Good oral health involves more than just clean teeth. It’s about keeping the entire mouth and all of its tissues healthy and free of harmful buildup of bacteria and other pathogens.
So, while it’s good to have an appealing smile, a healthy mouth has broader implications for the health of the entire body, in particular, the heart. That’s because the mouth is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, funguses like candida albicans, parasites and viruses. And the teeth can be conduits that allow these pathogens into the bloodstream, which take them directly to the heart.
Indeed, researchers have found that poor dental hygiene and bleeding gums could allow up to 700 different types of bacteria to enter the bloodstream, which, studies show, increases your risk of a heart attack regardless of how fit and healthy you are.
While good oral care will alleviate a large part of this very real threat to your health, there are some serious yet little-publicized dangers you need to know about involved in the use of many popular commercial oral health care products.
Fortunately, a safe, inexpensive, all-natural mineral supplement known as colloidal silver – considered by experts to be the world’s most powerful, natural antibiotic — can easily be substituted for the oral health care products now known to be problematic. Here’s what you need to know:
How Oral Bacteria Enters the Bloodstream
While tooth enamel is hard and inert, beneath it lies the dentin, which is a soft, living tissue comprised of collagen, nerves and blood. It contains channels called dentinal tubules that flow into the root canal, or pulp, at the center of the tooth, which includes connective tissues, lymph and blood vessels.
If the gums bleed or if a tooth becomes damaged from decay, trauma, wear or infection, then bacteria can enter the bloodstream from the mouth. From there it can travel throughout the body.
Studies Reveal Heart – Oral Health Connections
Numerous studies now point to a very strong connection between oral health and heart health.
For example, an article in Harvard Health Publications strongly suggests that pathogens released into the bloodstream through the mouth can harm blood vessels and increase clotting.
An article published at the American Heart Association’s website discusses the association between bacteria-containing plaque on the teeth and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
Another article in The Journal of Periodontolgy further links oral pathogens to coronary vascular disease and stroke.
These prestigious organizations all warn that oral pathogens from decaying teeth and infected gums can lead to increased risk of heart disease and stroke because of this flow of bacteria from the teeth to the heart.
Streptococcus is the primary bacteria contained in plaque that is responsible for tooth decay and gum disease. But, an unlimited type and number of pathogens could conceivably be carried from the mouth and teeth to the heart and throughout the entire body.
The experts recommend brushing twice a day, flossing once per day and making a visit to your dentist for tartar removal twice per year. For disinfection, they recommend mouthwashes. While you may have heard of the dangers of fluoride in most commercial toothpastes, you may not have heard that commercial mouthwashes are linked to an increased rate of cancers of the mouth and pharynx.
Dangers of Commercial Mouthwashes
Mouthwashes containing alcohol and other constituents believed to destroy bacteria and viruses are the conventional means of destroying pathogens in the mouth. But, they are not only inadequate disinfectants, but they carry risks of their own. The chemicals they contain can actually cause a disease state.
Alcohol is the primary disinfecting agent in most commercial mouthwashes. A recent study in The Australian Dental Journal points to alcohol-containing commercial mouthwashes as a cause of oral cancer. The research concluded that health care professionals should not recommend them for long-term use. The author of this study, Professor McCullough of Melbourne University, says that these products are so dangerous that they should be pulled from shelves or, at least, come with a warning label.
Alcohol is not 100% effective in controlling pathogens leaving bacteria behind to breed and mutate, damaging tissues over a period of time. The drying effect of the alcohol in commercial mouthwashes can actually cause bad breath, as well.
These mouthwashes often contain other questionable ingredients, such as chlorhexidine, which is an irritant that can stain teeth with prolonged use. In addition, its effectiveness in preventing tooth decay is debatable.
According to a recent article, a few U.K. companies were forced to recall thousands of mouthwash products after discovering that they were contaminated with aerobic mesophile, a dangerous bacteria that can cause lung infections in people with respiratory conditions or poorly functioning immune systems.
Similar incidents have occurred in the U.S., such as the 2005 Food and Drug Administration’s recall of mouthwashes infected with Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia), another bacteria that causes respiratory illness.
