Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc - The Role of Some Nutritional Elements in the Health of the Teeth and their Supporting Structures by JOHN A. MYERS

14 Pages·1958·1.011 MB·English

by  JOHN A MYERS

The Role of Some Nutritional Elements in the
m Health of the Teeth and their
o
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s. Supporting Structures*
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pr JOHN A. MYERS
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st ReprintedfromANNALIIorDmmBTBT
o Vol.XXII,No.2,JUDe,1938
P Pri.rIUdin U.S.A.
In the November 1957 issue of "Science,"l Dr. Theodor Rosebury, professor
of Bacteriology at the School of Dentistry, Washington University, St. Louis,
Missouri, writes a tribute to Dr. William J. Gies entitled, "A Challenge to
Dentistry." Dr. Gies made a survey of dental education in the United States
and Canada for the Carnegie Foundation For The Advancement Of Teaching.
m
o It was published in 1926 as "Bulletin Number Nineteen'? and it is considered
c
s. a landmark in dental education. He asked, among other things, for a greater
s
re cooperationinmedical-dentalrelationsandthedevelopmentofresearch-minded
p
er ness amongdental teachers as a group. In many parts ofhis studyhe compared
v
ri dentistry with medicine. However, the present understanding of basic cellular
e
en physiology of all tissues makes it as inappropriate to compare dentistry with
sel medicine as it would be to compare ophthalmology, obstetrics, dermatology, or
by psychiatry with medicine. Teeth are living physiologic entities like all other
nly tissuesofthebodyandareaffectedbyvariationinphysiologicchemistry. Conse
e o quently, medical and dental cooperation is imperative for research in dental
us disease.
al The association of dental caries and general healthis discussed by Dr. Ernest
n
o A. Hooton,professorofAnthropologyatHarvardUniversity.Inhisbook, "Apes,
ati
c Men and Morons,"3 he comments as follows:
u
d "I firmly believe that the health of humanity is at stake, and that unless
e
d steps are taken to discover preventives of 'tooth infections and correctives of
n
n a dental deformation, the course of human evolution will lead downward to
o extinction. The facts that we must face are, in brief, that human teeth and
ati
v the human mouth have become, possibly under the influence of civilization,
r
se thefoci ofinfections that undermine the entire bodily healthofthe species and
e
r that degenerative tendencies in evolution have manifested themselves in
p
al modernman tosuchanextentthat ourjawsare toosmall for the teeth which
c
ri they are supposed to accommodate, and that, as a consequence, these teeth
o
st eruptsoirregularlythattheirfundamental efficiencyisoftenentirelyornearly
hi
al destroyed."
rci Dr. Hooton points out the strategic position of dentistry in this situation:
e
m "Inmy opinion there is one and only one course of action which will check
m
o the increase ofdental disease and degeneration which may ultimately cause the
c
n extinction of the human species. This is to elevate the dental profession to a
o
n plane on which it can command the services of our best research minds to
r
o study the cause and seekfor the cure ofthesedental evils. The dental practi
d f
e tioner should equip himself to become the agent of an intelligent control of
ost human evolution, in so far as it is affected by diet. Let us go to the ignorant
P
savage, considerhis ways ofeating, and bewise. Let us-ceasepretending that
tooth brushes and toothpaste are any more important than shoe brushes and
*Presented at theMedico-dentalmeeting, NewYorkAcademyofDentistry, February
13,1958.
35
36 JOHN A. MYERS
shoe polish. Itis storefood whichhasgivenus storeteeth."
Proof that dental caries and pyorrhea may be caused and controlled by the
physiologic chemistry of the diet has been produced by both a dentist and a
physician. The dentist, Dr. Weston A. Price, travelled around the worldgather
ing data on the dental health of many tribes and peoples. In his book, "Nutri
tion and Physical Degeneration,"· Dr. Price tells the stories of deterioration of
m dental health when tribal people changed from a raw-material diet to one of
o
c processed foods of civilization.
s.
