Bad Mouth- Bad Brain

[PeteWilliams]

Please find enclosed a link to a video conference lecture I gave at a recent Brain Health conference in London.

Bad mouth - Bad brain. The oral-systemic link and the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Gum disease exists in 40% of the adult population. The link between poor oral health and many chronic diseases, including Alzheimer’s, is becoming more established.

This lecture explores:

• All diseases are underpinned by similar mechanisms.
• How a local disease (gum disease) can have whole-body consequences.
• How gum disease exaggerates all other chronic disease processes.
• How oral bacteria can exaggerate the development of Alzheimer's disease.
• Bacterial translocation and compromised barrier function at the mouth, gut, and brain that can increase Alzheimer’s risk.
• Alzheimer's is an infectious disease.
• Oral genomics, the host and invader relationship.
• Alzheimer's disease develops due to inflammation of the brain. Neuroinflammation is created by the brain trying to defend itself against invaders.


Using a systems thinking approach based on the Bredesen protocol, It highlights how oral bacteria, oral gene variants, and lifestyle combine to amplify risk. Filled with practical case study examples of these concepts and their application to patients.

I would be happy to answer questions.

Pete

[JD2020]

Ok, I’ll bite (pardon the pun).

I watched most of the video. I have a ReCode doc who does tons of testing, and she covers many of the issues you mention. I am 59 years old, APOE 3 / 4. My D3 level is good at 70. My inflammation markers are good. My AIC is good. I am healthy, active, etc. I eat good food. I exercise.

My periodontist has said that if my oral hygiene weren’t so good, I would be in dentures by now. On the advice of my ReCode doc and people here, I began using Dentacidin products. I use the toothpaste and the LS rinse morning and night. I’ve been using them for almost a year. I also Waterpik, floss, brush with Sonicare. I oil pull for 20 minutes after lunch. I use Hyper Biotic’s pro dental probiotics 2 – 3 times per day. I mouth taped for a couple of months when James Nestor’s book came out to break the open mouth habit, and I now sleep on my side since my mouth falls open when I sleep on my back. I have been wearing a night guard for the last 10 years.

I saw my dentist last week, and she said my teeth are clean. But I have several 7 pockets and now have my first 8 pocket. I see my periodontist next week, and I know she is going to want to do that surgery where they pull the gums back, clean, use the laser, and then put the gums back. I won’t be able to eat normal food for 3 weeks and I already struggle with loosing weight too easily. The surgery will cost me thousands of dollars. And I just had it at the end of 2019. I might have also had it in 2015, although that one might have just been root planing and scaling.

The last spit test that I did showed that all of the dangerous bacteria levels were below the threshold of concern. I think that was a couple of years ago, and I’m betting that I will have to do the test again next week. If something is too high, then I will have to take the antibiotics. Something was high several years ago, and she prescribed a heavy duty antibiotic that I didn’t want to take. I think that’s when I started oil pulling, and at the next test, the levels had receded enough. But with 7 and 8 pockets, I am not going to be able to argue with taking the antibiotics. Which will work for a while, but then I’ll bet the bad guys come back.

I totally buy into the importance of maintaining good oral health, but these gum pockets will not resolve, and good oral health seems out of my reach. What else am I supposed to do? I am at wits end with this. What does your company offer that I have not already done?

[PeteWilliams]

Hi JD202
I don't think there is much more you can do here as I think what your doing is as thorough as you can do. Your periodontist is correct in that if you hadn't been doing all of this you would have been in dentures long before. In effect, I suspect you have genes that are associated with increased Oral disease (which was the test I developed), and you're actually slowing down the disease process in you. This of course, as discussed in my lecture suggests that if you can continue to keep on top of your disease (as you are doing) then this reduces the risk of an infective agent getting into the brain. As far as the pockets I cannot provide a better answer than the above except you are doing a great job and probably doing the best you can. Pete

[PeteWilliams]

HI JD2020

Forgot to add that some patients' immune systems react much more strongly to pathogenic bacteria than others and so even though your levels have come down (I assume you are using oral DNA labs) you still may have issues. If you have aggressive SNP's that may be the protagonist in your situation.

