Blodgett Dental Care, Portland, OR Videos

Wellness Wednesday: A great tooth replacement solution! Question: “If I don’t want a root canal, what is the best solution for tooth replacement?” Option 1: Don’t replace the tooth. It may sound odd, particularly if it is a front tooth, but it is possible to remove a tooth a not replace it. Pros: No surgery and it keeps costs low. Cons: It may be unsightly and/or hard to chew and you may lose bone over time. Option 2: A removable partial denture. Unlike my grandmother’s partial denture, today’s “partials” can be made without any metal using a light, flexible and relatively comfortable resin material. Pros: Relatively inexpensive and no surgery required. Cons: Hard to chew on it and food can get caught underneath creating trauma to your gums. Option 3: A dental bridge. Dental bridges come in all sorts of shapes and sizes from minimally invasive bonded pontic (fake tooth) bridges to full-crown bridges. Pros: Does not require invasive surgery and can be highly esthetic and functional. Cons: Most bridges require the adjacent teeth to be damaged in order to attach the bridge which may kill the nerves of the supporting teeth. Option 4: A dental implant. At BDC, we only offer ceramic (zirconia) implants. Titanium implants are another option, but the risk of metal sensitivity is not something which I want to expose my patients. Pros: Many root canal-treated teeth being extracted can be replaced at the same surgery as the tooth extraction. Once healed, the implant tooth will look and function most like a real tooth. Cons: This solution requires the greatest investment of time and money. Today’s video demonstrates a situation where an abscessed root canal tooth was extracted and replaced with a ceramic Swiss Dental Solutions (@swissdentalsolutions) implant and a single-visit CEREC crown. The patient had minimal discomfort and maintained his smile! If optimal health is your goal, remove your infected teeth (which includes

Wellness Wednesday – The miracle of healing that occurs when we connect with our patients by listening, being present and providing truthful health care. There is so much more to great oral health care than the typical “drill, fill, bill, and if it hurts, kill” approach that most people experience in dentistry. The mouth is not only a physically sensitive region, but emotionally, as well. Most of the patients who seek out my practice have been shamed by their dentist and/or dental hygienist. They have been told that if something is wrong in their mouth that it must be their fault. And although it is true that lifestyle choices such as what we eat, how frequently we consume foods and drinks, and how we manage our oral home care play a role in oral health, it is equally as true that billions of people have been made sicker by the dental care they have received! Examples illustrating my point: Mercury: People receiving dental care cannot be blamed for putting mercury in their teeth. The dentist is responsible for that. Tooth nerve pain: Dental patients also are not responsible for over-heating teeth when drilling them which leads to post-treatment sensitivity and pain. Dentists are responsible for that, too. Root canal infection: Additionally, people cannot be blamed for the chronic infections that result after having root canal treatment. That is a dentist-caused (referred to as “iatrogenic”) condition. Healthcare relationships are two sided. Both the patient and the healthcare provider bear responsibilities in the relational dynamic. To honor this truth and build deep trusting relationships with our patients, I created the Blodgett Dental Care New Patient Experience. I refer to it as an “experience”, because that it was it is. People leave from these appointments having hope and a vision for a healthier future. Reading today’s image you can get a sense of just how positive of an experience we create with our patients he

Toxic Tuesday – How an oral abscess can tank your health. This woman followed her dentist’s recommendation to restore a tooth because she was told, “You need a crown on that tooth.” No other options were given. That was in 2012. After having the tooth whittled down to a little nub and the crown glued on top, the tooth became sensitive and developed into chronic pain. It reached its peak of pain around 2014. Eventually the pain subsided but then she began noticing symptoms elsewhere in her body. Could a dead tooth lead to chronic health problems? Not according to her dentist in Chicago. But it was recommended that she get a root canal on her recently crowned tooth “to remove the infection” that had formed after the tooth died. Something did not feel right about this approach and after long and thoughtful consideration she chose to travel from Chicago to Portland, OR to see my team and me for help. What we found at her New Patient Experience (a Blodgett Dental Care exclusive process of interpersonal connection and total health assessment) was that her crowned tooth had died. The dead tooth had become an open gateway for microbes to enter into her jawbone. In response to this infection, her immune system developed an abscess which helped to drain the puss from inside the bone into her mouth. As a result of this long-standing infection, her immune system was being overly taxed on a daily basis. She was experiencing swelling in her head and neck and patches on her skin that were not explained by any other health issue. She knew in her gut that it had to be connected to her dead tooth. See the list of Lyme and other microbes that we found in her jaw in this video. It’s amazing that she wasn’t sicker than she was! Tune in tomorrow to read how she feels now that the infection is gone. Ping us through our website if you would like our help resolving your oral infections!

