Nitric Oxide and The 2 Minute Tune Up

I just recently returned from a holistic dental meeting and I was surprised to come across a company that has a system that measures cellular nitric oxide levels from a saliva sample.

For those who don’t know, nitric oxide is a free form of gas produced by the cells in our body. It is produced when enzymes in the body break down the amino acid Arginine, and is mainly used for intra-cellular communication.

Nitric oxide is required for key physiological functions within our body and travels freely from one cell to another assisting in a variety of biological functions. Depending on the requirement, nitric oxide can act as a hormone, a neurotransmitter and an intracellular messenger.

It is essential that the cells produce adequate amounts of this gas within our bodies. Body builders or those who perform rigorous physical activities

Nighttime, Perchance to Sleep

Due to my many publications on alternative health, I was recently contacted by a health magazine for my ideas of unusual ways for adults to get a better night's sleep. And since many of the patients I see are dealing with this problem as well, I thought it would be worth sharing here.

Here are the most common ways to get better sleep.

Radiation everywhere. Vacations included.

I had everything planned.  A simple relaxing one week vacation on a cruise ship, lots of options for a detoxing week (access to the gym, sauna, steam room, swimming pools, and whirlpool), meditation  in solitude on a quiet spot on the ship’s deck, options of health building food, evening entertainment and quiet restorative sleep in my cabin.  And the best part about this was that the ship was leaving right here from NYC. There would be no hassle of airports and everything that goes with it.

Nope. It wasn’t meant to be. 

The cabin that I was assigned had a heavy smell of cigarette smoke. Hoping to get a change of cabin assignment, I immediately went to the Purser’s desk to see what could be done.  No change was possible at this time, but they would “freshen up’ the room.  They assured me that if there was a problem later; they would change rooms for me then. 

I was doubtful that this “freshening up” would do the trick, but the woman assured me  that it would.

Surprise. Two hours later, my room had not an iota of cigarette smoke, but now smelled chlorine bleach fresh, like a swimming pool.  Not perfect, but definitely endurable. Or so I thought.

After about an hour in the room, both my husband and I  had burning throats, burning eyes, and a bit of coughing to deal with. Actually it was so bad that my husband actually coughed up blood.

Further speaking with the Purser’s desk people revealed that there were now no cabins to switch to for the duration of the cruise, and that I should have said something at the beginning before they set sail. I thought I already did this part. Obviously short term memory is not their forte.

This now left us with 2 options. Either sleep on the deck or get off at the first stop. We opted for the 2^nd choice.

While aborting a 7-day vacation on a cruise ship is not an easy choice, for us it was the only choice. We made the most of the remaining week after we disembarked, finding lodgings and relaxation as a last minute plan. One thing I know for sure, there are no great bargains to be had when you are booking everything last minute, including the airline tickets.

Dr. Brand’s Book

For those who aren’t aware, I have been working on my book for the last 2 years. It was just published 2 weeks ago.  “Congratulations” you say. Well, “Thank you very much.” 

But here is the surprise; it is NOT about toxic dentistry and how to avoid it. At least not totally. 

 Enlightened Indigo Child

A Personal Guide to Flourishing with a Sixth Sense

You see, although I have been a practicing dentist for over 30 years,

Ice Cream: Is It Real?

When cleaning out the refrigerator to make room for the upcoming holiday meal, I came across a most unexpected surprise.  This one came in the form of a science experiment.

A container of ice cream was discovered in the freezer. It had been left by the house sitter about a month ago.

Not wanting to make a big leaky mess in the garbage can, I attempted to wash the contents down the kitchen drain by running hot water over the contents. Simple enough one would think, but apparently not. After a minute or so of doing this, it was obvious that the ice cream would not melt.

So I took a blob of what was left in the container, put some on a plate and waited to see how this would play out. 

Here is my original photo after the hot water run:

There is some liquid in the dish, most likely due to the hot water that it had just been under.

How to Take Control of Periodontal Disease

Periodontal (gum) disease is a broad term for conditions involving inflammation and infection of the tissues (gum and bone) that surround and support the teeth. Being that the mouth is a microcosm for other body parts, it is important to heal this gum disease ASAP, to prevent further deterioration of the rest of your health.

Periodontitis is a very common type of gum disease among U.S. adults:

• About 4 in 10 U.S. adults 30 years or older had a mild, moderate, or severe level of periodontitis in 2009–2014.

• About 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women 30 years or older had some level of periodontitis.

Periodontitis is more common as people age. About 60% of adults 65 years or older have periodontitis. 

There are different levels of Periodontal Disease, ranging from Gingivitis (inflamed bleeding gums) up to full blown Periodontitis (severe bone loss, loose teeth).  There are several causes of Periodontal Disease which are listed below:

1.   Poor oral hygiene

2.   Nutritional deficiency

3.   Bacteria overgrowth

4.   Genetics                     

I have seen a direct correlation between dental bone loss and systemic bone loss. If you are losing the bone that supports your teeth, there is a high probability that you are losing bone elsewhere.  No surprise when we find that patients with periodontal bone loss, also have osteopenia or osteoporosis.

There are many ways to treat Periodontal Disease, but it depends on the root cause. From the list above, #1 and #2 are  straight forward in terms of treatment; #3 and #4 require some further investigation.

There are other diseases that correlate with Periodontal Disease. The chart below lists most of them.  The little circles listed next to the disease are the abridged names of the bacteria that are usually present in the saliva with each of the diseases listed. Once we know which bacteria are present in your saliva, this will guide us in treating the periodontal condition with the best medicament.

