Roots of disease

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The Roots of Disease

Connecting Dentistry and Medicine

by Kulacz

FOREWORD TO

THE ROOTS OF DISEASE:

CONNECTING DENTISTRY AND MEDICINE

by Kulacz, D.D.S.

and Levy, M.D., J.D.

I took so much medicine I was sick a long time after I got well.

Carl Sandburg, The People, Yes

I was fortunate to be raised in a household where folk medicine was

common practice. Therefore, when I was growing up, alternative

medicine was always an option. We lived on an isolated farm in

Michigan back then, but my grandmother Maggie had grown up in rural

Mississippi, attuned to folkways. My youngest uncle suffered from

epilepsy in those days before there was any reliable treatment for

controlling seizures. I remember how Maggie would hover over him

when he had a seizure, dribbling a thimbleful of laundry bluing into

his mouth.

Kulacz, D.D.S. and E. Levy, M.D., J.D.

That was the remedy she had learned in Mississippi. (To this day,

probably out of dread, I have never identified the specific

ingredient in the laundry bluing manufactured in the thirties that

was supposed to help my uncle recover from his seizures. But the

important thing was that Maggie believed the treatment worked, and

because she believed it, my uncle did, too.)

Years later, because of an accident I had on a movie set, the

cartilage in my knees had virtually given out. At one point I could

barely walk. I was advised to go to New Mexico to try a therapy with

a German doctor who was practicing holistic medicine. He gave me

injections of bee venom in my knees and other pressure points, and

my condition improved, at least to the extent that I could function

again. I had been told that I would eventually need to have knee

replacement surgery, but the idea was to forestall replacement as

long as I could. My experience with bee venom was my first attempt

to elect alternative means of healing.

Before I met Dr. Kulacz, I needed root canal surgery. After a

number of tests, it was determined I should be very careful about

the kind of metal that went into my teeth. I set out to learn all I

could about the risks of mercury fillings. At the time, more and

more people were acknowledging the potential problems with mercury

fillings, but most dentists were reluctant to consider alternate

materials. They did not want to let go of traditional methods or

established treatments. I wanted to find a dentist who was open to

new procedures, and my search eventually led me to Bob Kulacz.

When I approached him, he was aware of the controversy about mercury

fillings but he had not yet tried alternative treatments. Not only

did Dr. Kulacz agree to give me fillings without mercury, his

fascination with the whole subject led him into extensive research.

As this book demonstrates, he opens his mind to new possibilities in

his field, investigating and testing as he tries to find the best

ways of caring for his patients.

The book Dr. Kulacz and Dr. Levy have written explores

the connection between dentistry and medicine. Connection is the key

word here. Every human being is an entity of body, mind and spirit.

In the universe of the human body, as the old song goes, " The head

bone's connected to the neck bone, " and so on. It is those dentists

and physicians that look for connections who are most likely to

serve their patients well. Not surprisingly, holistic medicine

actively involves the patient as well as the doctor. The patient's

obligation is to be as open minded and as aggressive as possible in

the stewardship of his own health.

Laundry bluing, bee venom and an alternative to mercury: These three

examples opened my mind. That is what I ask of you, the reader, as

you pick up this book. Open your mind, and make your own thoughtful,

informed decisions about what you may learn here.

Earl

INTRODUCTION

This book was written because it had to be written. From both the

dental and medical perspectives, we have seen an epidemic of the

most widespread proportions continue to widen rather than lessen.

The hidden infections found in all root canal treated teeth continue

to be arguably the most significant cause of many serious

degenerative diseases, most notably cancer and heart disease. It is

our opinion that the evidence clearly shows that many, if not most,

significant diseases and medical conditions get their start in the

dentist's chair. The dental procedures commonly performed every day

by practicing dentists certainly initiate many, and worsen most,

medical conditions.

Root canal treated teeth are not the only sources of dental

infection, although they are probably the most significant in terms

of the severity of the diseases they cause. Cavitations are another

major contributing source of dental toxicity that remains virtually

unknown to the vast majority of practicing dentists today in both

the United States and the rest of the world. The case histories that

we have cited are nevertheless very real, and the number of people

affected by the toxicity of cavitations exceeds even the number of

people affected by the toxicity of root canal treated teeth. The

vast majority of people who have ever had teeth extracted,

especially the larger teeth such as the wisdom teeth and molars, are

suffering from the toxicity of these gangrenous holes in their

jawbones. This also means that older dental patients who may feel

that they have " escaped " the many toxins associated with modern

dental care when they finally get full-mouth extractions and

dentures have only traded one form of dental toxicity for another

form. The denture wearers uniformly have an enormous amount of

cavitation-related toxicity. In isolated patients, cavitation

toxicity can be as bad or worse than root canal treated teeth

toxicity.

