How Dental Health Can Make You Look Amazing and Save Your Life by Nikki Burnett

Nikki Burnett, MS CNTP MNT is a Functional Nutritionist and founder of Taste Life Nutrition. Nikki works with ambitious professionals to help them overcome hidden barriers to health and success. Challenges such as pain, brain fog, low energy, anxiety, and stubborn chronic conditions frequently have their roots in unhealthy foods, lifestyle factors, and unknown inflammatory conditions. 

Functional Nutrition is based on the science of functional medicine - find the root cause through functional lab testing, history, and lifestyle then create and individualized program that brings balance to the body, so it can repair. Nikki is trained, in part, by The Institute for Functional Medicine. Throughout her career, she has been in the veterinary, nutrition, and medical fields in various capacities.

Nikki is a speaker, writer, and educator. She is the host of Taste Life Nutrition Radio, streaming live on KUHSDenver.com and host of Taste Life Nutrition Podcast. Nikki also co-hosts Real, Raw Health with Matt Rowe of Parsley Pet, a weekly Facebook Live about canine health and nutrition, as well as Functional Friday, a monthly Facebook Live with her Functional Health Coach, Gabrielle Grandell.

Editor’s Note: This article is for information purposes only. Please check with your medical provider before beginning any treatment.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ESTHER LEE LEACH

Did you know you can “heal” (remineralize) a cavity? Your bones heal so why wouldn’t your teeth heal also? You just have to give your body the ability to do its job.

Like your gut, your mouth has a microbiome and can have oral dysbiosis, an imbalance of the good and bad bacteria. What causes oral dysbiosis? Food plays a key role in the health of the mouth and the oral microbiome just like it does in your gut. Healthy, nutrient-dense foods give the body the ability to keep teeth and gums healthy. Unhealthy foods such as sugar, processed foods high in preservatives, toxic colorings, unhealthy fats such as vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil, and partially hydrogenated oils can cause inflammation and disease.

Antibiotic use also plays a role in oral dysbiosis. It can allow the overgrowth of opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria, which can lead to cavities and gum disease. Other imbalances in the body can also affect oral health such as hormone dysregulation.

What about the things we do for our dental health that we believe to be healthy, but may not actually be so healthy? Consider your mouthwash or toothpaste. Mouthwash is essentially an antibiotic. We often use it on a daily basis and it kills the healthy bacteria in your mouth. It’s also important to consider the other chemicals including colors and preservatives. 

Toothpaste is considered cosmetic. Have you looked at the label of your toothpaste? If it’s conventional toothpaste, it has a warning label—if ingested, seek medical help. Just because we don’t swallow toothpaste or mouthwash, doesn’t mean it’s not being absorbed. The mucosa in our mouth absorbs things straight into the bloodstream.

Fluoride use in dentistry and public water is a divisive topic. Personally, I stay away from all forms of fluoride. I refuse it at the dentist, I filter it from my water, and if I buy toothpaste (I often make my own), I will purchase fluoride-free toothpaste. I urge you to do your own research and if you reach out to me, I would be happy to give you resources to start the process.

In 1845 the American Society of Dental Surgeons banned the use of mercury fillings because of health concerns. Mercury is a neurotoxin. For a portion of the population, there is an epigenetic mutation that doesn’t allow for proper detoxification of mercury, significantly increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. I have this mutation and as a child I had multiple mercury (amalgam or silver) fillings. There are many factors that play a role in diseases such as this, but this is an important consideration. Other metals that can cause a toxic burden include nickel, bisphenol A, plastics, Teflon, and BPA.

In the US, there are more than 30,000,000 root canals performed each year and have the potential of being the source of chronic disease. Root canals can become infected and toxic, which can be so deep that it goes unnoticed by regular cleanings.

I often write these articles based on personal experience, and this one is no different. Three weeks ago, my mom was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an extremely aggressive form of brain cancer. My world turned upside down in an instant. As a practitioner and a science nerd, I try to understand the cause—no one seems to understand the cause of this particular type of cancer. It is not lifestyle related, but a gene mutation. Something had to cause this mutagenesis.

I think it is important to take into consideration that my mom has had dental work my entire life. She has had crowns, bridges, pulled teeth, fillings, and multiple root canals. I have no idea if this could have caused her cancer, but if you have any type of chronic condition or persistent symptoms that you can’t figure out, consider looking at your mouth. A holistic or biological dentist should have the capability to uncover an infected root canal and clean up the toxicity, but you must seek them out and ask the right questions. This is where I am in the process with my mom. I only hope I have enough time to find the right dentist to see what we can learn, if anything.

The most difficult things in life are most often our biggest learning experiences. My heart is broken, but I will continue to seek and learn. I will continue to love my mom as long as I have her and be grateful she was given to me so I can learn from her and her experiences. 

As always, Food is Life – Taste Life!

Taste Life, 6Esther LeachNovember 2021