistic: Gingivalis, an oral bacterium, raises risk
for a heart attack by 13.6 times!
Another study found a nearly five-fold increase in chronic
respiratory disease in those with poor oral health compared with
healthy people. Periodontal bacteria have also been cultured
from infected lung fluids and tissues.
Periodontitis has been called, “the sixth complication
of diabetes” since it is twice as prevalent in diabetics as non-diabetics
and also increases insulin resistance. Treating
periodontitis was able to improve levels of glycated hemoglobin,
a measure of long-term blood glucose control.
The implications of compromised oral health can even
affect pregnancy. Pregnant women with periodontitis were found
to be 7.5 times more likely to have a preterm low-birth-weight
infant than unaffected women and that the risk of preterm birth
is directly related to the severity of periodontal disease. It has
also been suggested that periodontal pathogens may even be
able to enter the womb.
But, it’s not just a one-way street. Some of these chronic
health conditions may, in turn, increase the incidence and
severity of periodontal disease by modifying the body’s immune
response to periodontal bacteria and their by-products. Thus,
there is an ongoing relationship between periodontal disease
and systemic diseases. The oral-systemic approach understands
that the body is one integrated whole. Improving oral health
directly impacts overall health and vice versa.
Reducing Risk Factors for Gum Disease
It’s Not Your Grandma’s Toothpaste
From the time most of us are old enough to hold a
toothbrush, brushing our teeth was an established part of a
daily hygiene ritual. When it comes to oral health, toothpaste
is a crucial weapon in the fight against gum disease. But before
you reach for a tube of Crest or Colgate, take a look at the list
of ingredients and warnings on every tube. You just may get a
shock!
Sad to say, commercial toothpastes have literally become
toxic waste dumps. Since 1998, the FDA has mandated the
following warning on most commercial toothpastes, “Keep out
of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally
swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or
contact a poison control center immediately.” Really . . . contact
a poison control center if you swallow toothpaste?
Most commercial toothpastes contain a long list of harmful
ingredients, which include:
Triclosan— The EPA classifies triclosan as a pesticide, stating it poses a risk to both human health and the environment, and it is suspected of causing cancer.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate— can damage eyes, irritate skin and lead to labored breathing. When combined with certain other chemicals it transforms into nitrosamines, known carcinogens.
Propylene Glycol— prolonged contact leads to brain, liver and kidney abnormalities.
DEA— disrupts hormones and forms cancer-causing nitrates and can lead to increased risk of liver and kidney cancers.
FD & C Blue Dyes 1 & 2— can cause potentially severe allergic reactions, asthma attacks, headaches, nausea, fatigue, nervousness, lack of concentration, and cancer.
Sodium Fluoride— categorized as a “toxic drug” by the FDA, ingesting even a small amount of sodium fluoride may cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Artificial Sweeteners— aspartame, saccharin and sorbitol can cause side effects that include: headaches, mood changes, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue.
Hydrated Silica— an abrasive that can harm the enamel and prevent re-mineralization of teeth.
SilverSol® Tooth Gel—A Powerful, Safe Solution for Oral-Systemic Health
Your toothpaste is on the front lines as a crucial weapon, not
just in the fight against gum disease but for the prevention of
chronic illness. Therefore, it is vital to choose the safest product,
as well as one that has been proven to be effective.
SilverSol® Tooth Gel is a superstar in the world of
toothpastes. After five years of research and development,
American Biotech Labs has engineered a powerful solution
called SilverSol® Tooth Gel to help keep your teeth and gums
clean like never before. This family-friendly, totally non-toxic,
triple action formula, uses the patented SilverSol Technology®
along with USP verified xylitol and organic therapeutic grade
peppermint oil. These three ingredients form a proven synergy
to promote tooth and gum health.
SilverSol® Tooth Gel is truly a family-safe toothpaste. It is
free of the harmful ingredients found in other toothpastes such
as fluoride, parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, artificial colors and
abrasives.
The Power of Silver
This new form of silver is called SilverSol Technology®.
Traditional silver products, such as colloidal forms, work by
chemical action, requiring direct contact to have any positive
effect. SilverSol® works by catalytic action, not by chemical
action. This catalytic conversion allows the SilverSol® particles
to work continuously without being neutralized, making this
nano-silver form far more efficient than other forms of silver.
The USP verified xylitol is another dynamic ingredient in
the SilverSol® Tooth Gel that adds to its incredible triple action
impact. As a healthy sweetener, xylitol is also proven in its
abilities to promote mouth health. It is used in everything from
toothpastes and mouthwash, to gum, and even baking. It is
used by diabetics as a natural and healthy alternative sweetener
to sugar that doesn’t cause their blood sugar levels to spike.
Xylitol also promotes enamel re-mineralization. Studies on
xylitol and its benefits in oral health have shown impressive
results. Dangerous bacteria found in the mouth were unable to
metabolize xylitol as a source of food and energy. In addition,
they could not adhere to body tissues, especially in the mouth.
The third powerful ingredient is therapeutic-grade organic
peppermint oil, which has been used as an essential therapeutic
ingredient for thousands of years. Organic peppermint oil also
helps eliminate bad breath and helps teeth and gums fight off
hazardous germs.
Keith Moeller, ND, managing director of American Biotech
Labs says, “This tooth gel will feel like nothing you have ever
brushed your teeth with before and it contains no chemicals to
make it foamy or artificial flavors. It brushes on feeling smooth
and natural, and retains that feeling for hours and hours. Most
people report that smooth clean feeling even lasts overnight.
We did not design this product to be like any of the other
toothpastes on the market. We designed it to become a new
standard for clean, natural, mouth health. We believe that by
promoting tooth and gum health, we can also help to naturally
promote health throughout the rest of the body!”
Oral health is a powerful predictor of your overall health.
Maintaining optimal oral health will not only give you a brighter,
healthier smile, but also may help you fend off many potentially
deadly diseases. Swollen, bleeding gums, deep pockets and
loose teeth are indications that the body’s immune response
is engaged and on the attack. Researchers have uncovered
potential links between periodontal disease and many serious
health conditions. Bacteria that contribute to gingivitis and
periodontitis provoke inflammation or infection, which can
enter the blood stream and trigger certain diseases. Periodontal
disease may even aggravate or worsen existing health conditions.
Getting on a proactive track for your dental health is now
a fundamental part for an overall health screening. The body’s
chronic internal inflammatory response is easily identifiable
through examination of the periodontal tissue. By safeguarding
the health of your teeth and gums through healthy diet and
lifestyle, proper brushing and flossing, and targeted nutritional
strategies, you increase your odds of living a long and healthy
life.
Adding the SilverSol® Tooth Gel with its triple action
approach to cleaning teeth and gums is a powerful choice that
will help facilitate oral-systemic health for the entire family.
