PART 2
Unlocking Optimal Health:
The Mouth is More Than Just a
Connection to the Body
Dental Health is an Integral Part of Overall Health
For a long time, there has been a lack of connection between oral health and overall well-being. Dentistry has focused solely on issues within the mouth, such as teeth, gums, and jaws, without considering their impact on the rest of the body. However, treating oral conditions separately is like treating the heart or brain as separate entities, disregarding the fact that the body cannot function properly if any of these vital organs are suffering from illness.
Yes, dentistry and medicine are separate professions, just like chiropractic or podiatry. However, the mouth is just as important to the overall functioning of the body as the spine or feet. When a disease or condition is affecting the teeth, gums, or jaws, it can have an impact on other areas of the body. Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about the connection between oral health and systemic health, or how the mouth is linked to other systems in the body. While this awareness is a step in the right direction, it still falls short because the oral cavity is not just a potential connection, but an integral part of the entire body.
The teeth are often the most vulnerable part of our body and can face numerous challenges. Out of all the body systems, it is the mouth that receives the most attention from healthcare professionals. Dental work is something that almost everyone has experienced at some point in their lives. Can we say the same about any other part of our body?
So, the question is: Why do people need dental work and what kind of dental work do they have? Unfortunately, in many cases, the solution to this question can lead to more toxins in the body. This solution could even be contributing to other serious diseases like cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. How is this possible? Well, it’s quite simple: The mouth is the first part of the digestive system and it has a direct connection to the vascular system. It’s also situated close to the brain and is connected to the lymphatic system. Additionally, the trigeminal nerve, which is the largest cranial nerve, interacts with this area of the body.
The Root Causes of Oral Health Problems
For many years, dentists and doctors have focused solely on treating symptoms without addressing the underlying causes. However, dentists have a unique role in examining the mouth, which is essentially a window to overall health. Therefore, it is crucial to shift our attention toward understanding the root causes of oral health problems rather than just addressing the symptoms. Both the dental and medical communities need to recognize the connection between oral health and overall well-being. It is evident that poor oral health can contribute to various illnesses throughout the body, while systemic issues can also affect oral health.
Sleep-disordered breathing and obstructive sleep apnea are widespread health concerns affecting people globally. These conditions have a significant impact on the body, causing various health issues. Snoring, sleep apnea, and obstructed airways are the primary culprits behind many health problems faced by individuals today. These include high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke, irritability, depression, dementia, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, suicidal thoughts, suicide, and cancer. It is crucial to address these sleep disorders as they have far-reaching consequences on overall well-being.
According to the CDC, there is an increasing interest in the link between OSA and various health issues. Research has shown that there are direct connections between the development of diabetes, a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, metabolic changes that can lead to obesity, and symptoms of depression. OSA can influence these conditions.
- According to a study conducted on 3,000 adults aged forty-five and above, the National Sleep Foundation found that individuals who get less than six hours of sleep per night may have twice the risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.
- Multiple studies and surveys have discovered a clear connection between reduced sleep duration and health problems. Ongoing reviews have also identified poor sleep quality as one factor contributing to obesity.
- In 2014, there were two studies published in the journal Sleep. These studies examined twins who were adults and young people aged eleven to seventeen. The findings from these studies revealed connections between the amount of sleep individuals got and their likelihood of experiencing depression.
Insufficient sleep is a major problem in our country today, even more significant than not exercising or having a poor diet. This has resulted in the development of a new condition called Insufficient Sleep Syndrome, also known as ISS, which occurs when someone consistently fails to get enough sleep.
Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and accidents are the top three causes of death in the United States, as per the CDC. Despite extensive research, education, lifestyle improvements, and spending on pharmaceutical aids, these causes continue to affect a significant number of people.
Did you know that drivers falling asleep at the wheel cause around 10,000 car accidents per year? It is possible that the actual number is higher than reported. Fatigue is responsible for 18% of fatal accidents and a staggering 50% of accidents involving heavy trucks, according to the NTSB. But what if there’s something else behind this problem? Could there be another root cause? Our national sleep debt is even higher than our national financial debt. It’s time to address this issue seriously.
Dentists Are Not Just Tooth Doctors
The health of our entire body is greatly influenced by the condition of our mouth. It’s not just about having decayed or broken teeth. A healthier body requires a healthier mouth, but simply healing the mouth alone doesn’t guarantee overall health improvement. Unfortunately, the significance of the mouth in relation to our overall well-being is often overlooked. While the medical community is starting to recognize the connection between oral health and the body, there is still a long way to go before it is given the utmost importance it deserves.
When a tooth is decayed or broken, it’s not just a small problem. It’s actually a sign that something else is happening in the body. The dental professional is the best person to examine and understand what’s happening in the mouth, throat, jaw functions, and tongue. During a regular check-up, they will take a closer look at these areas because they know how important oral health is for overall well-being.