s The physician, Dr. FrancisM. Pottenger,Jr., performed a 10year experiment
e
r on the effects of cooked food fed to cats. The remarkable deterioration of the
p
er dental structures, as well as thegeneral debilitation of theanimals, is recorded
v
ri in his paper entitled, "The Effects of Heat Processed Foods and Metabolized
e
n Vitamin D Milk on Dento-Facial Structure of Experimental Animals."5 Many
e
el others have contributed equally convincing material to prove the association of
s
y dental disease and nutrition, butillustrationsfrom Dr. Priceand Dr. Pottenger,
b
y Jr. will satisfy our present need.
nl The primary quest of Dr. Pricewas tofind the cause oftooth decay. Thiswas
o
e established quite readily as being controlled directly by nutrition. In primitive
s
u people with strong and well developed teeth and dental arches, the adoption of
al processed foods quickly led to tooth decay and pyorrhea. In subsequentgenera
n
o tions,eventhefirstgenerationafteradoptionofthemodernizeddiet, thechildren
ati displayed a chain of developmental disturbances that looked exactly like the
c
du expressions of degenerative disease of our modern civilization in Europe and
e
d America.
n The most striking characteristic was a narrowing of the face and the dental
a
n arch, with insufficientspace for the teeth inproperalignment. Teeth erupted at
o
ati variousanglesandpositions,givingneedfortheartoforthodontiainthespaceof
v one generation. Of greatest importance, however, was the fact that after giving
r
e
s birth,to childrenwith defective teethand dental archeswhile onthe modernized
e
r diet, a return to the primitive diet allowed the same mother toproducechildren
p
al withgood teethand wellformed arches. Thisisimportant,becauseitshowsthat
ric the condition is due to environmental growth of the egg cell-not its heredity.
o
st This finding gives hope that the proper nourishment of our prospective mothers
hi will lead to future generationswithgood dental archesandgoodteethagain. Our
al problem is to try to find those dietary elements which are most important to
ci
r thehealthofthemotherandherunbornchild.
e
m Sometimesitisdifficultto obtaindirectevidencefor thesolutionofaproblem,
m
o butbyamassingandcorrelatingevidenceassociatedwithit,onecanoftendeduce
c
n valuable information that maybe used for the solution of theproblem athand.
o
n This line of inquiry is the only one available in the study of atomic structure.
or Theactualatoms are notvisible, norcanthey be handled directly, yet tremen
d f dous masses ofinformation have been developed. From these data models of
e
st extremelyintricateatomic structuresarebuiltwithgreatspatialaccuracy. From
o
P the basic elements of the Periodic Table, amino acids are synthesized and these
amino acidsareplacedin proper positionincomplicated chainsand twisted con
figurations toduplicate biologicallyproducedhormonessuchasinsulin, thyroxin
and pituitrin. By the genius of correlated intuitive deduction, much valuable
work has been accomplished. The same kindof reasoning and deduction islead
in/!;tothesolutionofthestructureoftheatomicnucleusandtheultimateunder
standing of the electro-chemical nature of matter and the universe. Using this
associative and correlative thinking, Dr. Price was led to some striking con
clusions.
BOLE OF NUTRITIONAL ELEMENTS IN HEALTH OF TEETH 37
In his quest for information leading to the cause of dental caries, he studied
manyprimitiveracesallover the world. At theedge ofcivilization, where primi
tive man comes in contact with modernized diet, he watched the beginnings of
physical degeneration and noted the associated defects, along with the develop
ment of tooth decay. He was greatly impressed by the general lack of resistance
to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, boils, and sinus diseases. More im
m portant, he wasimpressedwith the difficulty ofprocreation: first, difficultlabor;
o later, difficulty of becomingpregnant, and, stilllater, difficulty with nursing the
c
s. newborn child. Justasthe teethanddentalarchesofthe child showed deteriora
s
e tion, so the general skeleton became less rugged and husky and the bones more
r
p
r fragile. There was a change of disposition and a lowering of normal mental effi
e
v ciency and acuteness, chiefly observed as mental backwardness. A certain per
ri
e
n centage of these children withpersonality disturbancesdevelopedexpressions of
e
el unsocial traits. They include children whom we call in our modern society
s "juvenile delinquents." We try to account for this juvenile delinquency largely
y
b on a basis of some conditioning experience that has developed after the child
y
nl has reached an impressionable age. Dr. Price's investigations indicate that the
o
e deteriorationof the physical structure ofthe brain, aswell asthebody, starting
s beforethechildisborn,ismoreresponsibleforthe juveniledelinquencythanthe
u
al conditioninginfluences ofthe environment.