Luckily we have a simple, painless saliva test to figure these out.  The test involves rinsing with saline for a half minute and spitting into a test tube.  The specimen is sent out to a lab, and the results are back within a week.  Not only will the test tell you which bacteria are present in your mouth but will also tell you if you are genetically predisposed to getting Periodontal Disease.  Knowing these factors can make a huge difference in successfully treating your condition.

Conventionally, most dentists will treat Periodontal Disease with deep cleanings or surgery. This will not address the root cause. It will only treat the symptoms.  By learning which bacteria are present, we know which medicament can eradicate it.

So if you have bleeding gums, receding gums, moving or loose teeth, it would be wise to have the saliva test done to rule out bacterial infection, as well as genetic factors.

Diagnosing Periodontal Disease is easy. Addressing the root cause for proper treatment is the tricky part. Be sure to ask for your saliva test at your next visit.

If you like this post, you may also like: Ozone Dental Therapy for Gum Disease

Rebuilding Bone Naturally  

Homeopathy in Dentistry

Homeopathic Remedy

Homeopathy is a natural form of medicine 

used by over 200 million people worldwide to treat both acute and chronic conditions. The name homeopathy, coined by its originator, Samuel Hahnemann in the year 1810, is derived from the Greek words for ‘similar suffering’ referring to the ‘like cures like’ principle of healing. In other words, a substance taken in small amounts will cure the same symptoms it causes if it were taken in large amounts. Homeopathic remedies are vibrational remedies, in which an exceedingly dilute amount of a particular natural substance is used to treat a particular ailment.

That being said, there are a plethora of different homeopathic remedies available over the counter, and even more being custom made for specific disorders.

In my practice, I have found that an increasing number of patients are seeking complementary and alternative therapies to conventional medicine. Homeopathy is one modality that is very helpful in this regard. It can be used successfully as an adjunct in healing dental infections, lessening dental pain, improving periodontal health, and expediting healing after surgery.

Will it cure everything? Probably not. But by integrating homeopathy with the wisdom of conventional dental care, the results can be more progressive than usually expected.

As many of you already know, I am a big believer of vibrational healing. (see The 2 Minute Tune Up post) By using different kinds of quantum energy healing techniques, I have been able to make a full recovery from chronic Lyme disease. By adjusting the energy field of a disorder, the disorder can be brought back to an energy of health.

“Energy (holistic) medicine recognizes that there is more to affecting change than going directly after the symptom. Sometimes you have to affect the field to create a shift in the particle; like listening to uplifting music to change your emotional state which will ultimately affect your physical health. This is based on Quantum physics: using indivisible units of energy called quanta to affect the field around it. And this theory basis of Quantum physics explains the precepts behind Energy Medicine,” inclusive of homeopathy. (Referenced from my post on Reiki: June 2011)

While homeopathy falls under the umbrella of alternative or complementary medicine, it is not to be confused with naturopathy or herbalism. Homeopathy is defined more narrowly than naturopathy. Homeopathy is one of the most frequently used complementary therapies worldwide.

Happy Holidays

Well, I finally have a Blog. Considering that my patients have told me for years that I should write a book, this is probably the next best thing, and certainly a good beginning to creating that reality.

For those who know me as Dr. Brand, your friendly neighborhood holistic dentist, let me first say “Thank you”. Mostly for being there for me when times were tough, through my Lyme disability and my consequent chronic health problems that plagued me for years afterwards. I know many of you have called my story “inspirational” but truly, my story is your story. Many of you have given me specks of insight that have had me running for the next best cure of whatever needed curing. What happened to me could very easily have happened to you. And actually, for some of you, it did. So I hope this forum will give you the insights that you need to heal too.

For those of you that haven’t met me, let me say “Welcome”. I hope that this will be a meeting place to share ideas and ideals of health, healing and well-being.

So what is Enlightened Dentistry™? Good question. I’m glad that you asked. Well, since I trademarked the phrase, perhaps I should explain.

First, let me say that conventional modern dentistry is good. Actually it is better than good, “Its Great!” (no Tony the Tiger pun intended). But as many of you know, it’s not perfect. If it were perfect, we wouldn’t have gone the route of Holistic Dentistry- a cutting edge field that encompasses the best of conventional dentistry with complementary and biomimetric techniques.

So, Enlightened Dentistry™ came about when I realized that there had to be something more. More, because many of us replaced our amalgams, and had our root canal teeth extracted, yet still continued to be sick.

And that’s when I realized that we need to remember that we are energetic beings more so than physical beings. So, when we shift the energetic field within us and around us, we will finally, truly heal. It worked for me and I believe that it can work for you. And for those of you who have been to the office, you know this first hand when you experience the shift to relaxation with a 2-minute tune up.

Believing is seeing. The power of the mind to create health has been proven. And when we believe that we can be healed, we will be.

So today’s healing hint is simple: Be grateful. Grateful that you can breathe on you own, that your arms and legs work, that your eyes can read this blog, that you have food on the table, a roof over your head, friends or family that care about you, a pet that loves you, a better job opportunity that is coming along, and grateful to be living in a free society where your only limitation is your own belief systems.

So next time, before you go to bed, “count your blessings instead of sheep”. And watch how your life will change in the next 24 hours. Thank you Bing Crosby (from the movie White Christmas). Happy Holidays!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qmMaPTuTEE&feature=related