[JD2020]

Thanks, I appreciate the reply. Your comments will help me accept the fate awaiting me next week....

[PeteWilliams]

I would look to take the positives out of your daily work on the mouth. None of your time and investment has been wasted, you just have to try much harder than others on a daily basis. But! you have done a brilliant job of slowing the oral disease down which slows down your risk of Alzheimer's. Power to you.

[PeteWilliams]

It may also be prudent to retest the oral bacteria first before committing to the surgery. Have this discussion with your periodontist.

[mike]

I saw my dentist last week, and she said my teeth are clean. But I have several 7 pockets and now have my first 8 pocket. I see my periodontist next week, and I know she is going to want to do that surgery where they pull the gums back, clean, use the laser, and then put the gums back. I won’t be able to eat normal food for 3 weeks and I already struggle with loosing weight too easily. The surgery will cost me thousands of dollars. And I just had it at the end of 2019. I might have also had it in 2015, although that one might have just been root planing and scaling.

I had deep pockets at one point and they wanted to operate 2 different times to fix it all. I went to another dentist, and they ended up doing a deep cleaning (way under gums) and mine improved. Tested for one bacteria implicated in AD (don't remember what it was), and I had it. They put me on antibiotics and that cleared up the rest of the pockets.

[JD2020]

I had deep pockets at one point and they wanted to operate 2 different times to fix it all. I went to another dentist, and they ended up doing a deep cleaning (way under gums) and mine improved. Tested for one bacteria implicated in AD (don't remember what it was), and I had it. They put me on antibiotics and that cleared up the rest of the pockets.

Thanks, Mike. Multiple professionals have been involved and they all have said the same thing. I lost this battle, again, and have to have surgery on my lower. I'm doing it in early Feb. I'm doing both sides at once so I don't have to go through recovery twice, but it means 1 - 2 weeks on very mushy or liquid diet, $4200, stitches, etc. I imagine at some point we will do the root planing on the uppers. That's probably what you had. Surprisingly, my oral DNA test came out pretty good and I don't have to take antibiotics.

I was holding my own for a while. I broke 3 ribs and collapsed a lung last January. I was 5 nights in the hospital. I didn't floss or wear my night guard. There was just too much pain and drugs to deal with my teeth. But my mouth never recovered, now I have 7 pockets, and nothing I do will make those go away. It seems like 5 nights of neglect undid everything. I guess my oral health is that tenuous. So she will clean out the pockets out, sew the gums back up closer, and I will try again. Very frustrating.

By the way, I am not going to deal with the food rules during my 1 - 2 weeks. Last time I lost a bunch of weight. This time I am reverting to liquid protein and veggies. I gave away my juicer - complete PITA - so I am going to get powdered veggies in a can or pill. And I am going to eat ice cream to maintain weight. If you (or anyone) has specific recommendations for powdered protein and veggies, I am all ears.

[mike]

Thanks, Mike. Multiple professionals have been involved and they all have said the same thing. I lost this battle, again, and have to have surgery on my lower. I'm doing it in early Feb. I'm doing both sides at once so I don't have to go through recovery twice, but it means 1 - 2 weeks on very mushy or liquid diet, $4200, stitches, etc. I imagine at some point we will do the root planing on the uppers. That's probably what you had. Surprisingly, my oral DNA test came out pretty good and I don't have to take antibiotics.

Yes, root planing. When I was on the antibiotics, I also went on a mutli-week water fast. At the time, I was thinking the lack of food in my mouth for that long may've been the reason for the healing... It was very quick. After 14 days, I could no longer use my tongue to pull the gum away from my teeth. Dentist said it was getting rid of the bacteria. I think it may've been the fast...