Dentists who take a holistic and biological approach to oral health are not just concerned with treating teeth but also consider the overall well-being of their patients. They can be seen as oral physicians rather than just tooth doctors.
Oral physicians examine the entire structure of the mouth and face. Aside from the teeth, they also assess the soft tissues like the tongue, cheeks, gums, and lips. They also observe the throat, including the airway and the area around the tonsils. They address issues related to the jawbones, particularly the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is responsible for connecting the jaw to the skull and can sometimes cause problems.
Most dentists focus on treating teeth because they are busy with their practices and only address immediate problems. They may not understand the bigger picture or know how to fix the underlying causes. It’s easier for them to just fix the immediate issue rather than spend time educating their patients. Some dentists also avoid recommending comprehensive care because they don’t want to deal with patient rejection. At the Julian Center, we take the time to educate our patients because we understand the potential risks involved. This provides patients with enough information to make an informed decision.
Understanding the connection between oral health and the rest of our body requires years of study, continuous observation, dedication, and passion. It has taken me a long time to grasp how all the different systems in our body work together and how problems in the mouth can impact other areas. After gaining this knowledge, I have developed protocols to effectively address these issues.
I have gained my knowledge by working with many patients and listening to their personal stories. Through this experience, I have been able to help them overcome their challenges. In order to find solutions for my patients, I have explored various fields outside of dentistry, such as osteopathic medicine, chiropractic medicine, acupuncture, functional medicine, physical therapy, nutrition, and even vibrational medicine. I have also learned about the connection between the mind, body, and spirit. At the Julian Center, our goal is to provide a comprehensive and integrative approach to patient care.
I got interested in holistic dentistry because of a couple of patients I had, who were twin sisters. One of them used to come to me regularly for cleanings and always followed my recommendations for treatment. There was always something wrong with her gums or teeth that needed attention. However, her twin sister rarely visited me and when she did, she never had any issues that needed to be addressed. It’s surprising because as twins, you would expect them to have similar oral health conditions due to genetics and environment. But in this case, their oral health problems were quite different.
I realized that the condition of their mouths had a connection to something else happening in their bodies. These twins were experiencing something different in their lives, which was affecting their oral health.
The reason for the difference between the twins was their nutrition. One twin was very careful about cleaning her teeth and going to dental appointments, but her eating habits were terrible. The other twin had excellent nutrition, but didn’t prioritize her oral hygiene. This made me realize that just focusing on brushing, flossing, and rinsing is not enough. The dental community needs to do more for their patients than just emphasizing daily oral hygiene. There are other factors to consider in order to fully serve patients.
After diving into my research, I came across books like Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A. Price, DDS. It became clear that in places where people primarily ate natural, unprocessed food, their teeth were strong and healthy. No cavities or gum disease to be found—they were just perfect. However, as soon as processed food made its way into their diets, things took a turn for the worse. Gum disease, tooth decay, and misaligned teeth became common within just one generation. This made me realize that dental care alone isn’t enough—we must also consider our diet and nutrition as part of a holistic approach. It’s interesting to note that these ancient cultures didn’t rely on toothbrushes, floss, mouth rinses, or even fluoride.
Then something else happened in my personal life that made me change my direction. My childhood best friend was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma. The outlook was not good: He had the option of undergoing chemotherapy, which could possibly delay the inevitable, but it would make him sick and there were no guarantees it would improve his quality of life or extend it. None of this made sense to him. He couldn’t accept the “death sentence” he had been given. The idea of having only three to six months left to live and being told to go home and get his affairs in order didn’t sit well with him. So, he decided to explore alternative treatments that were not part of mainstream medicine. He found a clinic in California where he could try these treatments.
When he got to the clinic, they told him to open his mouth right away. When they saw how many mercury fillings he had, the doctors made it clear that their recommended treatment wouldn’t work unless he got rid of the mercury in his mouth. He agreed, and now, almost forty years later, he’s still alive and healthy. This is a real success story of someone who didn’t follow the usual medical path to getting better. Some clinics, like The Paracelsus Clinic in Switzerland, won’t even start treating chronic illnesses until they’ve treated the patient’s mouth first by removing things like mercury fillings and addressing root canals and cavitations.
That moment really opened my eyes and changed my career path completely. Up until then, I was still placing mercury fillings without realizing their harmful effects. It was then that I sought guidance from Hal Huggins, a dentist from Colorado Springs, who became my mentor. He had written a book called “It’s All in Your Head,” which explained why mercury amalgam fillings were toxic to the body. I spent a couple of years studying under his guidance, and it gave me a whole new understanding of how the different systems in our body work together.