Of course, the stated purpose of commercial mouthwashes is to destroy bacteria, but the fact that such recalls have occurred seems to demonstrate not only their ineffectiveness, but the recklessness of the companies that produce them.
Safer, Cheaper, More Effective Oral Care
Colloidal silver is a safe, inexpensive alternative to mouthwashes. Traditionally, it is considered to be non-toxic and highly effective in killing a broad range of pathogens. Studies show that it is effective against candida albicans that can cause oral thrush (a.k.a. “thrush mouth”). And anecdotal evidence demonstrates that it can be used to help heal pyorrhea that, left untreated, can lead to deterioration of the jaw and may eventually require surgery.
It also eliminates the causes of halitosis. And it disables the ability of potentially dangerous viruses in the mouth to replicate before they have a chance to spread to other organs. What’s more, according to many researchers it has an overall positive effect on the immune system, leading to a healthier heart and a healthier body.
How Silver Destroys Pathogens in the Mouth
According to researchers, the tiny, submicroscopic silver particles in colloidal silver kill pathogens in two ways: One, they can adhere to the enzyme receptor sites on the outer cell wall of a pathogen, and prevent it from respiring. (In other words, silver in essence smothers the pathogen.) And two, if the silver particles are small enough they can interfere with the reproductive capabilities of bacteria and other harmful microorganisms by attaching to the DNA and preventing the organism from replicating. This also renders pathogens unable to mutate, so no mutations are left behind as with other antibiotics or disinfectants.
What’s more, tiny nano-particles of silver enter the bloodstream and flow throughout the body to safely destroy bacteria, viruses, funguses like candida albicans and other pathogens. If the silver particles are small enough, they can even enter the bloodstream through the rich network of veins under the tongue and in the cheeks.
Dr. Robert O. Becker, M.D., author of the bestselling books The Body Electric and Cross Currents, demonstrated in studies conducted at Syracuse Medical University that small amounts of silver in the human body were extremely beneficial to the immune system. He discovered that people with excessively low levels of silver have more frequent colds and other infections, whereas people with adequate silver levels tended to have less frequent colds and infections, and when they do get sick, the illness is very often of a much shorter duration.
What this means is that using colloidal silver as part and parcel of your daily oral health care regimen can have many other very positive beneficial effects on your entire body.
Colloidal Silver for Oral Health
For the health of your mouth and your heart, continue the dentist recommended practice of brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing or using an oral irrigator once a day. And see your dentist for a cleaning twice annually.
But, instead of commercial mouthwashes, consider using colloidal silver instead. Taken as directed on the bottle or by experienced health care practitioners, it is non-toxic, safe for your teeth and gums and it thoroughly destroys all kinds of destructive pathogens.
In short, colloidal silver is the saner, safer and cheaper alternative to potentially dangerous commercial mouthwashes.
How to Use Colloidal Silver as a Mouthwash and Gargle
Hold colloidal silver in your mouth for 30 to 60 seconds before swallowing. You can swish it around gently, or just hold it over a problem area, such as a sore tooth or inflamed gums. This allows time for the dentin as well as the surrounding tissues to absorb it.
In order to maintain oral and bodily health, experienced users suggest a maintenance dosage of 1 to 3 tsp. of 10-15 ppm of colloidal silver once or twice per day.
In cases of injuries, infection or following surgery, many experienced colloidal silver users recommend taking up to 10 spoonfuls throughout the day for one week. This increased dosage should quickly destroy any destructive pathogens and speed recovery. For cases of mouth ulcers and sore throat
Steve Barwick is a respected natural health journalist with hundreds of articles to his credit. He has been a freelance writer since 1974, focusing primarily on natural health and nutrition topics, as well as on finance and politics.
His articles have appeared in a variety of local, regional and national publications including Grit, Boy's Life, Pacific magazine, Life & Health magazine, The Spotlight, American Free Press, Explore!, Health Science News, The American Sentinel, Vegetarian Times, the Desert Dispatch, the Christian Freedom Letter, Wealth Trends, the Orange County Register, the Bright Outlook, 50-Plus, The Bio-Tech News and many others. His articles have also been published on a variety of internet publishing forums and venues.
You can learn more at www.thesilveredge.com.
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