029 The Case of Tooth Pain Causing Fatigue with Naturopath Dr. Christine Shaffner

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The Case: 

• Lisa is 32, dealing with fatigue, brain fog and general unwellness
• Countless doctors have told her that nothing is wrong
• She also mentioned she has slight discomfort in her lower jaw that has been around since a root canal years ago
• Her dentist also told her that he could find nothing wrong

 

The Investigation

Lisa has had a lot of dental work for someone so young. It seemed impossible to me that her health mystery wasn’t related in some way to her dental work. Dentists are trained to look at teeth and take X-rays and if they don’t see anything out of the ordinary, there isn’t much more they can do. I knew we had to dig deeper to get to the root of this mystery. 

Joining on the show to discuss Lisa’s case is Dr. Christine Shaffner. She’s a board certified Naturopathic physician and the Clinic Director of Sophia Health Institute in Woodinville, Washington. 

The Oral Health Connection

Dr. Schaffner started off by explaining that interference fields are often found in the mouth and these can be barriers to healing. There is a neurological connection between our teeth and our brain and nervous system because during embryonic development, they are all developed from the same tissue. The American Heart Association and conventional cardiologists link oral health to heart health because of different microbes or bacteria that can affect cardiovascular inflammation and can lead to heart disease. From a Qi perspective, every tooth sits on an acupuncture meridian so there’s an organ relationship with each tooth. Damage to a tooth can create stress in the associated organ, which can lead to other illnesses. 

Cavities and Root Canals

Dr. Schaffner also talked about how our oral health is related to our cranial nerves and to our lymphatic system. It is possible for non-bio-compatable materials in our mouths (and teeth) could potentially cause issues for the brain and drain into our lymph nodes and cause a variety of health issues. 

Wisdom Teeth 

The wisdom teeth sit on the heart, small intestine, circulation and also endocrine meridien. Issues with the wisdom teeth can show up as chronic digestive issues or poor circulation. Even if the wisdom teeth have been removed, there can still be a build up, a cavitation (empty space) or hidden infection that can cause chronic issues. 

Mouth Pain 

Sometimes these hidden focal infections in the mouth can lead to mild mouth pain. These symptoms are often ignored. However, Dr. Schaffner says that these could be the key clue to bigger health issues like chronic digestive issues. 

Why Your Dentist Won’t Understand

This kind of thinking is too much of a paradigm shift for dentists. The conventional approach is to inspect visually and look at X-Rays. If microbes or minor infections are present, they likely won’t be detected unless it causes a visible infection. The idea that a minor infection in a cavitation or old root canal could be the cause of health issues is too much of a paradigm shift for most dentists. 

Amalgam Fillings and Gold Fillings

Amalgam fillings are a combination of different metals including mercury (which is a neurotoxin). The American Dental Association says these are safe. Dr. Schaffner explained that over time, certain conditions in the mouth can release mercury vapor which we unknowingly inhale. Gold fillings that oppose mercury fillings present a different concern because they can cause electro galvanism which produces electrical disturbances in the body as well as speed up the dissolution of mercury in the mouth. 

Testing for Filling Sensitivities

One of the common metals used in root canals is titanium however some people have a sensitivity issue with this metal. Dr. Schaffner says you can test for hypersensitivity using the Melisa Test. Sensitivity to metals in your fillings could affect your immune system making it hypersensitive.  

Assessing the Problem

It’s not realistic and likely not necessary for every person who has health issues to have their fillings removed. In fact, it poses its own dangers. Here are a few things you can do to determine if your dental work is causing health issues:

1. Send used dental floss to be tested for bacteria and viruses through a lab called DNA Connections. 
2. Do a heavy metal test to reveal the level of heavy metal burden in your body. If it comes back high for mercury, your fillings might be the cause. 
3. Take a look at a dental organ chart that shows the connection between certain teeth and organs based on acupuncture meridians. See if your health issues line up with problem teeth. 
4. Find a biological dentist who is open to these ideas to discuss your concerns.  

Mystery Solved

Despite my suspicions that Lisa’s issues were connected to her oral health, I knew that we had to start by calming her system down and ruling out other potential contributing factors. I referred her to a biological dentist who understood the functional medicine approach. They discovered that Lisa did in fact have a cavitation and there was an infection in the root canal. 

Test revealed that Lisa also had deficiencies in her B vitamins, her liver was not functioning optimally and she had a lot of free radicals. We continued the elimination diet while supporting her liver with N-Acetyl Cysteine and liquid glutathione and I put lisa on a Methylated B vitamin called B Supreme. We also used a broad spectrum antioxidant called Ultimate Antioxidant Full Spectrum, high dose of vitamin C (about 5000 mg per day in her case) and 100 mg of Coenzyme Q10 in the form of Ubiquinol. This is called the reduced form of CoQ10 which has the ability to quench more free radicals vs the ubiquinone form which is the oxidized form and not as effective. 

Happy ending

Lisa started to feel stronger and less sensitive to things a few months after the dental procedures, diet changes and supplements. Six months later, she reported that she had a lot less sensitivity to her environment, had much more energy, and felt like she was back to her old self.

Eliminating Health Mysteries

For Lisa we were able to find that missing piece of the health puzzle and help her regain her health. Could hidden oral health issues be the missing clue for you or someone in your life? 

 

Listen to the Body Electric Summit for Free

Thanks to my guest Dr. Christine Shaffner. I was particularly excited about our conversation around the upcoming Body Electric Summit. If you were intrigued by ...