The process of dental detoxification, which we understand as the elimination of oral inflammation, whether cysts, cavitations, or even gum inflammation, is of extreme importance not only in the treatment and prevention of cancer, but also in the maintenance of overall health. Normally, the doctor sees a body without a mouth, while most dentists see a mouth without a body.
In reality, both forget, or are often unaware that this connection is capable of making all the difference at the time of diagnosis and during treatment.
The concept of the connection between the oral cavity and the body was developed by the German doctor Reinhold Voll (1909-1989), creator of Voll’s electroacupuncture, who, through the use of specific equipment, managed to identify 12 meridians that make up these internal circuits. Divided into six channels of Yin force and six channels of Yang force, which are responsible for the balance of the body, these meridians form symmetrical, bilateral, exactly equal pairs that are responsible for the harmony of the main organs.
While the Yin meridians pass through the solid organs (spleen-pancreas, heart, pericardium circulation, liver, lungs, and kidneys) which elaborate and store substances essential for the functioning of the human body, the Yang meridians correspond to the hollow organs which absorb, purify and assist the circulation of bodily substances, impacting the bladder, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and gallbladder.
Based on Dr. Voll’s findings, other researchers have observed that the presence of amalgam fillings, dental infections and cavitations (also called NICO, Neuralgia Inducing Cavitational Osteonecrosis, which arise mainly when a tooth is extracted but the periodontal ligament is retained. The permanence of this ligament can stimulate the formation of a toxic inflammatory tissue that contains health-damaging CCL5 cytokines concentrated in the space left by the tooth extraction), directly impacting the corresponding organ. Studies on the presence of this cytokine have been able to establish a relationship between cancer and dental infections or metal contamination from fillings.
In 1931, the German physician and biochemist Otto Warburg won the Nobel Prize for Medicine for having linked sugar to the growth of tumour cells. Considered one of the great geniuses of humanity, Otto Warburg soon realised that genetic mutations may play a role in the progression of the disease, but are not the primary cause, as many people currently believe. Cancer presents a genetic instability as a consequence of a mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting from the change of aerobic to anaerobic metabolism. The increase in oncogenesis activity and the decrease in the action of suppressor genes are the initiation of cancer, and this process is disseminated with the migration of cancer cells through the vascular and lymphatic systems, for the formation of new tumours that feed through angiogenesis.
Cancer of genetic origin accounts for 5 to 10% of cases, 15% are of viral origin, while those of epigenetic origin, related to environmental factors and/or the patient’s lifestyle, account for 90 to 95%.
The presence of dental inflammation and toxic metals is part of epigenetics. “Genetics represent the revolver, and epigenetics squeeze the trigger.” It means that we may have a genetic predisposition, but this is not the determinant for developing the disease. This disease only develops “if we pull the trigger” and have bad lifestyle habits, toxins, inflammation, depression, among others.
An inflammation or infection in the oral cavity can be the hidden cause of many diseases, including cancer. Often a simple dental assessment, alongside a three-dimensional radiographic/CBCT image, can detect the weakened organ. This way, the elimination of toxic materials and infected teeth makes it possible to reverse some symptoms and even reverse the disease status back to a healthy status.
The examination of the over-expression of the inflammatory cytokine present in the jaw (CCL5) allows us to know if the existence of oral inflammation is affecting our organism systemically and that its over-expression can lead to the appearance of cancer. However, in recent years, personalised tests have been developed that are based on genetic methods and also on detecting and quantifying tumour cells from a liquid biopsy.
Through the liquid biopsy we can:
- Monitor the likelihood of cancer recurrence
- Detect and quantify the surrounding tumour cells as an early measure
- Identify specific markers of the surrounding stem cells
- Analyse which pharmaceuticals (chemotherapies and target therapies) and substances will be effective
In order to understand how technology works, we only need to observe the case of a patient with a chronic infection: he or she usually undergoes a series of tests, including urine, stool or blood collection for an antibiogram, which allows us to know which antibiotics are effective in the treatment. Why isn’t the same done for cancer? This liquid biopsy test allows us to know which chemotherapy is the most suitable and effective for each patient and if the patient will respond well to the treatment. It also allows us to classify the sensitivity to natural extracts and substances, thus allowing us to adopt vitamins or phytotherapeutics with anticancer properties, such as vitamin C, alpha lipoic acid, curcumin, melatonin, resveratrol, and vitamin D, among others.
In addition to reducing the adverse effects caused by chemotherapy, this method has the advantage of reducing or eliminating the chances of relapse and the achievement of a better response to treatment with a sensitivity to pharmaceuticals and natural substances. And all this from a simple blood analysis.
At the White Clinic, our consultation for oncology patients who have already had cancer or have relatives who have had cancer, consists of an integrative approach that includes clinical and radiographic observation, where CBCT plays an essential role in screening for the presence of chronic oral inflammation. In addition, complementary genetic exams will be performed, as well as exams where toxins, parasites, heavy metals, and metabolic deficiencies will be tested, including a liquid biopsy, in order to understand the presence of cancer or recurrence and, if necessary, a guide towards the best therapy or complementary therapies so that the treatment is the most effective and with the least adverse effects.
Dr. Ana Paz, Science, Research and Daily Practice at White Clinic
*Originally published in Jornal Dentistry.