Another enormous source of infective dental toxicity that has gained

publicity in the last decade or so is that of periodontal, or gum-

related, disease. The association between variable degrees of

periodontal disease and very significant medical diseases such as

heart disease and stroke has received unequivocal confirmation in

the medical and dental literature. It appears clear that any dental

infection, whether it is gum-related, root canal-related, cavitation-

related, abscess-related, or implant-related, has very consistent

and serious medical consequences.

Much of what we have written about in this book relates to the

concept of focal infection. A focal infection seeds microbes and

their associated toxins throughout the body. The mouth continues to

be the most significant source of these seedings. While we have

attempted to relate a number of compelling case histories of

patients we have encountered with dental toxicity and focal

infection-related clinical syndromes, we have also included an

extensive appendix at the end of this book. This appendix contains

only a sampling of the very many pertinent abstracts from the

current dental and medical articles in the scientific literature.

The reader can choose to just read the bulk of this book and trust

that we are relating scientifically valid observations, or the

motivated reader can also find even greater definitive support for

our position on the toxicity of dental infections from this appendix

of cited abstracts.

The premises offered in this book do affect the financial

livelihoods of a large percentage of dentists. While we don't intend

to speculate on any theories of conspiracy or other such dark

notions, it is very important to always fully appreciate the " money

trail " when trying to understand why things work they way do.

Presently, an endodontist who fully understood, appreciated, and

acknowledged the validity of all the information presented in this

book would simply have to stop doing root canal procedures. It is no

surprise, then, that very few endodontists are open to even

considering whether this information could be true. Ironically, if

the discerning endodontist was reading this book carefully, it would

be obvious to him or her that a enormous amount of work still

remains to be done in order to properly address the untold numbers

of cavitations that need proper surgical cleaning. Endodontists

could very well end up becoming cavitation specialists after giving

up doing root canal procedures. However, it would involve both a

major change in dental practice, additional training, and a complete

renouncement of the fatally flawed root canal procedure. Like most

people, dental specialists such as endodontists don't like having

the " rules " changed after their formal educations have been

completed. Nor do they wish to entertain theories and concepts that

conflict with the foundations of their original professional

educations. Massive change will always be resisted, regardless of

how appropriate that change may be. This is not to say that

endodontists and other dentists intend to hurt anyone. They simply

refuse to believe that a major change in the way they practice

dentistry is in the best health interests of the public.

Unfortunately, the root canal procedure is presently being performed

more frequently than ever before. By the early 1960's root canal

procedures were performed in the United States at the rate of about

3 million per year. This rate increased to roughly 40 million per

year by the early 1990's. Currently (2002) in the United States more

than 50 million root canal procedures are being performed per year.

Since the international dental community largely follows the lead of

the United States, the frequency of root canals is similarly

skyrocketing across the world. Even if modern medicine finds some

way to keep patients alive while lessening their symptoms with

prescription medications, chronic degenerative diseases can be

expected to appear ever earlier in life as more and more root canal

procedures are performed. Indeed, many cardiologists will tell you

that only a few decades ago it was almost unheard of for a man in

his 20's to sustain a heart attack. Now it is not so uncommon. We

feel the evidence presented in this book clearly demonstrates that

dental toxicity is a primary reason for the appearance of heart

disease as well as many other chronic degenerative diseases.

From the perspectives of both dentistry and medicine, we believe the

science supporting the toxicity of the root canal treated tooth, the

cavitation, the implanted tooth, the abscessed tooth, and infected

gum tissue is not in doubt, and actually has not been in doubt for a

very long time. We feel very strongly that dentists and physicians

must be guided entirely by what is scientifically true and by what

is in the best health interests of their patients. The desire to

avoid change and to regard all historical as well as current

scientific beliefs as being beyond reproach and question must no

longer play any role in health care. The education of our dentists

and physicians must truly be a lifelong process that does not end

upon acceptance of a diploma. The license to practice a dental or

medical discipline is a privilege, not a right. Most education

begins after the awarding of an academic degree. Dentists and

physicians alike must take full responsibility for the welfare of

their patients. They must always strive to attain the complete truth

in their knowledge base, to follow the most effective of treatment

philosophies, and to maintain the greatest of integrity in their

care giving.

1

ROOT CANAL PROCEDURES:

ANATOMICAL AND CLINICAL ASPECTS

None of the Usual Suspects

Mr. 's condition was deteriorating rapidly. It had been a month

since his shortness of breath forced him to be admitted to the

hospital. His family was gathered in a conference room along with

two of his physicians. The pulmonologist, ( lung specialist), spoke

to the group:

" We do not have any answers as to the cause of Mr. 's

condition. We looked everywhere for a primary source for the

infection but we found nothing. " At that point I (RK) felt compelled

to speak up:

" No you didn't. You didn't check his mouth. Mr. has two root

canals and moderate to severe gum disease. "

The pulmonologist appeared to completely ignore my comment, although

his quick glance at the cardiologist sitting in the corner appeared

to be an attempt to see if he had support in regarding me as another

renegade dentist who just didn't get it. It was very clear to me

that this doctor was not willing to even entertain the possibility

of an oral focus as the cause of Mr. 's condition.