Wellness Wednesday: Comprehensive biological dental rejuvenation in a single visit while you sleep! Today’s video demonstrates how we safely and predictably remove all sources of chronic toxic burden from this woman’s mouth and restore her health in a single visit. My protocol for this process includes:- Perform a “BioComp” test to ensure that we use materials that are most compatible with YOUR unique body. - Work with a dental anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist so that the patient’s body is relaxed throughout the process.- Remove all mercury-amalgam fillings and replace with the least invasive biocompatible restorations (i.e. – composite fillings or ceramic inlays, onlays, or crowns)- Remove metal retainer and replace with bonded fiberglass and composite retainer.- Replace all metal-based crowns with all-ceramic crowns.- Remove root canals and adjacent bone infection and replace with ceramic implants, when appropriate, and restore with custom-milled ceramic temporary crowns. This may seem like a lot of treatment to experience in a single visit. However, my experience over the past 25 years of practicing dentistry has taught me two things: 1) Most people want to get treatment done as quickly and easily as possible.2) People who sleep through their procedures heal a LOT faster than those who are awake. They do not release the stress hormones of those people who are awake. Appreciating these facts, it makes a lot more sense to “take a nap” for comprehensive biological dental rejuvenation like this. If you are tired of feeling sick and not getting any better - regardless of what treatments you attempt - it is time to look in your mouth! It is the most ignored part of the body, yet arguably the most commonly toxic region! Be your own health advocate and reach out to us for our help today! Ping us through our website today to learn how our unique “BDC New Patient Experience” and “Biological Dental Rejuvenation” can lead you back to he

Toxic Tuesday: How do you determine if your dentistry contributes to your health challenges? It’s a lot simpler than you think! There is a saying in the Biological Dental world: “If it is metal or dead, it doesn’t belong in your head.” It turns out that this is a simple way to look at your own dental work. And anybody can do it! With today’s patient story, we see several dental treatments on her 3D Cone-Beam CT scan. These lead to chronic systemic infection and energetic blockage. The dental procedures performed on her were: - 4 large mercury amalgam fillings (made of mercury, silver, copper, and tin). - 4 “PFM” (porcelain fused to metal) crowns (made of cobalt, nickel, chromium, silver, and gold). - One metal lingual retainer (made of iron, chromium, nickel, silicon, and molybdenum). - 2 root canals. The combined toxic microbial exposure from these two teeth was incredible. (See tomorrow’s video to see the number of infectious microbes in the roots of these teeth). All things combined, this patient has a dozen teeth in her mouth that were releasing metal ions into her saliva which were then both absorbed by her oral mucosa, swallowed into her G.I. tract, and breathed into her lungs. Additionally, these teeth with non-biologically compatible substances disturb the energetic balance of her body. Is it any wonder her health is suffering?? The longest-standing dental issue she has had is the root canal in her upper left incisor. It was done 35 years ago. It was “retreated” (which didn’t help) and then treated with an “apicoectomy” (where the root tip was cut off and filled with a mercury filling). This tooth is connected to the urogenital acupuncture meridian. Her primary health issues have been related to that meridian! She even had her ovaries and uterus removed! Sadly, they were most likely showing symptoms due to the root canal, which was a procedure that could have been avoided! Watch for tomorrow’s video

Wellness Wednesday: Don’t settle for toxic teeth! Replacing root canals is simple and predictable at BDC following our biologically compatible protocol! Every week we receive messages from around the world from people asking about removing their root canal-treated teeth and how best to replace them. I am excited to share that replacing dead, infected teeth has never been easier or performed with healthier materials! Today’s story illustrates how with the right planning, technology, and biocompatible materials, many teeth can be replaced in a single visit and look way better than before. Some of the technologies that I use to create such a succinct protocol are: • 3D Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) scanning. These scans create the ability to plan the placement of dental implants prior to removing teeth. • Digital Intra-Oral Scanning. Digital scanning creates the ability to relate the surfaces of your teeth and gums into the 3D CBCT scan. Surgical guides are then 3D printed to help improve the safety and predictability of implant placement. • CEREC CAD/CAM restoration system. This system provides the ability to make either permanent or temporary restorations that fit perfectly and offer the most biocompatible materials available in a single visit. • Swiss Dental Solutions (SDS) ceramic implants. SDS ceramic implants are designed to be implanted in a way that firmly attaches them to your jawbone either immediately after tooth extraction or after waiting for bone healing. Blodgett Dental Care is leading the way in modern dentistry by synergistically blending elements of Psychology, Biology, and Technology to create incredibly positive experiences using a health-promoting approach to care. We invite you to experience the BDC difference for yourself! Ping us through our website today to discover how our Dental Tourism can work for you.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE Toxic Tooth Tour!! Last stop is this weekend June 1 in Boston. We’ve opened up a few more spots. Tickets on our website.