on Considering the marked immaturity, emotional and mental disturbances of
ati children as by-products ofthe underlying cause of dental caries, the importance
c
u ofdiscovering the cause ofthe basic physiologic defect becomesimperative.
d
e Palliating the developing carious teeth by the fine arts of Dentistry with fill
nd ings, inlays, bridges, plates, and orthodontic appliances, together with mass
a
n medication offluoride, tooth brushes and toothpastes, offers a poorsolution to a
o tremendous problem-the problem of an acquired intrauterine developmental
ati change, which oftenlookslikeanhereditarydefectand which threatens the very
v
er foundations of our civilization.
s
e An analysis of foods of primitive people, who had good physiques, excellent
r
p
al teeth and dental arches, shows the presence always of high-quality, fresh dairy
c products, fish, fish eggs, fish oils, and sea kelp. Primitivessuch as the Indiansof
ri
o the High Andeswerewillingtogohundredsofmilesto theseato getthesefoods
st
hi for the use of their people, especially prospective mothers. In their primitive
al knowledge of medicine, they knew that sea kelp prevented the goiter that oc
ci curred so frequently in the white race. Theyknew that repeated pregnancy and
r
e
m lactation caused goiter; also, that adolescent girls6 developed goiter more fre
m quently than boys (3 to 1). Both groups were protected from goiter with primi
o
c tive foods. They carefully preserved the embryo of the germ of their cereals,
n
o and they made large use of the organs of the animals they killed for food and
n
r had less interest in the muscle meats. In some Indian tribes the prize of the kill
o
d f was the adrenal gland, from which now is obtained one of the great chemical
e developmentsof ourpresentmedicalera-Cortisone.
st
o Dr. Price's investigations attempted to discover those elements which were
P
necessary for a diet adequately balanced to contribute directly to the health of
the teeth and their supporting structures.
. Dr. Francis Pottenger, on the other hand, performed an experiment on cats,
inwhichheshowedthatheatinganadequatedietledtoadeficiencypatternthat
practically paralleled the findings of Dr. Price when his primitive people ate a
modernized diet. Dr. Pottenger's experiment ran for 10 years, during which
time approximately 900 cats were studied, and on 600 of which were complete
records. Control animals were fed a diet of two-thirds raw meat. one-third raw
38 JOHN A. MYERS
milk, andcodliveroil. Thesecatsreproducedin normalmannerfromonegenera
tiontothenext.Abortionwasuncommonandthemothercatsnursedtheiryoung
in a normal manner. All these cats had good resistance to infection, parasites
and vermin. They possessed excellentequilibrium, had pleasant and normaldis
positions, and were handled easily.
The second group of cats received the same diet, except that the meat was
m cooked. These cats reproduced a heterogeneous strain of kittens, each kitten of
o
c the litter being of a different skeletal pattern. Abortion was common, about 25
s. per cent in the first generation, and about 70 per cent in the second generation.
s
e
r Delivery in general was difficult, many cats dying in labor. The mortality rate
p
er in the kittens was high, frequently due to failure of the mothers to lactate. The
v
ri kittens were often too frail to nurse. At times the mother cats would steadily
e
n declineinhealthfollowingthebirthofthekittens,dyingfromsomeobscuretissue
e
el exhaustionaboutthreemonthsafterdelivery. Othersshowedincreasingdifficulty
s
y with subsequent pregnancies, some failing to become pregnant.
