Oral Health Detoxification Guide
Oral Health Detoxification Guide
DETOXIFICATION
Table of Contents
In our daily personal care routines, our bodies encounter a diverse array of chemicals, some of
which are prevalent in oral health products like toothpaste & mouthwashes. This posesa significant
concern, given the mouth and gums' heightened susceptibility to absorb and transfer substances
directly into the blood stream. Certain ingredients in these oral health products have the potential
to disrupt the delicate balance of “good” & “bad “bacteria in our mouths, crucial for maintaining
oral health.
Triclosan: An antibacterial/ antifungal agent that disrupts hormonal balance and promotes
antibiotic resistance. While banned in many products, it's still present in items like humidifiers &
bacteria resistant cutting boards.
Sodium: Lauryl Sulfate (SLS/SLES): A foaming agent causing oral lesions & inflammation. It can
cause chronic oral lesions (canker sores), & cracking at the corners of the mouth. It is often very
irritating to oral tissues, triggers inflammation, & also has the potential to trigger hypersensitivity
to certain metals.
Artificial: Sweeteners: Saccharine & aspartame found in some toothpastes to enhance its taste,
can alter beneficial gut bacteria, impacting overall health negatively
Propylene Glycol: Propylene glycol, polyethylene, and similar plastic chemicals are added to
many toothpastes, These additives may disrupt hormonal balance, may cross the blood-brain
barrier, and irritate gums and other tissues.
Titanium Dioxide: Used for whitening, it can be problematic in nanoparticle form, potentially
carcinogenic and neurotoxic and genotoxic.
Alcohol-based Mouthwashes: These disrupt the oral microbiome & dry out tissues, increasing
the risk of oral cancers due to the presence of toxic additives like dyes and parabens
Teflon-coated Dental Floss: Some dental flosses are slippery because they are coated with Teflon
(polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE) during the manufacturing process Coated with Teflon, it's linked
to health concerns including certain cancers and endocrine Disruption.
Fluoride: Fluoride use in dental products is a controversial topic. The chemical may accumulate
in tissues, leading to displacement of iodine, an essential nutrient. Too much fluoride can be
particularly harmful for children and their developing teeth; they tend to swallow a lot of the
toothpaste they use, which can lead to fluorosis (showing up as mottling of teeth). Fluoride-
containing products should be used discriminately.
Toothpastes or Tooth Powders: Choose gentle options without abrasive components, favoring
those made from natural chalk, clay, or calcium carbonate. Look for formulations aiding
remineralization while avoiding staining and plaque adherence.
Mouthwashes: Opt for alcohol-free varieties with natural ingredients like essential oils and safe
sweeteners, supporting enamel remineralization and oral health without harmful additives.
Dental Floss: Select waxed floss without Teflon coating, preferring thicker or expanding types
for effective cleaning between teeth without potential health risks.
Bleaching Products: When using over-the-counter bleaching products, choose those with
minimal chemical additives, and follow instructions carefully to minimize ingestion & potential
side effects.
By being mindful of product ingredients and opting for safer alternatives, you can promote oral
health while reducing exposure to potentially harmful chemicals
Pre-Procedure Recommendations
What is Detox?
The word detox has two common meanings: (1) to withdraw from the use of drugs or alcohol to
which one has developed an addiction, and (2) to describe the body’s. physiologic process of
rendering chemicals, compounds, hormones, and toxicants less harmful. The second definition is
the one we use in Functional Medicine. This process is often referred to as “metabolic detoxification.”
The organs of detoxification work efficiently as a whole to reduce the body burden or toxic load of
chemicals; they include the liver, kidneys, large intestine, lymphatic system, and sweat glands.
Scientists estimate that the average adult carries within her or his body at least
700 toxins and that a newborn’s body can contain over 200 toxins
In other words, there are well-defined metabolic pathways in the body that are responsible for
converting toxins into chemical compounds, making it easy for the body to eliminate them
(primarily through the urine or stools). Studies on how drugs are metabolized and cleared from
the body have established a good understanding of these detoxification processes.
Of course, metabolic detoxification is an ongoing process. Every day, the organs are working to
eliminate environmental contaminants that come in from toxic bacteria, pollutants, plasticizers,
and heavy metals, to name a few. One of the most common exposures is toxic chemicals from
agricultural production (pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. These exposures commonly occur
through ingestion or inhalation of water, foods, and air and from time spent in the home or work
environment. Sources of toxicants that can increase the body burden include materials used in new
construction, carpet chemicals that can off-gas into the air, paint, household cleaners, galvanic
forces in the mouth that result from mixed metals in dental restorations, synthetic materials used
in dental products, and even personal hygiene products applied to face, skin, & hair. Air pollutants
are found in industrial exposures, primary or second-hand smoke exposure, and auto exhaust. In
other words, everyone is continually living amidst chemicals and toxicants in an increasingly toxic
society, resulting in an ever-increasing body burden or toxic load of chemicals.
