Invisible Illnesses/Dental Health Connection

Could the Culprit be Lurking Under Your Dental Restorations?

By Gloria Gilbère, N.D., D.A.Hom., Ph.D.

Don’t become a victim of a false sense of security just because you’ve had your amalgam fillings replaced with crowns….your invisible illness could be hiding under your dental restorations. 

With over 70 million “baby-boomers” reaching the “youth of middle-age,” we’re developing pain and discomfort from a myriad of invisible illnesses including pain, inflammation, gum disease and digestive disorders.  

General Inflammation  

Inflammation is a response that occurs when part of the body reacts to trauma, toxic overload or infection – resulting in disorders such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, injury, or bacterial infection. 

In times past, symptoms of inflammation were easy to identify; swelling, heat and pain. With newer emerging disorders such as fibromyalgia, lupus, chronic fatigue and multiple allergic response syndromes (MARS), to mention a few, identification and diagnosis is challenging. More often than not, inflammation in the soft and connective tissue is invisible to everyone except the victim. In the case of digestive disorders, many victims of leaky gut, Crohn’s, colitis and irritable bowel never connect that part of the culprit can be the destruction of their oral health and the subsequent bacterial inflammation. Learn more about pain and inflammation. 

Doctor Heal Thyself 

Unfortunately, I speak from experience. As a result of a life-threatening accident and the subsequent drug-induced leaky gut from prescription medications for pain and inflammation, I became allergic to everything! I’d consulted with thousands of clients around the world with serious multiple sensitivities and guided them to recovery, never dreaming I’d someday be forced to walk the same path. 

After a couple of year’s recovered from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, leaky gut and MARS, I developed an acute sore throat on the left side when I swallowed. It was relentless. Prior to the sore throat, I enjoyed my usual bountiful energy for traveling, lecturing, writing, teaching, and consulting. Suddenly, I was tired all the time, fibromyalgia symptoms returned, dark circles appeared under the eyes, my elimination became sluggish, and the sore throat eventually became a defined swollen gland under the chin. After repeated visits and testing with my conventional physician, all that was echoed was “everything is within normal range” – I then knew it was time to see my dentist.  

My lower left molars had been crowned in gold in 1966. In spite of the x-rays not showing any decay, abscess or inflammation, I knew we had to investigate the lower left crowns although I had no pain or sensitivity in my teeth. My dentist removed the crown on the first molar and the following is what he uncovered. (An actual picture of MY tooth.)

I was being poisoned by not only an exposed nerve from rampant decay, but the tooth had been built-up using a mercury amalgam filling and the poisons were pouring directly into my blood – no wonder I had a one-sided sore throat that felt like a knife was piercing every time I swallowed. 

The tooth was extracted and replaced by a bridge. I worked in dentistry for nearly ten years in the 60’s and 70’s and had forgotten that amalgams were used in that era to build a weakened tooth structure in order to prepare it for a crown. Don’t become a victim of a false sense of security just because you’ve had your amalgam fillings replaced with crowns….your invisible illness could be hiding under your dental restorations. 

My physician suggested antibiotics, even though no clear evidence of infection was present. Had I taken them, it would have compromised my intestinal integrity and provided an opportunistic entry for Candida yeast and the decline of my overall immune system.  

Basic Steps to Reduce the Body’s Intestinal Toxic Load and Strengthen Your Immune Defenses 

Scientists know approximately 80% of our immune system is based in our gut….that’s right, our gut. However, most of us never consider the fundamental protocols necessary to insure our intestinal toxic load is reduced, which is so interconnected to our liver health and the countless invisible illnesses. When toxins are being “dumped” into our liver, faster than its ability to neutralize them, particularly from a leaky gut, invisible illnesses develop. A protocol to reduce the overall intestinal toxic load and then add health-enhancing nutrients is imperative, otherwise the escalation of the disorder and decline of our immune defenses in inevitable. 

Here are the steps and recommendations that I found worked the best for me and for my clients: 

Foundational First Step – provide overall immune system support by detoxifying the body through use of a comprehensive herbal/fiber cleanse for the colon. This type of detoxification will ultimately assist in reducing the overall toxic load to the major pathways of detoxification including the liver, kidneys and lymphatic system.  

An initial cleansing protocol would encompass 90 days; thereafter a maintenance dose should be taken daily to continue to “brush” colonic debris for elimination. If your elimination becomes sluggish, or constipation is an issue, take an herbal stool softener along with the colon fiber cleanse product to encourage complete evacuation. See my E-Guide – Colon Cleansing Matters. 

Second Step – provide as much natural non-drug support for the immune system by supplementing with plant sterols  and probiotics. Plant sterols act as immune modulators, taming an over-active system and stimulating an under-active one. Probiotics are health-enhancing microorganisms that replenish those lost to antibiotics, medications, and digestive disorders, to name a few. 

Third Step – Eliminate all foods known as the “nightshades.” This family of botanicals contains a substance called solanine, a chemical known as alkaloid, which can be highly toxic and known to cause inflammation, even in your mouth. 

Some prescription drugs, especially those used for insomnia and depression contain potato starch, check with your pharmacist for a list of ingredients if you have an inflammatory condition. 

Fourth Step – When infection or inflammation is present, take 2 droppersful of high quality, colloidal silver product 3-4 times per day. You can place in mouth, swish with it and swallow. Avoid eating or drinking for approximately 10 minutes. This pure and unique supplement will assist the body in fighting infection. If needed for an acute gum boil or inflammation, soak gauze piece with the silver and apply directly to the affected area and leave at least 15 minutes. Reapply a new saturated gauze 3-4 times a day until inflammation ceases. 

Fifth Step – Have a thorough dental exam by a biologically aware dentist. Many victims of inflammation and immune system disorders have a “false sense of security” because they have full gold or porcelain restorations. Many a victim has not been able to completely repair their immune system, only to find that beneath their expensive restoration is a toxic mercury/amalgam filling adding constant insult to injury.  

If you are a victim of invisible illnesses and you’ve been told, as I was, that you’re “within ‘normal’ range,” become a health sleuth to uncover the hidden causes, after all, it’s about your quality of life, naturally.

Copyright © 2006 Gloria E. Gilbère, LLC