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DISORDERS
(Their description, characteristics or symptoms,
causes, and complementary or alternative treatments)
Disorder: PERIODONTAL DISEASE
Description: Periodontal means "located around a tooth." Periodontal disease can refer to any disorder of the gums or other supporting structures of the teeth. The most common and often initial form of periodontal disease is inflammation of the gums, called gingivitis. Untreated gingivitis proceeds further with increasing inflammation and involvement of the membranes around the bases of the teeth and erosion of the underlying bone. This is an advanced stage of periodontitis (also known as pyorrhea) in which the bone supporting the teeth begins to erode. Periodontal disease is a major cause of adult tooth loss. Problems in the mouth often are reflections of deficiencies or underlying disorders in the body. Bleeding gums may signal a vitamin C deficiency; dryness and cracking at the corners of the mouth may indicate a deficiency of vitamin B2 (riboflavin); dry or cracked lips can be the result of an allergic reaction; raw, red mouth tissue can be a sign of stress; a smooth, reddish tongue can indicate anemia or poor diet; sores under the tongue can be an early warning sign of mouth cancer. Regular dental check-ups can detect these conditions early.
Symptoms: Red, inflamed gums that bleed easily when exposed to very minimal injury such as with flossing or brushing the teeth, or eating hard foods such as raw apples. In some cases there is pain, but gingivitis is usually painless.
Incidence: Periodontal disease is second only to the common cold as the most prevalent infectious ailment in the U.S. The rate of periodontal disease increases with age, ranging from 15% at age ten to more than 50% at age fifty.
Causes: Poor oral hygiene, i.e., insufficient brushing and flossing, is a major cause of gum disease. Food particles and bacteria, left for even a short time along the gum line, form plaque, which hardens on the teeth and irritates the gums. Irritated gums bleed and eventually start to recede, creating pockets next to the teeth that collect even more particles. Before long, the plaque starts attacking the roots of the teeth and the jawbone. Poor nutrition, eating the wrong foods, sugar consumption, chronic illness, blood disease, glandular disorders, smoking, drugs and excessive alcohol consumption make an individual more likely to develop periodontal disease. It can also be related to a deficiency of vitamin C, bioflavonoids, calcium, folic acid, or niacin. Periodontal disease can be made worse by missing teeth, food impaction, malocclusion (problems with biting surface), tongue-thrusting, tooth-grinding, and toothbrush trauma. Gingivitis may be one of the first signs of an underlying systemic problem or disease such as diabetes or leukemia, heavy metal toxicity, or allergies.
Treatments: The best treatment is prevention with daily removal of plaque through brushing and flossing, routine cleaning by a dentist every six months (more frequently if the disease is already occurring), and eating a proper diet. Any underlying systemic problems must also be treated.
Nutrients:
Supplement Dosage Comments
|
Coenzyme Q10 |
100 mg. daily. |
Increases tissue oxygenation |
|
Goldenseal |
|
See under Herbs, below. |
|
Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids |
4000-10,000 mg. daily in divided doses. |
Promotes healing, especially of bleeding gums. Bioflavonoids retard plaque growth. |
|
Calcium And Magnesium |
1500 mg. daily. 750 mg. daily. |
Helps prevent bone loss around the gums. Works with calcium. |
|
Vitamin A
Plus Natural beta-carotene |
25000 IU daily for 1 month, then reduce to 10,000 IU daily. If you are pregnant, do not exceed 10,000 IU daily. |
Needed for healing of gum tissue.
An antioxidant used by the body to manufacture vitamin A as needed. |
|
Vitamin E |
Start with 400 IU daily and increase slowly to 1,000 IU daily. Also open a capsule and rub the oil on the gums 2-3 times daily. |
Needed for healing of gum tissue. |
|
Grape seed extract |
As directed on label. |
A powerful antioxidant that works with vitamin E to ward off cancer. |
|
Vitamin B complex |
50 mg. 3 times daily, with meals |
Needed for proper digestion and healthy mouth tissues. |
|
Zinc |
50-80 mg. daily. Do not exceed a total of 100 mg. daily from all supplements. |
Enhances immune function. Needed to prevent infection and promote healing. Use zinc gluconate lozenges for best absorption. |
Herbs:
 | Goldenseal destroys the bacteria that cause
periodontal disease. Place a dropperful of goldenseal extract in your mouth,
swish it around for three minutes, then swallow. For inflamed gums, place a
dropperful of the extract on a piece of gauze or pure cotton and place this on
the inflamed area. Do this immediately whenever mouth sores or inflammation
starts. In severe cases, it may take three to five nights for sores to heal. Caution:
Do not take goldenseal internally on a daily basis for more than one week
at a time, as it may disturb normal intestinal flora. Do not use it during
pregnancy, and use it with caution if you are allergic to ragweed.
| Applying aloe vera gel directly to inflamed gums eases
discomfort and soothes the tissues.