y b Thecatsfedcookedmeatwereirritable.Thefemalesweredangeroustohandle,
nl occasionallybitingtheir keepers. Themales weremoredocile, often tothe point
o
e ofbeingunaggressive.Sexinstinctwasslight,orperverted.Verminandintestinal
s
u parasites abounded. Skin lesions and allergies werefrequent, becomingprogres
al sively worse from one generation to the next. Pneumonia and empyema were
n
o amongtheprincipalcausesofdeathamongtheadultcats. Diarrhea,followed by
ati pneumonia,tookaheavytollofthekittens. Osteomyelitiswasalsobothcommon
c
u andoftenfatal. Cardiaclesions,somerecognizedclinically,werefrequent. Hyper
d
d e opia and myopia, thyroid disease, nephritis, hepatitis, orchitis, oophoritis, pa
n ralysis,meningitis,cystitis,arthritis,andmanyotherdegenerativelesionsfamiliar
a
n in human medicine were observed.
o
ati Of the cats maintained entirely on the cooked-meat diet, with raw milk, the
v kittens of the third generation were so degenerated that none of them survived
r
e
s the sixth month oflife, thereby terminating the strain.
e
r Anormalfemaleoncookedmeatandrawmilkforsixmonthsbeforeandduring
p
al her pregnancy produced a litter of four kittens, three of which Were born dead,
ric andthelivingonewasextremelyinactive,AsinthecaseofDr.Price'sprimitives,
o
st the young were born with narrow dental arches, disproportioned head with
hi retraction of the mandible, and skeletal deformities.
al In a second experiment, the cats were fed pasteurized milk as their principal
ci
r item of diet, and raw meat as a supplement. These animals showed a lessened
e
m
reproductive efficiencyinthefemale andsomeskeletalchanges, while the kittens
m
o presented deficiencies in development. Cats fed evaporated milk showed more
c
n damage. The most marked deficiencies showed in the cats fed sweetened con
o
n densed milk.
r
o Normal adult cats placed on a cooked-meat diet began to show unhealthy
d f conditionsinthemouthwithinthreetosixmonths. Apregnantcatwillshowthe
e
st change more quickly. These cats first presented gingivitis, then diminished cal
o
P cium, paradentosis, abscesses, and, finally, somesheddingoftheteeth. Cariesdid
notdevelop inthecatsfed onanyofthesediets.
Thus remarkably demonstrated is an adequate diet ofraw meat or raw milk,
alone or in combination, affected by heat alone, producing a pattern of complete
tissue and skeletal degeneration. Modern civilized diet, after much pmcessing,
modification, staleness, and complete cooking, produces children with rampant
dental caries, skeletal defects, allergiesandfatigue, alongwiththeemotionaland
nervous changes seen in the experimental animals. Children, like the cats, are
ROLE OF NUTRITIONAL ELEMENTS IN HEALTH OF TEETH 39
damaged structurally in all tissues before they are born, and afterwards are
made worse by processed-milk formulas supposedlymade to simulate mothers'
milk. :Milk is more than food. It is a source of hormone stimulation to growth
and development that proceeded from the placenta in intrauterine life and is
transferred to the breast.
A third piece of positiveevidence concerning both structure and bone healing
m is obtained from a paper by Dr. Lewis B. Barnett, entitled, "New Concepts in
o
c Bone Healing."7 Dr. Barnett practiced orthopedics for six years in the area of
s.
s Deaf Smith County, Texas, from whichareatheprincipalinterestinfluoridation
e
pr of water developed.
r
e Forseveralyearspriorto 1940,ithadbeennoted bylocaldentists thatpeople
v
ri living in Deaf Smith County had a very low incidence of dental decay. At his
e
n
e own suggestion, Dr. Edward Taylor of the Texas State Department of Health
sel made an extensive survey of dental conditions in that county. The results of
by this survey were first reported in the Journal of the American Dental Associa
y tion in August of 1942.8 At that time the school children of Deaf Smith County
nl
o revealedapproximatelyonedecayed, missing,andfilled toothperchild. Thiswas
se by far thelowest rate of dental decay ever reported in a civilized country. Fol
u
al lowing this report, the U. S. Public HealthServicemade an extensive survey on
n waterfrom wellsin thehighplainsarea. Fromthese findings itwasinferred that
o
ati this unusuallylow rate oftooth decay was due tofluoride in the drinking water.
