Patients need to be proactive for their health

A male patient came to my office the other day and told me he wanted to get healthy. He had gum disease and various medical issues, including high blood pressure, excessive weight, and high cholesterol levels. The patient said he wanted to get healthy, but other things were going on that would make getting healthy difficult, if not impossible.

Alvin Danenberg, DDS.

He was smoking a pack of cigarettes a day and was drinking a six-pack of beer at least twice a week. Eating healthy food could not offset the damage these toxic substances were causing his body.

Here's an analogy that explains the dilemma.

A house is on fire, and a firefighter is attempting to put it out with a high-pressure water hose. However, a gasoline leak is steadily pouring gasoline on the fire. The firefighter can try as hard as he can to put out the fire with the water hose, but the gasoline will keep the fire going until the gasoline leak is stopped completely.

Stoking the flames

Likewise, the patient's body is on fire with poor food and poor lifestyle choices stoking the flames. The body cannot heal if toxic substances are constantly being poured into it. The toxic substances must be stopped and removed.

I discussed my concerns and explained the spiraling downward path his body was on. The toxic elements he was putting into his body were highly destructive. The patient considered reducing his smoking and drinking, but I told him a reduction would not work. Tobacco and alcohol must be eliminated completely. Although repair would take many months, he needed to stop his smoking and drinking immediately and totally if he really wanted to begin a path to healing.

My offer to my patient

My initial efforts to help him move forward included the following:

1. I would help him eliminate the active infection in his mouth and teach him how to efficiently clean his mouth.
2. I would recommend a local support group that could offer necessary encouragement to help him with his smoking and drinking addictions. If necessary, smoking and alcohol cessation products could be considered for a short period of time. However, his commitment to total elimination of tobacco and alcohol would be critical for his ultimate success.
3. I'd also provide a three-day food journal to complete so I can evaluate his eating habits. I could then introduce a customized eating plan, including a nutrient-dense diet and the elimination of harmful foods.

This patient told me his goal was to get healthy. To begin a healing process, he needs to become proactive with his lifestyle changes. It could take several years for this goal to be realized. However, today could be the first day of his healthy recovery.

Alvin Danenberg, DDS, practices at the Bluffton Center for Dentistry in Bluffton, SC. He is also on the faculty of the College of Integrative Medicine and created its integrative periodontal teaching module. He also spent two years as chief of periodontics at Charleston Air Force Base earlier in his career. His website is drdanenberg.com.

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