Why worry about pesticide toxins when you have a toxin producing factory in your mouth. If you don’t have good oral hygiene, toxins will enter your blood stream and digestive tract and cause havoc to your body.
Are you one of those people who are rightfully fearful of the pesticides and toxins in and on our food supply? Do you buy organic fruits,
vegetables, free-range chickens and cage-free eggs? That's great, BUT how many of you lack good oral hygiene or don't insist on good oral hygiene for your family? Those individuals who neglect or give cursory care to their oral health do not truly understand toxins. They don't realize that the amounts of toxins produced by the bugs in their mouth are doing far more damage to their health and longevity than the pesticides on that organic apple. (Yes, there are FDA approved pesticides on those organic products. They are just "organic pesticides" at "acceptable levels". Just because its organic doesn't mean that it's not toxic.)
The bugs that are in the mouth create higher and higher amounts of acid as time goes on between brushings. This results in a very low pH. Once the pH goes below 5.5, the enamel on the teeth goes into solution, causing cavities. A cavity is the enamel being eroded in the presence of this acid. The gum tissue inflames from this acid bath. Imagine the sites between teeth that have never seen a toothbrush bristle.
In a short amount of time (within 24 hours) the waste level from the bacteria in the mouth becomes very destructive, with higher volumes of acid and lower pH. In mature biofilms, the toxins of this waste matter can be damaging to the whole body not just the teeth. Slithering worm-like organisms called spirochetes are just one of the 20 or so species currently identified as being responsible for periodontal disease. But what about all the other organisms not responsible for periodontal disease? Those other bacteria and viruses are causing other diseases in the body. What happens to all the other bacterial excrement? Well, we ingest it.
Just like the bacteria Clostridium Botulinum (botulism), is commonly understood as being responsible for food poisoning, the bacteria in the mouth are responsible for poisoning at every level. This could include cellular bursting of white blood cells or increasing permeability of the epithelial lining of all the arteries or complete organ destruction of the heart. Hence the entire body can be brought to lifelessness from these little guys. Unlike botulism which has a rapid onset after exposure, the bugs in the mouth whittle away at the systemic health slowly - usually over decades of time.
There are two types of toxins: exotoxins and endotoxins. "Exo" means out, "endo" means in. Exotoxins are from the excrement of the bacteria in the biofilm. Exotoxins are exported into other parts of the body. These are ingested through saliva and into the GI track. So, why the worry about the pesticide on that apple, when you have a toxin-generating-plant in your mouth and are constantly swallowing toxins from the biofilm factory?
Endotoxins are those in the cell wall or outer membrane of the bacteria. The endotoxins act right at or around the site of the inflammation. As blood cells engulf and attack the invading microbes, toxins are released from the cell walls of the bacteria, as the bacteria are being destroyed. Think little Pac Men chomping on the bacteria. As the Pac Men gobble up the bacteria, the toxins escape and are released in the blood stream. Once in the blood stream, these toxins are damaging the tissue of organs elsewhere in the body, not just the site around the periodontal involved tooth. So, don't freak out when your kid doesn't wash that apple, freak out if they aren't cleaning their teeth thoroughly.
Usually pesticide toxins are transient, which means we are not constantly exposed to the source. For example, you may get exposed to toxins in a batch of the corn flakes or the peanut butter or the apple sauce on the day you ate them. Realize that all food has some sort of chemical contamination. So don't think going organic is the solution to eliminating this exposure. We do what we can to grow, wash and process the food supply. However, the exposure to the toxins growing in your mouth is perpetual. That is, they are ever-present until you get your teeth cleaned. These toxins from under the gum line and around each tooth are out of control. They multiply all day, every day. They create the unbalanced, unhealthy, unattractive condition known as periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is responsible for more tooth loss and other body issues than cavities or decay. It's important that you put "toxins" in perspective and realize how toxic periodontal disease is.
Dr. Piero, a practicing dentist for over twenty five years, is the inventor of Dental Air Force® ( http://www.dentalairforce.com ). Articles published are on periodontal health related to heart disease, respiratory health, diabetes, strokes, and other systemic diseases. He is the Executive Editor for Journal of Experimental Dental Science, a contributing author to Hospital Infection Control: Clinical Guidelines and soon-to-be published book, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.