My life, and maybe even the lives of my patients, were potentially saved by my friend’s diagnosis. I also discovered from Dr. Huggins that it was crucial to remove mercury safely, not just for myself but for my staff as well. Throughout the years, I have developed a protocol called the Julian Protocol for Amalgam Removal at the Julian Center. This protocol has evolved over time, incorporating various techniques I have learned along the way.
My friend’s case shows just how much harm can be caused to the entire body by dental problems. We may never fully understand the negative impact that mercury has on a person’s overall health, but one thing is clear: it doesn’t make sense to put the most toxic non-radioactive substance on earth into the mouth. However, this article does not discuss the various issues related to mercury fillings or the debates within the dental profession. As a side note – Mercury amalgam will be banned in the European Union starting in 2025
The Scene of the Crime
When it comes to the symptoms in your mouth, it’s like investigating a crime scene. Just like an investigator traces events to uncover what happened, they will explore where the victim was the day before, what they were exposed to, and what they were doing.
It is no different when it comes to problems in the mouth, like crowded teeth, receding gums, or dental decay, there is always a reason behind it. Take a broken tooth, for example. Teeth are incredibly strong, so if one breaks, it’s worth investigating why. Often, the culprit is nighttime teeth grinding or clenching. This can cause significant damage over time. Additionally, teeth with large fillings, especially amalgams, are more prone to fractures. Simply fixing the broken tooth without addressing the underlying causes is not providing proper care and is considered unethical.
At the Julian Center, we don’t just fix broken teeth. For example, we delve into the root cause of teeth clenching. Often, misaligned teeth are not caused by a blocked airway but rather by underdeveloped jaws, which restrict the tongue’s proper positioning and cause airway blockage. This can lead to clenching as a natural response to insufficient oxygen supply during sleep. When the body senses a lack of air, it goes into survival mode, resulting in jaw muscle clenching that can even damage the hardest substance in the body. This clenching triggers the sympathetic nervous system, putting the body in fight or flight mode. This may also result in jaw/TMJ pain and sore teeth that some dentists may then recommend root canal therapy.
By investigating the mouth, we often discover that the culprit behind this issue is a sleep disturbance that poses a threat to overall health. Further examination reveals that this sleep disturbance is linked to an obstructed airway caused by narrow arches that don’t provide enough space for the tongue. This is likely due to poor oral-facial development caused by inadequate nutrition, lack of breastfeeding, or early introduction of allergenic foods during infancy.
When it comes to dental issues, dentists often focus solely on addressing the immediate problem without considering the underlying root cause of sleep disturbances. As an oral physician, I have noticed that conditions such as crowding, gum recession, narrow jaws, overbite, and fractured teeth can often be traced back to a blocked airway. Therefore, it is crucial for me to thoroughly investigate and address all potential problems, starting from the root cause. If I determine that there is no obstruction in the airway after careful examination, I will continue to search for other underlying causes.
Typical treatment by most dentists is to fabricate an orthotic (splint) to protect the teeth without considering the airway. And, to make matters worse, they fabricate an upper appliance that may interfere with the cranial rhythm.
The Julian Protocol
The Julian Protocol is a result of years of learning and experience. I have combined the knowledge from my mentors to create a specific plan to address issues related to misalignment of teeth, problems with swallowing, disorders of the temporomandibular joint, and breathing difficulties during sleep.
At the Julian Center, we have the necessary tools and protocols to investigate and treat the underlying causes of various problems. These issues can range from improper removal of dental amalgam, orthodontic procedures involving bicuspid extractions, and temporomandibular disorder to sleep-disordered breathing, infections in the gums and jaw, and nutritional deficiencies.
For instance, our Julian Protocol for Craniomandibular Dysfunction® is specifically designed to naturally and gently balance the structure of the jaw and face. We conduct tests to evaluate resting and forward-head posture in order to determine if there is excessive physical stress causing restricted mobility and function, as well as chronic pain in the face, jaw, and neck areas.
Our aim is to make sure that the head and neck posture, along with the functioning of the jawbone and muscles, are all working properly. If there is a change in any of these areas, it can affect the others. This can lead to problems like TMJ dysfunction, headaches, migraines, and pain and tension in the head and neck. It can also put stress on the spine, causing pain in the neck and back. Sometimes, the effects can start from the feet and travel up the spine (ascending) to the jaw area, or they can go in the opposite direction (descending).
Our Protocol involves a thorough approach to addressing issues with the jaw and mouth. This includes exercises and therapies that can be done both at home and in the dentist’s office. We provide a special kit with instructions and exercises that should be done twice a day. Additionally, we require weekly appointments for in-office therapies and adjustments to an intraoral appliance. During these appointments, we monitor changes in vital signs such as heart rate, pulse, oxygen levels, blood pressure, and heart rate variability. Other therapies aim to rebalance the body and nervous system, reducing overall stress on the autonomic nervous system.