c It was considered that the water of the Deaf Smith County area had the opti
u
d mumfluoride concentrationfor gooddentalhealth. Itisfrom thisstudythat the
e
d American Medical Association, the American Dental Association, the U. S. De
n
a partment of Health, and other similar groups, have approved thefluoridation of
n all drinking water in the United States.
o
ati Ithas been observed for many years that cattle grownin the high plains area
v
r of Deaf Smith County were larger than cattle grown in surrounding areas. Itis
e
s a provenfact thatafull-grown cow, sixyearsofage, canbe movedintothisarea
e
pr andintwoyearswillgainaminimumof250pounds.Mostcattlemenconsiderthe
al gain primarily dueto anincreaseinsizeof theskeletonandanincreaseinweight
c
ri ofthe bone structure. This has become an economic factor in buying cattle and
o
st moving them into the area. Extensive experimental work has been done on live
al hi stock producedin this area, includingweightofskeletalstructure, abortionrates
ci inmothercows, and incidenceofspontaneousfractures inherd bulls. All ofthese
er findings support the observation that livestock produced in this area are of
m
superior physical development.
m
o X-rays of bones ofthe residents of Deaf Smith County revealed the same in
c
n creaseinsize anddensityofboneasseenincattle. People80yearsofagedid not
o
n show the demineralization and osteomalacia that is common in other areas.
r
o Cortices of long bones were approximately one-half greater in thickness than
d f those of people living in other regions. In general surgical practice the common
e
st type of bone fracture in the legis at the surgical neck of the femur. Dr. Barnett
o
P observed thistype offracture commonlyinDallasCounty patients, butneverin
Deaf Smith County residents. Bones of Dallas County residents break by de
mineralization, without trauma, and have great difficulty in healing. Bones of
Dear Smith County residents break only under severe tra'UIIla and heal rapidly
\vithout pins and supports, evenin people 80 to100yearsold. Thus, inthe same
area, where resistance to dental caries was greatest, there are people with large
strong bones, high mineral density, and rapid bone healing ability, even in old
age. What is the reason?
40 JOHN A. :MYERS
The most constant foodofhuman beings, plants, and. animalE is water. The
large volume of publicity that has been builtup around the DeafSmith County
water can best be summarized by a comparative study of that water (which
sourceisthedeepwell),withtheDallasCountywater (whichisofsurfaceorigin).
The following spectographic and wet analyses show the difference in chemical
contentofthe two waters:
m
o
c
s. Water Supply
s
re Element DeafSmithCounty DallasCounty
p
r
e Fluorine . 1.3
v
ri Chlorine . 9.7 38.0
e Bromine . .07 .4
n
e Iodine . .16 .023
el Calcium . 4.0 23.0
s ~i~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 16.0 8.0
y 2.0 4.5
only b SBIrooodrnoiunm ... 4...00064 5...01058
e ~~!~i~~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: .002 .0006
s .00008
al u NViacnkaedLium .. ..000072
n Silicon . 6.0 8.0
o
ati AChlurmominiuumm .. Trace ..100405
c
u Manganese . .005
d ML's Water . 250 250
d e Residue Wt. Gm . 0.0635 .1152
n
a
on Itisto benoted thatcalciumis nearlysixtimesasgreatinthe DallasCounty
ati water-whereas magnesium is twice as great, andiodine eight timesasgreat in
v
r the Deaf Smith County water. Calcium is prescribed for bonehealing, yet here
e
s is a situation where with nearly six times as much calcium bone healing is not
e
pr good but by the addition of magnesium and iodine, bone healing is carried on
al at a high rate. The ash content of the bones of the Dallas Countyresidents is
c
ri 52 per cent-whereas for the Deaf Smith County residents it is 68 per cent ot
o
st 16 percenthigher.
hi
al An analysis of the mineral content ofthe ash of normal bones ofyoung males
ci of Deaf Smith County and Dallas County shows the following: calcium, phos
r
e phorus, aJ;ld sodium is about the same in both, 42 per cent calcium, 15 per cent
m
m pnosphorus, and 1.5percent sodium. Magnesium, however, isfive timesashigh
o
c in Deaf Smith County as Dallas County, 2.0 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respec
n
o tively. No value for iodine could be given, as it volatilizes on ashing the bone.
