DID YOU KNOW that it’s not so much gum disease that causes bad breath but bad breath that causes gum disease?

DID YOU KNOW that gum disease, like high blood pressure, for example is not felt by most people until it’s very advanced?

DID YOU KNOW that many people are unaware of bad breath and that their friends and family don’t know how to tell them?

DID YOU KNOW that gum disease is not only a disease of the gums but a disease in the gums that may cause various health problems such as, premature births, miscarriages, asthma, high blood pressure, and heart attacks among others?

DID YOU KNOW that many and possibly the majority' of diseases of the mouth and body begin on the top, back of our tongues?

DID YOU KNOW that we can now detect gum disease years before it causes problems and that treatment today is simpler than ever before, in fact almost always without surgery'?

Don’t feel bad, most people are unaware of these major breakthroughs, in fact, in the past, information like this has taken over 10 years to become assimilated by the general public as well as the profession.

You know, if we know, what we knew, we think what we thought and we do what we did. We feel progress has more to offer than doing the same thing for 25 years and calling it "experience.”

Like many of my colleagues I too “missed the boat” on this one, probably, because there’s so much research today that it’s very hard to keep up with it all. But I was wondering, if we’ve been doing such a great job how come for example, I myself have had to already restore over 30,000 teeth on implants, most due to gum disease! In fact gum disease is still the number one cause of tooth loss and still far too prevalent. Now, I’m real proud of my success and accomplishments in the field of Implantology. In fact there are only about 170 Certified Diplomats of the American Board of Oral Implantology in the world and only one in Israel at this time (7/97). Having seen the effects of gum disease I decided it’s time to find a real solution. My personal mission became to eliminate gum

disease and the need for implants! I have traveled the world and lost a lot of sleepless nights. Let me share with you what I found out.

New research has revealed old news, the mouth is the "Gateway to the body.’' A healthy mouth not only insures good oral health and social comfort but can significantly minimize endless other health problems. Research I became personally involved with has revealed that gum disease can precipitate high blood pressure, heart attacks and asthma and that women with gum disease can have seven and a half times more premature births or miscarriages. In fact, close to 1 out of 5 premature births/miscarriages appear to be due to gum disease. I became very concerned. What's as alarming is that the information as to why has been known for years but no one put it together. We know, for years, that what often precipitates the above medical problems is a prostaglandin called "PGE2”. PGE2, for example, is what normally stimulates the contractions in the 9th month of pregnancy. A healthy pregnant woman has twice as much PGE2 in the 9th month than in the 8th month, in fact, if not, she's given PGE2 to help start contractions. Too much PGE2 before the 9th month causes contractions prematurely. One of 3 methods of planned abortion, unfortunately, is by giving PGE2. This very same PGE2, we know for years, is one of the major by products of gum disease and is released from'the gums into the blood stream by gum disease. (As you know for example, someone who has heart chest pain takes the medication tablet under the tongue rather than swallowing it because through the gums it's faster and more direct!) Seven and a half times more premature births is very significant! Smoking for example increases the chances one time and alcohol one and a half times, gum disease seven and a half times! If this doesn't create concern, what does?!

Well, how does it all start? While bacteria are what cause tooth decay and gum disease it turns out that there are "Facilitators,'’ without which, the bacteria cannot get into the gums to cause damage. These agents are called VSC’s (Volatile Sulfer Compounds). The two main VSC’s are Hydrogen Sulfide (known as “rotten eggs smell”) and Methylmercaptan (known as “skunk oil-’) It is normal to produce these and that's why breath feels so great in the morning! But with modem diets and other factors such as stress (which has shown to decrease immune components of saliva) many of us produce and accumulate too much of theses VSC’s. VSC’s then allow bacteria to enter the gums, breaking down the gums and bone by a process involving PGE2. So where does this leave us?!

The GOOD NEWS is we have the ability today to almost always eliminate these problems entirely in a very swift and conservative manner.

1. Wre have an absolutely painless device called a HALIMETER which one simply breathes into and tells us how much of these VSC’s are in our mouths, and whether or not w’e're at healthy levels.

2. We have a computerized detector called a PERIOTEMP that can actually reveal gum disease activity (increasing PGE2 levels....) Years before it causes irreversible damage. This is something we couldn't do previously and is a major breakthrough.

3. Using a high power microscope attached to a video screen we can together actually see the bacteria in the gums, how active they are and how well the immune system is working to prevent damage and harm. This provides us with a tremendous amount of information and is a unique, absolutely painless, eve opening experience.

4. A revolutionary toothpaste and mouthwash (RETARDENT and RETARDEX) has recently been released in the U.S.A. with more than 20 U.S. patents, that not only kills decay - causing and gum disease - causing bacteria in 30-60 seconds, but more importantly neutralizes the VSC’s safely and effectively. Its active ingredient has been safely used for many years in other applications (public water and food cleansing and purification) and we didn't even know what it could do! Bad breath, for example, is usually completely eliminated in only a few days. (The best other mouthwashes “cover-up” bad breath for less than an hour. These new products neutralize bad breath all dav.) While many toothpastes and mouthwashes are always coming out to “solve” these problems these are the first researched products that I feel address the problems head on, a very significant development

5. Most of the VSC’s develop on the top back of the tongue. In India, for example, they’ve been scraping the backs of their tongues for ages. Our own teachings have taught us “Who is the man who wishes life... guard your tongue from bad....,” interestingly we always called it bad breath rather than foul... breath. It is bad, very bad, socially, dentally and medically! It might seem silly but it is very very important to adopt this 10 second new habit of cleaning our tongues twice a day! (Special simple tongue cleaners are available.)

The above is the tip of the iceberg on some of the fascinating new research developments. The above along with related products and procedures and your participation bring us to a new level of dental, oral, and general health. Even extreme cases can usually be controlled today without surgery. Teeth and dental work often having involved significant investments, can last for a lifetime, more than ever before.

We may therefore be suggesting to you a new level of care and treatment, individualized to your needs. What even we once considered healthy and acceptable is no longer an acceptable level of health, as we continue to deepen our understanding of the complexity of the human body. We are proud to be on the “cutting edge,” of research and modem technology. As promised in the past we will continue to share these developments with you so that you may enjoy the benefits of comfort and health.

We are committed to providing you with oral health that can last you a lifetime.

Dr. Gedaliah Mordechai Stern and Staff