The Julian Protocol and the dental center were named after my father, who supported and inspired me for many years. Sadly, he passed away from a heart attack on January 24, 2001, while sitting at his kitchen table. It’s interesting to note that just 21 days prior to his death, I had performed a root canal on him.
Every year, around 25 million Americans undergo root canal therapy to save a tooth that has died. This procedure is commonly performed by dentists and specialists in endodontics. During the treatment, the dentist removes the dead nerve tissue from the tooth and replaces it with a filling material. In most cases, this resolves any infections and eliminates pain without any complications.
Root canal procedures are more complex than they appear at first glance. There is a lot more to know about them than what meets the eye.
The structure of a tooth makes it impossible to fully eliminate an infection. Within the tooth are tiny channels called microtubules that can allow the infection to spread. Even though dentists may prefer to leave a dead tooth in place and cover it with a crown to prevent further damage, it is important to note that a dead tooth cannot be completely sterilized. These micro canals are difficult for dentists to clean, and no amount of sterilization can eliminate all the bacteria, fungi, and viruses present. Some therapies claim to achieve 100% sterilization using lasers, ozone, or filling the canal with calcium hydroxide or MTA (mineral trioxide aggregate). However, even if the tooth is sterilized, it will eventually become toxic again.
A dead tooth infected with anaerobic bacteria can release toxins into your bloodstream every time you bite down. Additionally, since the tooth has been cut off from the circulation, nerve, and lymphatic systems, your immune system cannot provide protection as there is no blood supply to the tooth.
The immune system of our body goes through a recycling process every seven days. This cycle repeats on day fourteen, twenty-one, twenty-eight, and so on. This is how my father’s root canal is connected to the twenty-one-day timeline.
When fillings are placed or removed, even in the cleanest and most protected environments, the immune system reacts by sending out new white blood cells to fight against any potential threats. Around seven days later, all these white blood cells, which were born at the same time, die together, leaving the body somewhat vulnerable. This vulnerability can sometimes make a person feel like they are getting the flu, but fortunately, this feeling usually goes away quickly.
If you schedule a dental appointment on the twenty-first day after your first appointment, when your body is going through its cycle, your immune system becomes vulnerable. This means that any dental treatment you receive on that day can leave you feeling weak and more prone to other health problems. In fact, if you are already dealing with health issues, any challenge to your immune system on day seven, fourteen, or twenty-one can lead to a strong reaction or cause a sudden health problem.
After my father’s root canal, which happened exactly three weeks before his fatal heart attack, I made the decision to never perform another root canal procedure. I learned the hard way that there is no such thing as a safe root canal. Although I don’t personally do root canals anymore, at the Julian Center, we take into account a patient’s overall health, medical history, and other factors if they choose to have a root canal done at another dental office.
My dad had a lot of health problems, and he used to snore a lot which made me think he might have sleep apnea. He went to a sleep doctor, but they said he didn’t have it. When he died, I realized that the stress on his heart from not getting enough oxygen while sleeping probably played a part. I think the root canal I did also added to the stress on his body. Now I know that both things together probably contributed to his death.
In memory of him, I decided to rename my dental clinic from Health-Centered Dentistry to the Julian Center for Comprehensive Dentistry. He was a man who possessed great integrity, compassion, respect, and the ability to not judge others. These are qualities that we strive for on a daily basis at the Julian Center.
At the Julian Center, we believe that taking care of your overall health is a journey. Our oral physicians are dedicated to providing a comprehensive, holistic, and biological approach to treatment. However, we don’t just treat you and send you on your way. We work with you as partners, supporting your efforts to comply with and follow the prescribed treatment. Our goal is to help you achieve a long and balanced journey that encompasses your mind, body, and spirit. We understand that this may not be easy for everyone and may require making sacrifices, changing belief systems, and committing to new habits.
HOW IS YOUR HEALTH?
Ask yourself these questions. :
- Are my jaws or other parts of my body constantly in pain?
- Do I have unresolved health problems, whether they are short-term or long-term?
- Have I tried to find solutions for my health issues, only to be met with no answers from other healthcare professionals?
- Have I been dismissed and told that my complaints are all in my head?
- Do I often feel tired and sleepy during the day?
- Has anyone ever told me that I snore?
Your answers may indicate whether you should see an oral physician to discuss sleep disturbances
Next Article: Part 3-The Dangers of Sleep Deprivation and Its Impact on Your Health
Return to 10 Part Compilation
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JULIAN CENTER FOR
EFFORTLESS SLEEP
5012 Dorsey Hall Drive , Suite 205
Ellicott City, MD 21042
Tel: (410) 964-3118
Fax: (410) 964-3154
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Tue – Thur: 8am – 5pm