Can Your Leaky Mouth Increase Your Breast Cancer Risk?
Oral heath is foundational for vibrant health. Essential #5 stresses the importance of embracing biological dentistry as part of a healthy breast plan. Some oral situations go beyond root canals and mercury fillings that lead to dis-ease. “Leaky Mouth” is one such condition.
The Mouth is Part of the Digestive Tract
The tongue-in-cheek (no pun intended) term “Leaky Mouth” actually refers to a well-documented condition called gingival epithelium permeability (GEP). Very similar to the digestive condition Leaky Gut, Leaky Mouth occurs when pathogens proliferate in the oral area to the point where they penetrate the sensitive and rather porous oral mucosa and enter the bloodstream. In exactly the same fashion as with Leaky Gut, Leaky Mouth paves the way for immune dysregulation and dis-ease.
Cass Nelson-Dooley is an ethno-pharmacologist, health communicator, educator and researcher based in Georgia who helped coin the term:
“I think the US Surgeon General said it best in 2000, that the mouth is the ‘mirror’ of health and disease in the body,” Nelson-Dooley explained in a recent interview. “If we think of the gastrointestinal tract as a river, then the mouth is the headwater – the source of that river. It sets the stage for everything that comes after in the gastrointestinal tract and in the whole body.”
Wow, this way of looking at the mouth puts oral health in a whole new perspective! Over the last two decades, a lot has been done to make the connection between gut dysbiosis and dis-ease. Now it’s time to take it one step further and consider the mouth as part of the digestive tract as well. As such, it is subject to the same needed conditions as the gut for optimum health.
The Mouth Contains Both Bad and Good Bacteria
Of course, the mouth contains unique beneficial bacterium, including certain kinds of Streptococcus, which actually appear to be beneficial in the right amount and type (S. Mutans excluded).
There is also evidence to suggest that certain beneficial bacteria found in the mouth, such as Veillonella and Actinomyces, have the ability to convert nitrates found in leafy green vegetables to nitrites which eventually convert into nitric oxide in the bloodstream. Nitric oxide plays a pivotal role in blood pressure regulation and cardiovascular health and has also been found to suppress cancer tumor growth.
Oral Bacteria That May Be Harming You
Not only do you have hundreds of species of bacteria in your mouth right now, you also swallow about a trillion of them every day with what you eat! This is actually good news, since it contributes to the constant “seeding” of the gastrointestinal tract with bacteria.
Researchers are still learning about how all of the intrinsic and externally-acquired good bacteria work together in one perfect mechanism for health and disease-protection in a healthy body. However, there are some kinds of bacteria that don’t need to stay in your mouth (or anywhere for that matter) for long.
There are many pathogenic bacteria that may exist and proliferate in your mouth. These have been found to increase the risk of dental caries, gum disease, heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases. A great way to find out if you have dis-ease promoting bacteria is with a saliva test called Oral DNA – the Periopath test. This simple test can detect pathogens such as the ones mentioned above. It can also detect genetic markers associated with increased inflammation and help your biological dentist select the best treatment for you. Ask your biological dentist to order this test for you.
Click here to continue reading about ways to improve your oral health and prevent dis-ease.