Toxic symptoms may occur when we get to our personal limit of accumulated toxins & are not able
to clear them fast or efficiently enough. Medical researchers are recognizing more symptoms related
to the buildup of toxins, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, fatigue,
infertility, allergies, behavior and mood disorders, and neurological conditions such as tremors,
headaches, & cognitive difficulties, along with several other diseases like Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s.
The process of detoxification involves many steps. There may be reasons why the body isn’t particularly
efficient about clearing toxins. These reasons can be situational, such as having an increased exposure
to toxins, being constipated and thus not able to excrete toxins in the stool, being deficient in specific
nutrients, eating a nutrient-poor diet, being under stress, having a chronic disease, experiencing
excessive inflammation, and not getting enough physical activity or restorative sleep. There may also
be genetic reasons, such as having particularly slow enzymes that aren’t efficient in converting toxins
into compounds that can be excreted.
The goal of a clinically-directed metabolic detoxification protocol is to provide nutritional support for
facilitating the pathways involved in the processing and excretion of toxins. A detox program results
in improved symptoms and an increased sense of wellbeing for most individuals. Specifically, many
who participate in a personalized detoxification program describe improvement in pain and fatigue
levels, enhanced cognitive function and moods, more effective & satisfying sleep cycles, and weight
loss. The Detox Food Plan Comprehensive Guide provides specific food and nutrition suggestions to
optimize the metabolic detoxification experience & lower the body burden. The guide offers directions
in how to sequence a healthy detox and wellness plan by providing tips on how to get started, what
to eat, what to watch for, and how to provide the body with the right nutrients for longstanding,
improved elimination and detoxification.
Before a metabolic detox, symptoms and health complaints are typically assessed using a Medical
Symptoms Questionnaire (MSQ) to identify health concerns related to major body systems. If the
MSQ score is higher than a certain number or certain clinical patterns become evident to the health
practitioner, a metabolic detoxification may be recommended. The healthcare provider may
prescribe specific protocols and sequences of food plans for beneficial clinical results. This Guide
details how a detox food plan is generally implemented.
One of the biggest reasons for a detoxification program is when a person experiences a lack of
energy. Fatigue is one of the primary reasons people make changes to their lifestyle. Other reasons
to try a metabolic detox include to lose weight, to improve overall health, or to reduce frequent or
severe symptoms of certain diseases associated with toxicity.
Recent studies indicate that weight gain may be more complicated than originally thought. No
matter what the diet may be, when toxins are injected into animals, they have a greater chance of
gaining weight. Many people are unaware of the weight connection with toxins, food triggers, and
metabolic dysfunction.
Food plays a role in all phases of detoxification (see graphic). The first step is to identify the toxic
foods one is eating. By becoming aware of toxic foods and eating “clean,” many toxins can be
eliminated, reducing the degree of body burden. The remaining steps have to do with how the body
metabolizes toxins, with the bulk of those processes occurring in the liver (phase I, phase II). Once
the liver has transformed these toxins into water-soluble metabolites, they are ready for excretion
by the kidneys, intestines, and skin
Toxins
In
Phase
Toxins I
Out Support
FOOD
Phase Phase
II I
Support Protection
When many Functional Medicine practitioners think about detox, they think in terms of an elimination
diet: having their patients temporarily eliminate major food triggers & allergens from the diet such
as gluten containing foods, dairy, eggs, shellfish, soy, corn, and peanuts. Such an elimination diet is
a short-term food plan, typically followed for around 3-4 weeks, as a first-step strategy to identify
food triggers and develop better awareness of the body’s reactions to particular foods while at the
same time reducing the immune response to food. Often such a food plan is used along with a gut
restoration or healing program in patients who may present with the consequences of an intestinal
permeability issue, sometimes referred to as a “leaky gut.” When used in this stage of healing, an
assessment of digestive function is often also done through testing to identify sources of gut bacteria
or pathogens that could contribute to the internal body burden (endotoxicity).
While the Detox Food Plan reduces intake of common food triggers, making it similar to the Elimination
Diet, it focuses on long-term nutritional support of the major body systems involved with detoxification,
such as the gut and liver. It places a stronger emphasis on eating clean foods for life, reducing food
contact with plastics or other potential contaminating elements, & eating organic foods when possible.