Count down to the Next Stop Denver ~ Toxic 🦷 Tour 2024. Meet Dr. Blodgett in person. SPOTS ARE LIMITED! Spreading the word about Biological Dentistry and Holistic Oral Health is one of my greatest passions and my life’s calling. If you live anywhere remotely close to Denver, make the investment in your health and come spend some time with me discussing how creating biological balance in your mouth leads to whole body health! Who should attend? • Anybody with teeth who feels like their dentistry may be negatively impacting their health. • Anybody who wants to learn more about the physiological and energetic connections of your teeth and the rest of your body. • Anybody whose health has suffered but has not found the root cause. It could be in your mouth! • Any dental professional who wants to learn more broadly about the science and practice of biological dentistry and holistic oral health. Please join me for a morning of inspirational learning and a chance for us to connect face-to-face. Although I will not be performing exams in this hotel setting, I will be happy to address any question relating to oral and whole-body health. I look forward to meeting you in Denver! Space is limited- the link is in our bio and or on our website. #meeting #wellbeing #denver #well #dental #meet #event #colorado #live #topdoctor #dental

Toxic Tuesday: Don’t grind your teeth away! Creative and conservative “no-prep” veneers can transform a smile and a life! In dental school we are taught the “drill and bill” approach to dental treatment. However, as technologies have evolved and dental materials have improved, the need to grind teeth down for crowns is mostly an outdated concept (in my humble opinion). Today’s story is one that illustrates how modern materials and creative thinking can combine synergistically to rejuvenate a smile, save a ton of natural tooth structure AND change a woman’s perception about the comfort of dentistry! I first met this patient about 5 years ago. Her goal was to investigate the health of a root canal. During her New Patient Experience, we observed that approximately 50% of her natural tooth structure had been ground away. When asked about whether she liked her smile and what her oral health goals were, she admitted she had life long-embarrassment of her smile, yet she wanted to retain her own teeth as long as possible vs. the traditional destructive veneer procedures. We discussed a new approach to improve her TMJ health, her facial muscle soreness, and also allow us to create a smile that would be much more esthetically pleasing. The video today demonstrates the 3 steps that were taken to rejuvenate her oral health and smile. ​1)​Her bite height was opened by replacing her old, short crowns with new taller all-ceramic crowns in a single visit. ​2)​Her teeth were straightened to help minimize tooth reshaping for veneers which took about 8 months. ​3)​No-prep veneers and onlays were used to restore her bite and smile esthetics in two visits. She could not be happier with the results! If you are considering bringing your damaged mouth back to health, we want you to be aware that you do NOT need to grind your teeth down for crowns to meet you goals! Reach out to us to find out how we can serve you and save your teeth!

Wellness Wednesday: Cape Cod teacher shares her positive BDC experience! We are honored to help this great patient. She knew she did not want her dead teeth treated with root canals due to her desire for long-term excellent health. She had her dental information emailed to us for review including 2D X-rays, photographs and a 3D Cone-Beam CT scan. With this information we were able to pre-plan her surgery and smile restoration. Listen to the enthusiasm with which she describes her experience at BDC! If you want to experience thriving health, addressing sources of toxicity in your mouth is a MUST! This is our area of special focus. Our artful blend of considering the psychology and biology of each human being we serve and harnessing the comfort and efficiency of multiple advanced technologies is a unique and welcome approach to the dental experience. That is why more and more people are seeing the value in traveling to Portland, Oregon for resolving their oral health issues. We invite you to experience the BDC difference for your oral and whole body health! Send us a message through our website today by clicking on the “Dental Tourism” button. We look forward to connecting with you soon! #wellness #welltravelled #well #wellnessjourney #dental #dentaltourism