n
r Thusmagnesium accountsfor mostofthe 16percentdifferencein boneashand
o
d f theincreaseddensityandx-rayopacityofthestrongbonesofDeafSmithCounty
e residents.
st
o Personal experience and 25 years of intensive and concentrated clinical work
P
has produced a fund of information concerning the usefulness ofvitamins, min
erals, and hormones in the physiologic rebuilding ofhuman tissue. Of particular
interest has been helping young women through pregnancy and lactation, many
ofwhomhad beendebilitatedfrom previouspregnanciesormiscarriages, orwere
sterile before treatment. Postoperative healing from both dental and general
surgeryis greatly enhanced bythissupportivetherapy.Itdemonstratesimpres
siveneedfor increasedvitaminA,vitamin3,vitaminB vitaminE, unsaturated
6,
fatty acids, magnesium, zinc, and iodine. Itisimpossible with a modern cooked
ROLE OF NUTRITIONAL ELEMENTS IN HEALTH OF TEETH 41
dietto remain healthy withoutsupplementationofvitamins,minerals,andsome
times hormones and specific amino acids. For a woman to reproduce children
without such supplementationisa crimeagainst both·societyand the child.
The problem is to correlate informationfrom these data and try to find those
elements which will aid in rebuilding the bony structures around the teeth, as
wellaskeep theteethtightintheirsocketsandt~pply,ifpossible,theelements
m
that will prevent the decay, either by increasing their vitality or keeping under
o
s.c control the bacteria which attack them. Outof this mass of data andexperience
s it is evident matfudine, magnesium and zinc, partly as magnesium iodide an~
e
pr zinc iodide, aresomeoftheagentswhichareassociated withaidingbone·healing
r
e and preventing dental caries. Some illustrations of the remarkable results ob
v
ri tainedfrom the use oftheseagentsin controllingdental diseaseare:
e
n The first case is that of a woman 50 years of age, whose teeth were in good
e
el repair. Thelowerleftfirstmolarhad becomepainful. Thetoothhadalargeamal
s
y gam filling which had been present for many years. The pain developed rapidly
b
y over a weekend, and the pa.tient was unable to sleep or eat. The tooth had
nl elongated and she was unable to close her teeth together. The patient was first
o
e seen two days after the onset of pain, at which time it was almost intolerable,
s
u and an appointment had been made to have the tooth extracted. Instead the
al patient was given intravenously 2 cc. Solu-B, 500 mg. ascorbic acid, and 5 cc.
n
o of 1.0 per cent solution of magnesium chloride, and was given orally 1 mg. of
ati zinc iodide and .Y2 Gm. of methionine. Within 15 minutes the pain began to
c
u
d subside, and two hours later the patient was able to eat, which had been im
e
d possible before. Three hours after the first treatment a second one was given,
n and thepatienthadacomfortablenightandawakenedwithoutpain.Thepatient
a
n cancelledtheappointmentfor extraction, andwasseenbyherdentistthreedays
o
ati later, at which time he could find no evidence of previous discomfort. She was
v againseenbythedentist amonthlater, atwhich time the toothwasinexcellent
r
se condition and had not given her any further difficulty; nor has it given any
e
r further difficulty in the subsequent two and one-halfyears.
p
al Thesecond caseis that ofa man 55years ofage. Overa period ofsixmonths
c he hadexperiencedpainintherightlowerfirst molar. Itwasextremelysensitive
ri
sto to touch, heat and cold, and sweet and salt. During this time the tooth was
hi x-rayed repeatedly, and there was no evidence to account for the pain. Finally
al thedentistremovedthefillingtomakecertainthattherewasnorecurrentdecay.
ci
er The pain persisted and became extremely aggravated. Thetooth had elongated
m
and closing the mouth was difficult. Even slight pressure on the tooth caused
m
o great discomfort. The same treatment as was given the first patient was insti
c
n tuted,andwithin20minutesthepatienthadlostmostofthediscomfort. Hewas
o
n given methionine .Y2 Gm. to take one tablet each day, and zinc iodide ~2 mg.
r
o each day. He had no further difficulty. Two years have passed and the tooth is
d f comfortable with no further dental intervention.
