There have been many studies in the last few years that link healthy oral hygiene to a healthy cardiovascular system. In working with the patient population that I do (chronic pain, autoimmune diseases, hormone imbalance, chronic illnesses, etc) I have started looking into the oral health of these patients as I work with them. Then a few weekends ago I met Valarie Zumbusch CNHP, CCT from Picture of Health, who provides Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) for people in the communities of Duluth and the Twin Cities. I had the opportunity to speak with Valarie a bit, listen to her presentation, and receive my own thermal imaging of my head.

After speaking with her, I realized that this is a technology that I need to share with my patients. This technology is challenging mammography as the gold standard for detecting breast cancer, and thermography does not emit any radiation, a huge benefit over mammography. One of the other benefits is that thermography is able to detect cancer and changes in cells earlier than mammography, which means earlier diagnosis and more options for interventions and treatments. This is possible because thermography detects heat in the body, heat is made by inflammation or cell metabolism (using nutrients to grow and multiply). Mammography detects anatomical changes (lumps, masses, etc.) which can only be found LONG after inflammation or cell metabolism has been going on. My interest was peaked after seeing Valarie’s presentation and the pictures that showed early detection and the subsequent disease when recommended treatment was not followed through. Also during this presentation I realized how valuable this tool would be to my patients, newsletter readers, and their friends and family to help identify health problems early on. With this technology, we are able to see the inflammation and pain that many people are suffering from but may be difficult to pinpoint. While I had always heard this technology being associated with breast exams, it is now clear to me that any health problem caused by inflammation (which is every health problem) can be seen with thermography. It is helpful with arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, dental problems, digestive disorders and many others. This technology, I believe, is one of the keys to preventative medicine or at least early detection and early intervention and should be considered by men and women both.

After her presentation, I went to her booth and had my own thermogram taken of my head. For those who are wondering, yes there is something in there and it does seem to be working. Thankfully, I was was in the clear except for some minor sinus inflammation which I woke up with that morning and battled throughout the day.

What really stuck with me from this entire experience is the effect that our oral health can have on the health of our entire body, not just our cardiovascular system. Valarie herself will tell you that in her clients that have health problems she is able to trace many of the problems to poor oral health through thermography. Many times it isn’t that the client doesn’t take care of their mouth, it is that the procedures that have been done in the client’s mouth have been done poorly or incorrectly and lead to an underlying infection. This infection in the mouth can drain into the lymph tissue and cause health problems throughout the body.

There are a few dentists in the area that I recommend for dental work. If you are not in Duluth, you can also search for a biological dentist in your area who will be able to help you keep your mouth healthy naturally. To get your thermography scan in Duluth and surrounding communities contact Sharon at Essence of Health by calling 218-727-6700.