Toxic Tuesday: The simplicity of replacing dead teeth with ceramic implants and crowns! Today’s story is about a woman from Cape Cod, Massachusetts who injured her two upper front teeth after fainting. She saw a traditional dentist and a dentist who calls himself “biological” for opinions on how to manage her broken teeth. Both of them told her “You need to get root canals”. Based on her desire to avoid the type of chronic infection that comes from having root canal treatment she opted to have the two teeth removed and replaced immediately with ceramic dental implants and splinted temporary crowns. As a teacher, she preferred to fly to see us during the week of her school’s spring break. She went through the BDC “New Patient Experience” on a Monday, had the teeth removed and replaced the next day, and then came in for our supportive therapies on Wednesday and Thursday. The supportive therapies include I.V. Vitamin C (PUR-C), “P.E.M.F.” therapy, and full-body red light and infrared light therapy in our NovoTHOR bed. Supporting the body’s ability to heal by using energetic modalities such as pulsed electromagnetic field therapy and biophotonic therapies is such common sense approach after oral surgery. Most of our patients say that these therapies are their favorite parts of the BDC experience! With our unique focus on creating positive energy and the feeling of a loving environment at BDC, we are helping people to enjoy their dental experiences. Even when having oral surgery! If you have dead teeth that you suspect are negatively impacting your health, we would love to help you. To find out more about our Dental Tourism system and how we can help you, please reach out to us through our website today! #holistichealth #optimalhealth #dentistry #root #rootcanal #toxic

https://www.blodgettdentalcare.com/toxic-tooth-tour-2024/#all-tour-stops

Toxic Tuesday: Continuously redefining what is possible! (Please note prior to watching the video that there is some blood. If you do not like seeing blood then this video is not for you.) One of my favorite aspects of modern biologically based dentistry is the progress that has been made in the world of dental implants. As few as 5 years ago the video that I am showing today would not have been possible to create in my practice. Thankfully the progress that has been made in both ceramic dental materials (i.e. – zirconia dental implants) and 3D guidance technologies are allowing practitioners like me to do things today that weren’t possible in the past. I feel very excited to witness what the next 5 years will bring! The woman in this video was suffering from chronic systemic symptoms for decades. She was in a car accident at the age of 19. All four lower incisors were treated with root canals and crowns. For 30 years she complained to her dentist about chronic pain. She also experienced constant bleeding of her gums. After 3 decades of getting nowhere with her dentist, she took matters into her own hands and was determined to find someone who would help her. Her brave decision led her to Blodgett Dental Care. After hearing all of her options, she decided to have the 4 infected root canals removed and replaced with two ceramic implants and a custom digitally designed and fabricated temporary bridge. The infected roots were sent to @dnaconnexionslab for analysis. The results showed an incredibly high level of infection of bacteria, viruses, and parasites, including numerous Lyme-associated microbes. After 2.5 months of healing the majority of her health symptoms (which were numerous) have been relieved! If you suffer from chronic health symptoms and have had no improvement despite trying many therapies, have you looked in your mouth? It may be the root cause. We can help. Ping us today to find out how! Blodgett Dental Care – Human

Wellness Wednesday: Hear directly from the patient whose smile we saved in yesterday’s post! She was told that replacing her tooth would take a year or more. She was told that a ceramic implant couldn’t be used. She was told that the process would be long and uncomfortable. But this isn’t at all what she experienced at Blodgett Dental Care! At BDC, I have built my practice on three pillars: Psychology, Biology, and Technology. All of our systems and protocols at BDC honor these three doctrines. Let’s consider this in more detail. Psychology – People bring not only their mouths with them to their dental visits but the rest of their body, along with every experience, good or bad (most often bad), and the emotions that are attached. Because every cell in our body listens to our thoughts and feelings, when we feel anxious, stressed, fearful, or ashamed, how can we expect our body to tolerate the stress of things such as surgical and restorative dentistry?! By acknowledging people’s feelings, goals, and past struggles, we build strong relationships with a foundation of trust. Biology – For the past 25 years, we have been an almost exclusively metal-free dental practice. We don’t push fluoride (a known neurotoxin). And we offer biocompatibility tests so that our patients can be assured that the materials being placed in their mouths will be well tolerated. Materials such as ceramic implants and crowns are our materials of choice. To respect human health, materials must be used that respect your biology! Technology – Your time is valuable. It is the one thing of which you cannot create more. So we aim to provide the most efficient care possible. By using synergistic advanced technologies we are commonly able to restore people’s entire mouths in as little as 1 or 2 visits. What you’ve been told is impossible at your dentist is most likely our daily norm at BDC. If you are seeking the best in biological dentistry, ping us