e
st Thethird caseis that ofmyown. Theupperrightwisdom tooth was removed
o
P and left the neck ofthe second molar exposed and sensitive. Chemical, thermal,
andabrasivesensitivitybecamesogreatastothreatenlossofthetooth. Fluoride
paste applications saved it for several years. Later use of zinc iodide and mag
nesium iodide completely controlled the sensitivity. The ingestion of sufficient
sulphur amino acids, methionine and cystine, however, will cause the tooth to
become sensitive again. This observation is especially important, because
Chesney9 produced large goiters in rabbits on a high cabbage diet. They could
be controlled with iodine, thus showing a relationship between the high sulphur
42 JOIDl A. MYERS
contentof cabbageand the iodinemetabolismofthe thyroid. Itwasalso noticed
that the use of the magnesium iodide quickly caused a solidity of the teeth in
the sockets. I had been particularly aware of how loose teeth could become in
their sockets after having passed through an attack of acute scurvy some 25
years ago. Although vitamin C played a big role in making the teeth firmer in
the sockets, it did not compare to the firmness thatfollowed the addition of the
m magnesiumiodide.
o
c The fourth case is that of a young man, 14years old, all of whose teeth were
s.
s heavily filled and loose in their sockets. It appeared that all teeth would have
e
r tobeextractedasfurtherfillingwasnotpossible.Zinciodide,vitaminandmineral
p
er supplements by mouth and intravenously were prescribed. The decay was com
v
ri pletely stopped in about two months. In six months the bone structure had
e
n become so firm and solid around the teeth that the dentist agreed to continue
e
el reparative work. The lower incisors were capped and, after much deliberation,
s
y it was agreed to remove all upper teeth and all lower teeth, except the lower
b
y incisors and canines. Inremovingtheteeth the dentist, couldhardlybelievehow
nl solidlythe teethwerefixed inthesockets. Thirteenteethwere removed, threeof
o
e them impacted wisdom teeth, under local anesthesia. Anupper platewas placed
s
u immediately. The patientwasgivenintravenoustreatments ofvitaminBand C,
al andmagnesiumchlorideandiodine,andhadnopainorswelling. Hedid noteven
n
o require aspirin to relieve pain the first night. The most remarkable part of this
ati case, however, is that the institution ofthesupportivetherapyfor his teeth also
c
u
d resulted in changing this boy from a dull, tired, inactive individual, to an alert,
e
d honor student. Also, the acne of his face, and scaly dermatitis of arms and legs
n hadclearedcompletely.Itisinterestingtonoteinpassingthatthisboy'smother
a
n lost all of her teeth one year after he was born and she has been troubled with
o
ati hypothyroid goiter and painful neck and joints ever since.
v Many more individual cases could be cited, but suffice it to say that patients
r
e
s are told constantlybytheir dentiststhat they are amazed they do not haveany
e
r developing cavities, and thegums and supportive structuresare inbetter condi
p
al tion than ever before after the prescribed treatment. This, of course, isin direct
c
ri contradiction to what is usually the case. It is claimed10 that after 35 years of
o
st age more teeth are lost from pyorrhea than decay.
hi
al It is rather interesting that ethyl magnesium iodide, and/or ethyl zinc iodide
ci has been a most useful tool in synthetic organic chemistry. It has been termed
r
e the "Grignard Reagent," after Victor Grignard, who developed it and who re
m
m ceived for his work the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1912. Probably no other
o reagent has had so many applications or has resulted in the preparation of so
c
n
o many new compounds. If this compound is SQ useful in the synthesizing of
n
r organic compoundsin the test tube, the physiology of the bodymight find some
o
d f waytoproduceit anduseitfora synthesizing agent, ifmagnesium iodide or zinc
e iodide were available.
st Two cases will show the protective effect of magnesium iodide and zinc iodide
o
P against bacterial infection.,The first patient was a woman, 36 years of age, who
developed an abscess under her right arm just below the axilla. The area was
2 centimeters in diameter and the patient could not move the arm because of
extreme pain. Within two hours after the first dose of 1 mg. of zinc iodide and
~ Gm. methionine, the painwas relieved markedly and the patient could move
her arm. Repeated medication over the oourse of three days caused complete
resorption of the area, without it coming to a head and discharging.
