Stephen Barrett and Quackwatch

Stephen Barrett again added my name to his Quackwatch website. Barrett states:

“The Toxic Tooth claims that “Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that virtually all root canal-treated teeth are still infected and slowly and continually leak disease-causing pathogens and toxins into the rest of the body as long as they remain in the mouth.” It also claims that root canal procedures increase the possibility of developing coronary artery disease, lung disease, kidney disease, dementia, diabetes, and arthritis. I do not believe that these assertions are valid.”

Barrett does not believe that what we state in our book is valid. Did he read the book? In my opinion he did not. All root canal teeth remain infected. The science clearly accepts this as fact. The American Dental Association now readily accepts this fact. Studies have also shown that highly toxic small molecule exotoxins leach from these teeth. These bacteria have been definitively proven through DNA analysis to spread to distant sites in the body such as coronary artery plaques and blood clots of heart attack patients. What doesn’t he understand about that?  Three dimensional X-rays show that over 90 percent of all root canal teeth have periapical pathology astound the root apex. What doesn’t he understand about that? The recent book, titled, Beat The heart Attack Gene, states that about 50 percent of all heart attacks may be triggered by oral infections. Perhaps Barrett will call the cardiologist author of that book a quack too?  No, I don’t think Barrett even looked at my book wit Dr. Levy, let alone review any of the scientific papers presented in the bibliography. Because if he did, he would see all of the peer review articles showing the relationship between oral infection and systemic disease. (search the abstract section on this website and see for yourself). 

It boggles my mind that a supposedly learned physician can ignore all of the scientific evidence that support the relationship between oral infections and systemic disease. Even a lay person with a sprinkling of common sense, when presented with the peer reviewed articles, can understand these concepts. But Barrett seems incapable to do so in my opinion.  Or maybe he just does not want to. Maybe it is his sole mission to attempt to discredit anyone that threatens the status quo.

The reader will be the judge. Just read the scientific articles and make up your own mind. The science does not lie and does not have an agenda. Don’t believe me and don’t believe Barrett(or The American Dental Association). Believe the peer reviewed science and use your common sense.

The Quackwatch website could be used as an objective evaluation of all treatment modalities. Instead, in my opinion Quackwatch is used to promote agendas that may or may not have sound basis in scientific fact.     

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