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Holistic Solutions to Periodontal Disease

The body is home to 10 times more bacteria than the total number of its cells. Our mouths alone holds 500 to 1,000 different kinds, and 10 trillion of these little guys are at work within us. That’s a good thing, but between nutritionally weak diets and problematic oral hygiene, it’s easy for our bacterial balance to get off kilter very quickly.

Even though most of these bacteria are friendly, there are also some bad bacteria hiding in-between our teeth (mostly squiggly spirochetes). When the bacterial balance (or microbiome) is disturbed, the good guys, some of which actually work to kill off bad bacteria, are overrun.

Plaque is made up of bacteria, and this sticky conglomeration forms a protective barrier against outside invaders in healthy mouths. But when an excessive amount of bacteria accumulates, as in the case of periodontal disease, the plaque irritates delicate gum tissue. This can lead to infection and inflammation as harmful bacteria overrun the mouth. The buildup of plaque and calculus (hardened plaque, also known as tartar), as well as any regional signs of infection, are indicators that the bacterial flora in the mouth is no longer healthy.

In addition to irritation and tooth and bone loss, periodontal disease has been linked with diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. When we have an overload of bad guys lurking in our plaque, it’s a flashing warning sign that our body isn’t happy. Those squiggly spirochetes can eat away at gum tissue, crawl into the bloodstream and latch onto other organs to do damage.

A holistic dentist can make sure healthy bacteria are properly in bloom using a sample of plaque to evaluate the health of the bacteria. A phase-contrast microscope provides the means to identify what’s there and prevent problems before they start. That’s holistic, preventative dentistry at work.

Bernice Teplitsky, DDS, offers general dentistry with a holistic approach at Wrigleyville Dental, 3256 N. Ashland Ave., in Chicago. For appointments, call  773-975-6666. For more information, visit WrigleyvilleDental.com