Unfortunately, Mr. died the next day.

With the family's permission I obtained Mr. 's complete

hospital record. There were more question marks and frustrated

uncertainties in the chart than there were definitive answers. It

seemed that nobody had any idea why Mr. was sick. Certainly,

nobody put into writing any scientifically plausible hypothesis as

to why Mr. was so sick. Multiple consultations by a variety of

medical specialists led to the same diagnostic dead end. Lacking any

clear answers for his condition, these consultants literally flooded

his body with antibiotics, even though all of the blood cultures

testing for bacteria turned out negative. When the first set of

antibiotics failed to produce any clinical improvement, different

antibiotics were tried. This non-focused, machine gun-like

administration of multiple drugs continued until Mr. 's kidneys

and liver could no longer handle the toxic assault of the side

effects of those drugs, along with the toxic effects of his

underlying disease. Faced with this toxicity and the ongoing stress

of the unchecked infection, these organs finally began to shut down.

And, still, there was no diagnosis. There was never a diagnosis. The

question marks continued to pile up in the medical record.

Mr. , however, is not such an unusual case. Many people die

every day in hospitals without a clear diagnosis. The final cause of

death in such a patient commonly ends up being the " diagnosis, " such

as heart attack, blood clot, stroke, or respiratory failure. But

what led up to so many of these " final causes " of death?

Sixteen years ago Mr. had a root canal procedure on one of his

teeth. During this treatment process he developed a heart infection

known as sub-acute bacterial endocarditis (SBE). This infection was

caused by bacteria from the infected tooth that had undergone the

root canal procedure. These bacteria entered the bloodstream and

traveled to Mr. 's heart, where the bacteria actually invaded

and grew upon one of the heart valves. The damage to the heart valve

was so severe that it became necessary to do a heart valve

replacement surgery.

SBE is often a life-threatening illness. Although an infected tooth

is not the only source of the bacteria or other microorganisms that

can cause SBE, Mr. 's SBE was clearly traced to his root canal

treated tooth. This raised a very significant and logical question:

After already having had such a severe illness caused by a dental

infection, why was the possibility of disease-provoking oral

bacteria as a cause for Mr. 's current illness not explored?

The answers will shock you. As we shall see, one or more root canal

treated teeth should always at least be given consideration as a

primary cause, or a secondary and contributory cause, in the vast

majority of diseases and clinical syndromes.

What Isn't Taught Doesn't Exist

The dental school curriculum exposes students to the basic

biological sciences, such as biochemistry and physiology. However,

most students regard these courses only as necessary requirements

for graduation. They are not viewed as important building blocks for

achieving a comprehensive understanding of how the body works and

how the diseases of the mouth affect the rest of the body. There are

few references to general medicine in dental school training, and

little, if any, practical integration of the basic sciences into the

clinical practice of dentistry. The main focus of a dental education

is on the clinical and technical skills necessary for the everyday

practice of dentistry. The basic sciences that should be thoroughly

understood by any person with the title of " Doctor " are almost

completely neglected by students in the dental school curriculum.

Most dentists graduating from dental school are lacking a true

understanding of the basic sciences. Their knowledge of general

medicine ends up being literally little more than that of

laypersons, unless they are motivated to study medicine further on

their own.

Similarly, physicians must also take the basic biological science

courses in medical school. But they, too, end up primarily focused

on the clinical and practical aspects of their educations. There is

very little mention of dentistry in medical school. Physicians are

not trained in the diagnosis or treatment of dental disease, and

they certainly receive no education regarding the materials used in

dentistry. It's almost as if there is an unspoken understanding

between dentistry and medicine that one has nothing to do with the

other! Therefore, it should come as no surprise that many medical

diseases caused by dental infections often go undiagnosed. In fact,

as we saw earlier, it is rare that a dental infection such as is

found in the root canal treated tooth is even given consideration as

a possible contributing cause to a medical condition.

So, herein lies the problem. Dentists are not trained in medicine,

and physicians are not trained in dentistry. In other words, NOBODY

IS MINDING THE STORE! Both the medical and dental professions have

largely ignored the vital mutual relationship between their

respective disciplines. However, we will see that this was not

always the situation. But let us first try to understand better what

a " root canal " is, which is the common way of referring to a root

canal treated tooth. Then, we will see why this dental infection is

so often devastating to the overall health of the patient.