Toxic Tuesday: When a doctor tells you something isn’t possible, do you accept it? Or do you search for other options? When most people hear treatment options from their doctor they accept it as gospel. After all, they’re the doctor. Surely they will give you all of your options. But doctors (and dentists!) are just people. The suggestions and recommendations we offer are limited to our degree of training, experience and understanding. Such was the case with the woman whose photos and X-rays I’m sharing today. She experienced trauma to her upper left central incisor. The nerve of the tooth then died. Being a biologically based integrative physician, herself, she did not want to have root canal therapy performed on this tooth. She asked her “biological dentist” if she could have her tooth extracted and a ceramic implant placed at the same time. She was referred to a periodontist for his help. His opinion was that the only way to replace her tooth was to extract the tooth, wait 3-4 months for bone healing, then place a titanium (metal alloy) implant, wait for the bone to heal to that, and finally restore the implant. The estimated time to having a tooth back in place was 6-9 months. This did not sit well with her. Thankfully, I had met this physician at a muscle testing class and she had been following my IG posts. Based on what she had learned, she knew it was possible to replace her front tooth in a single visit. The only hurdle in her way was the distance between us. She lives in Texas! Believing that we would be able to help her meeting her goals of having an immediate ceramic implant and ceramic crown, she planned her dental tourism journey. The images today speak for themselves. As you can see, same day biologically compatible tooth replacement is possible! If you have dead or infected teeth you want replaced in a biologically respectful manner, reach out to learn about treatment options and our BDC Dental Tourism plan! #holistichealth

Wellness Wednesday: When energetic interferences are removed from the mouth healthful energy balance can be restored! *Repost* As a recap of yesterday’s post, a woman from Nebraska had gone through a neck fusion surgery in 2014 followed by having two titanium dental implants placed in her mouth in 2017. Within 2 months of the dental implants being placed she was experiencing horrible headaches every day. After having a dental materials sensitivity test performed she became aware that she was highly sensitive to nickel. As she learned that all dental implants have nickel in them, she chose to have the titanium dental implants removed and replaced with ceramic implants. She was able to accomplish all of this care in a single trip to Portland, OR to see us at BDC. When she returned 4 months later to restore the ceramic implants, she shared the most incredible story of health recovery! She said that since her titanium implants were removed she has not had a single headache. She is positive that the titanium implants were the root cause of her chronic headaches. She also shared that her family and friends in Nebraska thought that she was crazy to fly so far for our help at Blodgett Dental Care. Now, however, they are all believers! Her appreciation and gratitude for the care we offered her was significant! If you have metals in your body, including your mouth, and your health is suffering for no explainable reason, you may be sensitive to the metals inside your body. If you suspect that this may be an issue for you, consider having a “MELISA” test performed to gain an understanding of your body’s inherent metal sensitivities. Any dental practice with a phlebotomist or a phlebotomy lab can help you with a MELISA test. For help removing the metals in your mouth and replacing them with biocompatible ceramic implants or other biocompatible solutions, ping us through our website today. We would love to guide you back to optimal health!

Toxic Tuesday: The BDC approach to Biological Smile Rejuvenation. Dentistry is clearly the outcast arm of healthcare. Where else in medicine are providers licensed to put known toxic materials into people’s bodies and pretend it is healthy? Research has proven that mercury and fluoride are known neurotoxic chemicals (PMID 34263092 and 34948493, respectively). Yet the A.D.A. (American Dental Association) continues to tell the American public that these substances are safe and don’t negatively impact your health. No wonder so many people feel fearful of dentistry. Their intuitive senses and their clinical experiences are aware that some of traditional dental care is built on a foundation of deceit. To help people return to a state of biological balance with their oral health we at Blodgett Dental Care address three main issues: (1) Toxic metal and other substance exposures (i.e. – mercury fillings, fluoride, metal-based crowns, and titanium implants); (2) Chronic sources of infection (i.e. – root canals, gum disease and cavitation lesions); and (3) Creating a balanced bite where both the relationship of the jaws and connection of teeth are in harmony. Today’s video illustrates the story of a woman who was physically abused by her dentist over 10 years ago. Not only did he leave her with numerous sources of toxicity in her mouth and an imbalanced bite, but the way it was performed was nothing short of battery. (She was drugged and held down by the dentist so that she couldn’t move!) It took her over a decade to build up the courage to seek help again. Using the help of a Dental Anesthesiologist we were able to remove and replace her mercury fillings, remove her root canal-treated teeth and replace them with ceramic implants, and build her bite back to a balanced state using custom designed and milled temporary crowns. She is now back in Arizona healing well and excited for her 2nd phase of care where her permanent ceramic restorations wi

