Sandra Calleros, DDS

310-414-9564

Laser Bacterial Reduction

Laser Bacterial Reduction

Inflammation: the secret killer

In 2004, Time Magazine ran a cover story entitled "The Secret Killer.". It addressed the "surprising link between inflammation and heart attacks, cancer, Alzheimers, and other diseases, and what we can do to fight it."

The article reported that simply "flossing your teeth combats gum disease, a source of chronic inflammation."

We were pleased that the media had finally awakened to a problem that we have already identified and begun to aggressively treat.  We use not just floss and other personal oral hygiene products but also lasers to kill the bacteria associated with gum disease, inflammation and infection.

Describing "The Fires Within," Time reported that "hardly a week goes by without the publication of yet another study uncovering a new way that chronic inflammation does harm to the body.  It destabilizes cholesterol deposits in the coronary arteries, leading to heart attacks and strokes.  It chews up nerve cells in the brains of Alzheimer's victims.  It may even facilitate the transformation of abnormal cells into cancer.

Chronic inflammation may be the engine that drives many of the feared illnesses of middle and old age."

Be assured, we will not allow you to suffer the effects of inadequately treated chronic gum inflammation.  We are one of the few offices with the means to offer comprehensive therapy.

The mouth/body connection:

The founders of The Mayo Clinic have declared: "A healthy mouth can add years to your life!"

They were referring to a growing body of evidence that has linked serious gum disease, also known as periodontitis, to a number of "systemic diseases that afflict the body.  We do not yet understand the exact nature of the connection, but studies emphasize that the benefits of having a healthy mouth go far beyond personal appearance and no cavities.
The possibility that pathology within the mouth can influence systemic disease has been suggested by the U.S. Surgeon General and in numerous investigations exploring the relationship between periodontal disease and coronary heart disease, stroke, pregnancy complications, diabetes and bacterial pneumonia.

What is clear is that treating periodontal disease by eliminating infection and its accompanying inflammation will help:

  • Reducte or eliminate Bacteremias
  • Reduce or eliminate Cross Contamination
  • Kill Potential Periodontal Infections before they cause loss of attachment
  • Boost the immune system
  • Reduce the severity of other disease processes
  • And improve overall health  

When compromised by inflammation, the gum tissue that surrounds the teeth is a vast portal of entry for microbes.  Even inhaling bacteria and viruses that inhabit periodontal pockets has the potential to trigger infection.

Gum disease and tooth loss are related to deterioration of bone mass.  Periodontitis disrupts disease management by diabetics and doubles their likelihood of heart problems and kidney failure.  Pregnant women with periodontal infection are at risk of preterm and low birth weight babies.

How does that change oral health?

Oral health care has changed forever.  Our recognition of the oral-system disease connection has fundamentally changed our practice of dentistry.  Simple "management" of disease is totally unacceptable.  Our greater responsibility is to
cure periodontal inflammation and infection.

The Journal of the American Dental Association concludes that the traditional treatment model has not worked (The Oral-System Disease Connection." Journal of the American Dental Association October 2006).   Witness the prevalence of oral infection today, in spite of conventional approaches to care.  Our new design addresses a comprehensive understanding of disease processes that allows us to more definitively focus on your needs with a new arsenal of weapons to fight chronic inflammation.

Oral Medicine:

The link between inflammation of the gums and debilitating or even life-threatening system disease is real.

Our multi-disciplinary approach is often coordinated with primary-care physicians with whom we are eager to work.  Together, we understand the physiology of the mouth, share patients with identifiable risk factors, and have the means to address their needs.

In most cases, the therapy performed by Calleros Dental providers is sufficiently comprehensive to deal with oral inflammation and infection.  The sooner treatment is initiated, however, the better we are able to avoid the system consequences of inaction.

This is why we are so passionate about periodontal therapy.  More than just a simple cleaning, it is in every way the practice of oral preventive and therapeutic medicine.

Changing the future:

We at Calleros Dental use lasers to attack periodontal inflammation at the microscopic level of infection.  The power of its focused light destroys otherwise inaccessible bacterial colonies while simultaneously creating an ideal environment for healing.  Today, our practice offers our patients the hope of a better tomorrow by providing oral health care in ways that were science fiction only a few years ago.

We are not only cleaning teeth and creating beautiful smiles.  With our enlightening therapy, we are doing more than enhancing lifestyle.

  • Each time we treat a patient, we are changing their future
  • We are prolonging lives and saving life itself. 

We want to hear from you!

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We encourage you to contact us with any questions or comments you may have. Please call our office or use the quick contact form below.