Stress, Dentistry, and Health
by Andrea Brockman, DDS
Originally published in the pages of the Earthmed.com Magazine

We live in an age of anxiety. And because we are confronted with more and more situations that produce stress, growing numbers of people at younger ages are suffering from chronic illnesses.
 

With the massive increases in chronic diseases, we are becoming more aware of the imbalances in our everyday habits which stress our systems and lead to many symptoms of illness. Such lifestyle imbalances as dietary abuse, environmental and food pollutants, inadequate exercise causing waste buildup, and chronic mental and emotional stress affect our daily health.
In dentistry it is quite common to see the body's reaction to stress as manifested by physical symptoms of tooth decay, gum disease and neuromuscular pain of the head and neck. The mouth is a mirror of the immune system and periodontal disease is the marker of other degenerative conditions. When we see inflamed bleeding gums, an acidic salivary pH, calculus deposits on the teeth and bone loss, a red flag is signaled that the immune system is out of control. Bacteria causing dental disease love a warm, acidic environment and will proliferate under anaerobic (lack of oxygen) conditions. This state comes into play most often from systemic responses to the imbalances previously mentioned.
 

All body functions are impaired when blood pH becomes acidic. Free radicals are produced at a faster rate and inflammations ensue. The parathyroid gland responds to acidemia by signaling a release of phosphate buffer from the bone. Phosphorus is pulled out along with free calcium into the bloodstream. Calcium, not in use will always deposit somewhere. On the teeth, calcium deposits as calculus, in the joints as arthritis, the muscles as pain and spasm, the arteries as  hardened plaques, the eyes as cataracts, the kidneys as stones. Cancer cells have calcified cell membranes as seen for example on mammography.
 

It appears that if acidemia can be controlled, then the cascade of events leading to free calcium excess would be limited. Sugars and protein metabolism increase acidemia. Chronic exposure to heavy metals such as the mercury in dental amalgam fillings, affects the body's sensors to react fast enough to reduce acidemia. What then follows is chronic inflammation.
 

Lack of sleep is another major contributor to chronic inflammation. To understand this, we must first recognize that metabolism is basically a building up or repair of tissues that have been broken down for use during the day. Daylight stimulates the pineal gland which stimulates the pituitary gland and in turn stimulates the adrenal gland to produce cortisol. Cortisol levels start to decline as the sun goes down and are at their lowest level around midnight. This is when repair process starts. Continuous emotional strain will also increase cortisol, preventing the healthy decrease in the level during the night, thus keeping the body from repairing itself.
 

Symptoms of uncontrolled inflammation can be reflected anywhere. Colitis, migraines, asthma, psoriasis, infertility, chronic fatigue, sinusitis, panic attacks and periodontal disease are all symptomatic of a stressed immune system. Controlling inflammation involves identifying and reducing immune triggers and boosting the anti-inflammatory system. Besides bacteria, viruses and other environmental toxins, favorite foods are common immune triggers.
 

Holistic Dentists promote healthy lifestyle changes and tend toward the use of vitamins, minerals, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients. When treating periodontal disease, we prescribe a non-surgical approach. Management of chronic head and neck pain involves nutrition, lifestyle enhancements, as well as mouth appliances and tooth rehabilitation to balance the delicate masticatory system. Aesthetic dental restorations are provided within a framework of functional harmony. Restorations must not be toxic to the individual or to the environment. Bio-compatibility testing is sometimes necessary in order to prevent further debilitation and strain on an already compromised immune system.
 

An improved mental attitude quite often ensues when positive health choices are made. The dentist, as a primary care provider is an important member of the health care team. Dental work has implications for the entire biological unit and for the totality of the patient (mind and body). The goal is not just satisfactory occlusion from a mechanical relationship, but health and freedom from disease. The goal is not just pleasing aesthetics, but comfort and rescue from aggravation and disturbances which prey on the immune system.
 

Most importantly, the dentist is a teacher whose task is to help our patients develop higher awareness of health. By broadening dentistry's range of traditional services and holistic approaches, by rediscovering the virtues of old truths, we as a profession can have the capacity to rise above simply being a technician to becoming healers again.
 

Commitment to change and the action taken to reduce our stresses can lead to a happier, healthier life. Nothing can be more rewarding than to contribute to something so positive.

Andrea Brockman BSN, DDS