Tips for Battling COVID
As a healthcare professional, I receive significant amounts of information on many topics of health concerns…
And I feel obligated as a conscientious provider to pass along pertinent information to others so they can determine, for themselves, how it can better serve their lives. I’m writing this as a sort of preface of legal release on what you are about to read. I’ve received so much data on Covid and its effects on teeth… how we can homeopathically strengthen our immune systems… and on and on; but the pandemic is a very fluid situation, as is the data being generated. So for goodness sake, look at the source and try to investigate the validity of the research behind the statements or recommendations before you jump head-long into hyperbolation or nonsense! (In other words, do your research and speak with your healthcare providers when setting a course for your own health.)
Remember back in the spring when I wrote about the course I was taking online from a California nutritionist where he described the Four Pillars of Life? These pillars - Exercise, Nutrition, Sleep and Hydration - are pillars intended to extend your life. As I go over various Covid topics, these four pillars keep popping up in my head probably because (in my opinion) if we did the best we could in each of these four areas, we would be very healthy. We wouldn’t necessarily live to 100 or be disease-free, but the symptoms and duration of illnesses would be greatly diminished.
Covid effects on teeth have manifest themselves in interesting ways. Let’s take a closer look…
Covid survivors, “long haulers” as they are being described (those who were infected in the spring and are now experiencing long-term effects), report a tooth loosening and then falling out with no blood or pain. Dr. David Okono, periodontist at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, theorizes it may be a result of Covid’s effect on the circulation system, as are other symptoms such as swollen toes and hair loss. Dr. Michael Scherer, a prosthodontist in Sonoma California, feels Covid may exacerbate acute, already-present infection - such as gingivitis and preexisting periodontal disease. The American Dental Association (ADA) president-elect Cesar Sabater, D.D.S., agrees with the preexisting inflammation model due, in part, to the public replacing going to the dentist with less thorough home remedies. Both the ADA and Ohio Dental Association agree with Dr. Sabater and feel that the statement, “Wearing a mask all the time increases the occurrence of dental cavities” is incorrect. Rather, it’s a lack of proper dental care - not the mask - that is the major contributor.
The ADA reports that its members have seen significant increases in chipped and worn teeth, along with cracked porcelain restorations and TMJ sensitivity, as collateral damage from pandemic stress. Night guards, which for years have been the number one cost-effective protection for teeth and dental work, have been flying off the self-care shelves (as well as in dental offices) since May! Since May, there has been an increase in recommending the newest tooth protection, clear polymer day guards for the work-at-home-on-the-computer-all-day-with-kids-and–dogs-interruptions clenchers. And if you find yourself grinding or clenching holes through your guard in less than 3 months, try the newest technique of dual guards. Yes, a guard for each jaw. Sounds crazy, but it’s becoming very cost effective by reducing the focal points of pressure that cause premature wear, thereby increasing guard life by ten-fold!
Finally, I’ll go out on a limb and tell you the immune strengtheners that I have heard about from so many varied sources that there has to be some truth in their efficacy…
We all know that eating oranges and being outside to get some sun (in moderation) is good for us, but if your schedule is tight… is there a pill form? Yep. But do your homework. The amount and the form it comes in is very important. Vitamin C in orange juice has a short shelf-life and pill form is actually better for you. But you must take it in a time-released version; otherwise the body can’t assimilate it fast enough and you pee it out. Ever notice your pee getting very yellow on the days you remembered to take all of your vitamins at the same time? Vitamin C must be at a 1000 mg amount unless ulcers or sensitive stomach dictates 250 or 500 several times a day until you reach 1000. Vitamin C is not stored in any organ so you can take up to 2000-3000 mg a day, especially if you feel something coming on. Sunshine has Vitamin D, but a 5000 mg pill a day is a great substitute. At first I thought that was high, but in doing my homework and talking to colleagues, that is the magic number per day.
The newest member of the homeopathic immune builder group is zinc. Look it up… it actually is involved in fighting off bacteria and viruses at the cellular level and is found in all of our cells. The proper amount for women is 8 mg and for men, 11 mgs daily. Finally, remember one of the pillars is sleep; and if you are having trouble falling or staying asleep, melatonin has been, of late, a great over-the-counter aid. Analysis of patient data from Cleveland Clinic’s Covid-19 registry revealed melatonin usage was associated with nearly a 30% reduction in testing positive for SARS-CV-2. Remember when your mother wouldn’t let you stay up late to watch your favorite show? What did she say? “You need your sleep to do your best in school.” Wow, why was mom always right?!
So there you have it, my latest updates on battling the pandemic. I don’t know about you, but the holiday season stresses me at times and - with the Covid cloud over us - this year we are even more vulnerable to the collateral damages of stress. Don’t let your guard down! Try desperately to squeeze in the four pillars of life daily. We just don’t have time to be sick. Little baby Jesus is coming and we need to make his house ready!
Stay healthy out there,
- Dr. Pfister