The second case is that of a woman, 52 years old, who had repeated attacks
ROLE OF NUTRITIONAL ELEMENTS IN HEALTH OF TEETH 43
of breast abscesses over a period of eight-years. The first time the abscesses
appeared at the inner aspect of the nipple and were exquisitelypainfulfor eight
days witl101:tt coming toa head-and hadt()beincised. Itwaskept drainingunder
the usual methods of heat applications. Itdi:ained~owly,required two-months
for complete healing, and left a tender indurated area which remained for six
months. Two yearslater, at thesecond episode, two doses ofx-ray therapy were
m used, but again the healing was slow, requiring two months and leaving a sensi
o
c tive indurated areafor sixmonths. At the next appearance zinc iodide was used
s. and theabscesscametoa headand dischargedwithinthreedays and was healed
s
re within two weeks. There was a slight induration for three more weeks. The last
p
r episode occurred about sixmonths ago and magnesium iodide was used. Within
e
riv two daystheabscesscametoa head, involuted, andemptieditself; itwas healed
e
n withina week,withnoindurationortenderness whichhadattendedtheprevious
e
el healings. It was interesting to note that within five minutes after giving 60 mg.
y s of magnesium iodide, the area aroundthe abscessfelt like it wantedtoexplode.
b Thisactivitylastedfive hours. Itishard tobelievethatanymaterial couldhave
y
nl an effect so quickly when taken by mouth.
o
e Both zinc iodide and magnesium iodide are now being studied for facial acne
s and areproducing remarkable resultsin this scourgeof adolescence. The inflam
u
al matory areas come to a head quickly and many of the large moundlike masses
n
o resorb without opening. Itmust besaid in passing, however, that usually these
ati adolescents are in need of other elements, such as vitamin A, vitamin E, vita
c
u min C, unsaturated fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals. These must be sup
d
e pliedin orderto bringtheirgeneralmetabolism backtonormal. Thosewhohope
d
n tousezinciodideormagnesiumiodideroutinely,withoutproper attentiontothe
a
n adequate balance of other accessory food factors, are likely to have failures in
o the application ofthese materials.
ati There is no doubt whatever about the observations of Dr. Weston Price that
v
er certain materials in primitive man's diet gave him immunity and protection
s
e against infectious diseases, and produced strong bones, good dental arches, and
r
p
al K~odteeth.ItiseasytoshowwherethesemateIjalsexistinthefoodsofprimitive
c people, wbich Dr. Price found so helpful in the healing of dental caries in his
ri
o patients, and the absence of which in the mother leads to a variety of serious
st
hi defects in her children.
al Cod liver oil and butter both contain high-quality vitamin A. Cod liver oii
ci
er alsocontainsvitaminE, vitaminD,andunsaturatedfatty acids, towhichiodine
m
and metallic elements may be attached. Vitamin A has been shown to be an
m
o element imperative for thedevelopmentof all epithelial structures. Becausethe
c
n teeth are of epithelial origin, it is to be expected that a deficiency of vitamin A
o
n would profoundly affect their growth and development. Studies on rats and
r
o guinea pigs are all in agreement, and the underlying changes appear to be well
d f established.u-13 In the absence ofvitamin A the ameloblastsdo notform, and as
e
st theyarea determinantin the developmentofthe odontoblaststhesecellsdo not
o
P developeither,sothatinthedeficiencyofvitaminAthereareallkindsofaberra
tions of tooth bud formations, even to their complete absence. Vitamin A de
ficiency in the mother leads to serious deformities in the bone structure of the
face and head, hare-lip, cleft-palate, narrow dental arches, and all forms ofmal
formations in between, defects of nasal passages, sinuses, and turbinates. The
optic nervesandeyes14areseverelyaffected, andallconditionsfrom normaleyes
tocompleteblindnessandnoeyeballsmaybeproducedbyvariationsinmaternal
vitamin A ingestion. Vitamin A is also essential to reproduction, in the absence