| Clove oil is good for temporary relief of tooth and/or
gum pain. Rub a drop to two of clove oil on the affected area. If the oil is
too strong, it can be diluted with a drop or two of olive oil. | |
Recommendations:
| Floss your teeth daily. In addition, use a product
called Stim-U-Dent (available in drugstores) between meals to clean and
stimulate the gums. Do this faithfully every day.
| Use a soft natural-bristle toothbrush. Be sure to
brush your gums and tongue as well as your teeth. If your gums are inflamed,
run very hot water over the toothbrush to soften it before brushing, and brush
gently until healing is complete.
| Change toothbrushes every month to keep the disease in
check. Keep your toothbrush clean between uses. Bacteria lives on
toothbrushes.
| Open a capsule of vitamin E and rub the oil on
inflamed gums. This is very healing and helps to alleviate soreness.
| For relief of toothache pain until you can get to your
dentist, apply ice to the gums. Clove oil can also be helpful (see under
Herbs, above)
| Consume a whole foods diet with emphasis on as many
fresh fruits and vegetables as possible (five to seven servings daily), meat,
high-fiber foods, and whole grains to provide the teeth and gums with needed
exercise and supply the body with the vitamins and minerals essential for
dental health.
| Drink sufficient filtered water, especially first
thing in the morning and last thing in the evening, to help cleanse the mouth.
| Adequate vitamin C intake is particularly important
for the prevention of gingivitis and pyorrhea. Vitamin A seems to control the
development and general health of the gums; a lack of this vitamin often
results in gum infection. Vitamin A is also necessary for healthy tooth
development in children.
| Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. Sugar causes
plaque buildup and inhibits the ability of white blood cells to fight off
bacteria.
| Try using a dental rinse called Plax to help loosen
plaque. Listerine also helps to remove plaque.
| Avoid taking antibiotics. Try using goldenseal first;
it works faster and has no side effects (see under Herbs, above). | |
Considerations:
| Smokers are two to four times more likely to suffer
periodontal disease than nonsmokers.
| Severe cases of periodontal disease may necessitate
surgery to remove the infected tissue from the gum and reshape the bone.
| Certain illnesses, such as diabetes and several kinds
of blood disorders, create a higher risk for developing gum disease.
| Some people appear to have a genetic predisposition to
the bacteria that cause gum disease.
| Electric toothbrushes, such as Braun or Oral B
systems, help to remove plaque.
| Regular dental checkups are important in detecting
oral cancer. If oral cancer is caught early, nine out of ten people survive.
| There is a tablet you can purchase at drugstores that
shows areas you missed when brushing your teeth. Chew a tablet after brushing,
then brush until the color is gone.
| Dry mouth, a condition in which there is not enough
saliva in the mouth, can promote tooth decay and periodontal disease. Dry
mouth problems increase with age. It can also be caused by alcohol consumption
or by drugs, especially those for high blood pressure, depression, colds, and
allergies. Diabetes is also associated with dry mouth. The best treatment for
dry mouth is to draw more moisture from the salivary glands by chewing
carrots, celery or gum, sipping liquids, chewing ice chips, and breathing
through the nose. | |
Vitamin For Life Recommended Regimen and cost:
|
Product No. 59618- |
Description |
Comments |
Cost |
|
949-11 |
Coenzyme Q10 100 mg. Caps. |
As directed on label. |
$19.95/30 |
|
970-12 |
Vitamin C 1000 mg. with rose hips tabs. |
3 tablets daily in divided doses. |
$5.75/60 |
|
091-15 |
Citrus bioflavonoids 1000 mg. tablets |
3 tablets daily in divided doses. |
$5.95/100 |
|
112-17 |
Calcium Oyscal 500 mg. with D tabs. |
3 tablets daily in divided doses. |
$5.75/120 |
|
232-15 |
Magnesium 200 mg. Caps. |
1 capsule 3 times daily. |
$4.95/100 |
|
925-15 |
Beta carotene 25,000 IU softgels |
1 softgel daily |
$5.95/100 |
|
234-15 |
Vitamin E 400 IU (D-alpha tocopheryl) |
1 softgel daily. Also open a capsule and rub the oil on the gums 2-3 times daily. |
$8.95/100 |
|
222-12 |
Grape seed extract plus bioflavonoids |
As directed on label. |
$32.95/60 |
|
891-15 |
B complex 50 mg. tabs. |
1 tablet 3 times daily, with meals. |
$6.95/100 |
|
223-15 |
Zinc (chelated) lozenges |
As directed on label. |
$4.95/100 |
Sources:
Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 2nd Edition
By James F. Balch, M.D. & Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.
Prevention’s Healing with Vitamins, by the Editors of
Prevention Magazine Health Books
Alternative Medicine, The Definitive GuideCompiled by the Burton Goldberg Group