Additionally, a metabolic detox plan may involve more rigorous nutritional intervention with medical
food powders and dietary supplements, and even fasting from food or eating only specific foods on
certain days to further drive or amplify the effectiveness of the detoxification system.
One of the most important aspects in either a short-term elimination diet or the long-term Detox
Food Plan is the emphasis on consistent intake of foods that help optimize function of the primary
organs of elimination and reduce unhealthy stimulation of the immune system. The gut needs to
work efficiently so that it can provide one to two healthy, well-formed bowel movements daily.
Without movement of the bowels, excretion of toxins is limited (as most of them exit in stool).
Additionally, many of the toxins processed by the liver are released through the bile and get excreted
in the stool. Some of these converted toxins can be eliminated through urine, too, which is why proper
hydration goes hand-in-hand with optimal detoxification. Ensuring adequate daily dietary fiber
intake—which means consuming more than 35 grams of fiber daily—will aid elimination of stool
and thus endotoxins.
The Detox Food Plan, more than any other food plan within the
Functional Medicine Food Suites, is designed to support not just
the gut but the liver. The liver is the hub of detoxification processes.
When the liver is neglected or overburdened through increased
toxic load or lack of nutrients, it can become congested & sluggish,
resulting in greater toxicity & increased symptom frequency and
severity. The goal of the Detox Food Plan is to create a gut–liver
axis of support while lowering the burden on the immune system
and providing adequate nourishment through foods and liquids.
Lowers the body burden and reduces incoming toxicant exposure by focusing on clean and
organic foods. The food plan emphasizes stringent measures to reduce the intake of toxins of
all kinds by encouraging the intake of organically grown, non-genetically modified foods; lean,
grass-fed animal meats or wild-caught fish; minimally refined, cold-pressed oils; and by reducing
exposure to canned or plastic-containing foods and liquids.
Is high in phytonutrient density for optimizing gut, liver, and kidney function. This food plan
is rich in plant foods that are essential in all stages of detoxification, especially those involved
in processes occurring in the gut, liver, & kidneys. Phytonutrients are important for cell functions
relating to reduction of toxins. Phytonutrients also play an active role in improving the stress
response and reducing inflammation. Plant foods tend to reduce net dietary acid load and
enhance greater body alkalinization, which is helpful for kidney excretion of toxins.
Encourages healthy elimination of toxins through the organs of elimination via the stool & urine.
After the liver converts toxins into intermediate metabolites, key antioxidants are required to
protect the body from these processed compounds. Effective excretion through the stool and
urine is a focus for this plan and is assured through integrating high-fiber foods and adequate
liquids to ensure healthy elimination of transformed toxins.
Balances hormone metabolism. After the liver converts toxins into intermediate metabolites,
key antioxidants are required to protect the body from these processed compounds. Effective
excretion through the stool and urine is a focus for this plan and is assured through integrating
high-fiber foods and adequate liquids to ensure healthy elimination of transformed toxins.
Balances hormone metabolism. After the liver converts toxins into intermediate metabolites,
key antioxidants are required to protect the body from these processed compounds. Effective
excretion through the stool and urine is a focus for this plan and is assured through integrating
high-fiber foods and adequate liquids to ensure healthy elimination of transformed toxins.
Toxins are everywhere: in food, air, water, and even in personal care products. It is best to start a
metabolic detoxification program by first removing toxicants from one’s food and drink supply as
much as possible. Buying organically grown food helps to ensure a minimal intake of pesticides,
herbicides, and insecticides. Limiting ingestion of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) & heavy
metals, all of which have been associated with disruption to the endocrine system resulting in obesity
and metabolic disturbances like diabetes, is also recommended.
Choose lean meats over fatty animal foods, as pesticides concentrate in fat.
Peel off the skin or remove the outer layer of leaves of some produce (e.g., lettuce, cabbage).
Remove surface pesticide residues, waxes, fungicides, and fertilizers by soaking the food in
a mild solution of additive-free soap (pure castile soap or biodegradable cleanser).
Cut away any damaged or bruised areas before preparing or eating food.
Wash produce before peeling it so dirt and contaminants aren’t transferred from the knife onto
the fruit or vegetable.
Check with the Environmental Working Group on the recent versions of “Dirty Dozen” (foods that
are high in pesticide residues) and the “Clean 15” (foods that are typically low
in pesticide residues).
