Iron is most often associated with anemia when it is low, but it is one of the most critical elements necessary for all life on the plane. Fully one-third of the world's population suffers from iron deficiency. The rate jumps to 2/3 in developing areas. Iron overload (too much iron in the body), which is also called hemochromatosis, is also quite common and is associated with a long list of pathologies and diseases, including early death. The problem with detecting undesirable iron levels lies in the fact that most doctors don't order the correct tests. The tests that they do order have lab value ranges that allow problematic levels to go undetected. The post will address the correct tests your doctor should order to correctly identify problems with your iron levels.
Read MoreMore commonly known as canker sores, recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) can be quite a nuisance. Because the sores are associated with systemic inflammation, I believe that they can be preventable, and I have seen this first-hand in patients. Today I want to cover three important ways you can help prevent them. I also want to tell you about a surprising at-home treatment that has proven to be more effective than prescriotion medication.
Read MoreI am a proponent of using botanicals to help treat numerous conditions. Allicin from garlic and sulforaphane from cruciferous are two great examples of botanicals that are effective in treating a variety of illnesses. Many websites cite them as home cures for dental abscesses. I did a quick search on the web and found 27 home cures for dental infections. I searched PubMed for studies supporting claims that any of the 27 could cure dental infections. The research, sadly, did not support these claims. Today I am going to give a short primer on the three types of dental infections to explain why I was not surprised by the fact that, in most instances, they will have little to no effect.
Read MoreI started eating the carnivore diet on January first of this year. So far the results have been very positive. I have decided to do periodic updates as the improvements become permanent. I have great news about my chronic medial epicondylitis…
Read MoreSugarless gum chewing is touted as being supported by four out of five dentists. Sadly, there are many risks to habitual gum chewing that most people are unaware of. Today I will talk about the range of problems gum chewing can lead to. Some of them can be quite severe.
Read MoreThree unusual problems I commonly see together are a scalloped tongue, A white line on the inner cheek and ear pain. Today I will address how they may be related to one larger problem.
Read MoreCracked teeth are so common as to be practically ubiquitous. A tooth crack is not a disease but is instead a risk factor for further problems. Fractures tend to grow and change over time; therefore it is very important for dentists to screen for cracks and catch them early. The prognosis of cracked tooth that is not treated will progressively deteriorate and may evolve into a split tooth or result in severe periodontal defects. Eventually the tooth may be lost. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are essential in saving these teeth. This post discusses the ways to approach diagnosing and treating a cracked tooth.
Read MoreRed light therapy is becoming more and more popular lately. The benefits are so numerous as to seem too good to be true. In today’s post I will discuss the science behind the claims.
Read MoreSadly, many people avoid going to the dentist, but when teeth start hurting, their motivation goes up. Unfortunately, waiting until you have a toothache is like trying to fix the roof while it is raining. Today I am going to talk about tooth pain in all of its varieties and what you should do about it.
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