Toxic Tuesday: What’s scarier than ghosts at Halloween? Mercury fillings in your mouth! For the past 200 years an ongoing battle has occurred in the dental industry. This issue to which I am referring is whether it is safe to place mercury amalgam fillings in people’s mouths. The original proponents of mercury amalgam fillings in the early 1800’s argued that once the “silver fillings” set to a hardened state that the mercury was trapped inside the filling. Based on the technology available 200 years ago, most dentists fell for this fallacy. However, those dentists who understood the true chemical nature of mercury knew that this was a ridiculous argument. As two centuries have passed, technology has improved and scientific evidence has been gathered, it is now very clear that mercury fillings in your mouth not only constantly release toxic elemental mercury vapor, but that your lungs absorb that vapor as your breathe in and your gut lining absorbs it as it mixes with your saliva and food particles. Given the availability of much less toxic materials such as dental resin composites and ceramics, there is no longer any rational argument for the continued placement of mercury fillings, in my opinion. If you have mercury amalgam fillings in your mouth, I encourage you to find a dentist who is certified in the “Protect Protocol” as defined by the “I.A.B.D.M.” (International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine) or the “S.M.A.R.T. Protocol” as defined by the “I.A.O.M.T.” (International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology). These similar protocols ensure that you are appropriately protected when having mercury removed from your mouth. For help with safe mercury abatement from your mouth and biologically compatible new restorations, reach out to my team through my website or email us directly at [email protected]. We would love to help you achieve the optimal level of oral and whole body health you desire! #dental

Wellness Wednesday – The miracle of healing that occurs when we connect with our patients by listening, being present and providing truthful health care. There is so much more to great oral health care than the typical “drill, fill, bill, and if it hurts, kill” approach that most people experience in dentistry. The mouth is not only a physically sensitive region, but emotionally, as well. Most of the patients who seek out my practice have been shamed by their dentist and/or dental hygienist. They have been told that if something is wrong in their mouth that it must be their fault. And although it is true that lifestyle choices such as what we eat, how frequently we consume foods and drinks, and how we manage our oral home care play a role in oral health, it is equally as true that billions of people have been made sicker by the dental care they have received! Examples illustrating my point: Mercury: People receiving dental care cannot be blamed for putting mercury in their teeth. The dentist is responsible for that. Tooth nerve pain: Dental patients also are not responsible for over-heating teeth when drilling them which leads to post-treatment sensitivity and pain. Dentists are responsible for that, too. Root canal infection: Additionally, people cannot be blamed for the chronic infections that result after having root canal treatment. That is a dentist-caused (referred to as “iatrogenic”) condition. Healthcare relationships are two sided. Both the patient and the healthcare provider bear responsibilities in the relational dynamic. To honor this truth and build deep trusting relationships with our patients, I created the Blodgett Dental Care New Patient Experience. I refer to it as an “experience”, because that it was it is. People leave from these appointments having hope and a vision for a healthier future. Reading today’s image you can get a sense of just how positive of an experience we create with our patient

Toxic Tuesday – How an oral abscess can tank your health. This woman followed her dentist’s recommendation to restore a tooth because she was told, “You need a crown on that tooth.” No other options were given. That was in 2012. After having the tooth whittled down to a little nub and the crown glued on top, the tooth became sensitive and developed into chronic pain. It reached its peak of pain around 2014. Eventually the pain subsided but then she began noticing symptoms elsewhere in her body. Could a dead tooth lead to chronic health problems? Not according to her dentist in Chicago. But it was recommended that she get a root canal on her recently crowned tooth “to remove the infection” that had formed after the tooth died. Something did not feel right about this approach and after long and thoughtful consideration she chose to travel from Chicago to Portland, OR to see my team and me for help. What we found at her New Patient Experience (a Blodgett Dental Care exclusive process of interpersonal connection and total health assessment) was that her crowned tooth had died. The dead tooth had become an open gateway for microbes to enter into her jawbone. In response to this infection, her immune system developed an abscess which helped to drain the puss from inside the bone into her mouth. As a result of this long-standing infection, her immune system was being overly taxed on a daily basis. She was experiencing swelling in her head and neck and patches on her skin that were not explained by any other health issue. She knew in her gut that it had to be connected to her dead tooth. See the list of Lyme and other microbes that we found in her jaw in this video. It’s amazing that she wasn’t sicker than she was! Tune in tomorrow to read how she feels now that the infection is gone. Ping us through our website if you would like our help resolving your oral infections!