Do not buy foods that contain preservatives such as BHT, BHA, benzoate, & sulfites; food colorings
such as FD & C yellow #5, #6, etc.; or artificial sweeteners such as sucralose and aspartame.
Limit exposure to canned foods (e.g., meat, fish) and plastic bottles/containers of water and
high-acid foods due to the presence of toxins like bisphenol-A and other plasticizers that have
been shown to disrupt the endocrine gland function.
Cook using non-toxic pans, skillets, and pots that aren’t worn or scuffed so as to minimize any
release of problematic compounds while cooking.
Ensure that drinking and cooking water is filtered. Consider putting a filter on the shower head
While we prioritize the quality of the food we consume, it's equally vital to consider the
safety of the products we use for cooking, serving, and storing food. Certain kitchenware
materials can release harmful substances into our food, posing health risks over time as
these toxins accumulate in our bodies.
Cutting Boards
● Plastic Cutting Boards: Often contain toxins like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates,
known for their hormone-disrupting and carcinogenic properties. Plastic boards
can also harbor bacteria-in their knife scarred surfaces.
● Best Choices: Opt for bamboo or wood cutting boards, which are safer alternatives.
Ensure thorough cleaning with hot, soapy water and air drying after each use.
Cookware
● Nonstick Cookware: Most commonly used nonstick coatings, like Teflon, may emit
harmful fumes and leach chemicals into food, potentially causing health issues
including cancer.
● Preferred Options: Choose cookware made from food grade stainless steel, cast iron,
porcelain-enameled cast iron, copper, oven-safe glass, or high quality ceramic-lined
cookware. Look for products labeled as PTFE-and PFOA-free for added safety.
Dishes
● Plastic and Melamine Dishes: These materials often contain chemicals linked to
cancer and other health problems, with leaching exacerbated by acidic foods
and heat exposure. Particularly concerning for children, who are more susceptible
to chemical exposures.
● Recommended Selections: Opt for ceramic, porcelain, glass, wood, bamboo, type
304 stainless steel, or 100% food grade silicone without plastic fillers for safer dishware
choices.
Recommended Selections: Opt for ceramic, porcelain, glass, wood, bamboo, type
304 stainless steel, or 100% food grade silicone without plastic fillers for safer dishware
choices.
There are many different options when it comes to infrared saunas. Thereare large wooden saunas
that are super expensive (but awesome). One day, I would LOVE to have one or build one myself.
There are portable infrared saunas, which are much smaller and moreaffordable. I have not personally
tried any of the portable ones and have read mixed reviews on them, as some seem to be using far
infrared, notnear.
So, when space and money are an issue, you can make a smallsingle-bulb lamp. This is the most
affordable option , takes up pretty much no room, and can have tremendous healing results. The
bulbs emit mainly near infrared energy, with a small amount of middle infrared.
These bulbs emit small amounts of red, orange, and yellow invisible light, which are all helpful in
drawing energy down into the body and assisting with digestive and elimination organs. I do the
bulk of my infrared therapy on my torso, sides, and back, but I am also starting to do some
targeted sessions on my thyroid.
Shopping List
Phillips Infrared Lamps Human Use: Signify offers two infrared lamp
types for use in heat-radiating devices for human applications.
These Philipsinfrared lamps have a wavelength spectrum with
a pronounced peak at approximately 1000 nm in the deep-penetrating
IR-Arange. IR-A range has a greater penetrating power, meaning the
heat is dissipated in a larger skin volume, thus creating a more
pleasant and diffuse warmth. Philips infrared lamps for human
applications are designed to support the relaxation of muscular
tension. Model: PAR38 IR 150W E27 230V Red UNP/20923806644208
Ceramic Socket
As with all treatments, we need to exercise common sense when it comes to using an infrared
sauna or lamp.
1. Start off slow — don’t spend more than 10-20 minutes per day in a sauna. As your body heals,
you may be able to increase this time.
3. Make sure you drink lots of water BEFORE the sauna session, as well as after.
4. Make sure you replace minerals that are lost from sweating. Definitely work with a knowledgeable
practitioner on this, as minerals are a tricky thing, and I do advise Starting with Magnesium
because you will loose lot of magnesium through sweat.
5. Relax after your sauna session and allow your body to readjust. Don’t hop up and get back to
your daily activities. You can do sauna sessions right before bed.
6. If you are pregnant, you should avoid near infrared lamps as the infrared energy can harm the
developing baby.
7. Children under five should also avoid near infrared lamps and saunas, as their bodies do not
yet sweat well, and they can quickly become dehydrated and ill from heat exposure. How to Make
an Infrared Sauna Lamp
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