The tissues that anchor the teeth to the jaws are key to survival. If one's teeth begin to fail, it is time to become aware. Listen to what your body is telling you. Similar disease is also occurring in other organ systems. Those aches and pains, those irritable and inflammatory emotional responses are part of this too. Periodontal diseases are largely autoimmune disorders, with most damage caused by one's own uncontrolled inflammatory response.

Cells can't "see," but they use a sensory system similar to Braille to identify friend or antigen. A controlled autoimmune inflammatory process first causes eruption of the teeth. Enamel triggers an antigenic response, just as the marks of certain bacteria or foods trigger the antigenic inflammatory response. Inside the jaw, a cyst always surrounds the enamel. The boundary of the cyst is created by the controls of the inflammatory process. When a tooth first enters the mouth, the enamel is squeezed from the body just as a boil or a pimple is erupted. The root surface of teeth has a bony covering called cementum, which is well accepted by the immune system unless marked by antigens. Many teeth form with traces of antigenic enamel on root surfaces. When antioxidant-buffering mechanisms become exhausted, inflammation begins near marked root surfaces.

Inflammation is controlled in the same way as a "bumper car" at the fair, with both the accelerator and the brake functioning at all times. If the brakes fail, the "friendly fire" of inflammatory chemistry can liquefy bone, joint tissues, or teeth in short order. Inflammation creates a heightened state of critical demand for nutrients necessary to quench oxidative reactions. Lack of magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, vitamin E, sulfur-containing amino acids, or vitamin C can allow rapid liquefaction of membranes, destroying the structural integrity of the cells. Co Q enzyme 10, 90 to 150 mg per day will tighten gums, reduce pockets, as well as reduce elevated blood pressure.

The classical odors of a poorly-drained swamp are created in one's mouth when damaged dead tissues attract scavenging putrefactive families of anaerobic bacteria. Only when pus pockets in the gums are disturbed does one become aware of their odor. The same uncontrolled inflammatory response often exists in the sinuses and in the lungs, creating personal and social awareness of those offensive odors. The same heightened inflammatory response may express itself as plaque, arthritis, asthma, skin conditions, headache, trigger points, cellulite or irritability and fatigue. Uncontrolled inflammatory processes increase risk of the major killers, heart disease and cancer. If parts of one's body are rotting, change is desirable.

Pophyromonas gingivalis (a common cause of gum disease) may promote arterial disease. Eleven hundred men were followed at the Boston VA Outpatient Clinic with varying levels of gum disease for twenty-five years. The ones with bad gums had almost double the heart attack rate and three times the stroke rate. Women with bad gums deliver babies with low birth weights.

Elevated homocysteine is a most significant risk factor for heart disease and stroke, as well as all other inflammatory diseases. One theory is that the homocysteine itself injures the artery wall, but more cogent is that elevated plasma homocysteine indicates disordered glutathione metabolism. Glutathione is the primary membrane-bound antioxidant system and detoxifier. First vitamin C is used fighting inflammation, then glutathione. When glutathione is depleted, we decompose. Cold-processed whey protein effectively boosts glutathione. NAC (n-acetyl cysteine) is a bioavailable precursor to glutathione. Vitamin E, selenium, lipoic acid, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and/or betaine hydrochloride recycle glutathione and reduce harmful homocysteine.