Here's To Your Health with Dr. Sanda Moldovan - 9/10/2013

Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you, Josh, for giving me the opportunity. I think we're gonna have a really nice segment with my guest, Dr. Sandra Moldovan, who's a dentist in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica and a couple of other places. And she's gonna answer my questions and tell us about her. Would you like to introduce yourself and give a little bit about your background and what you do?

Yes, definitely. Thank you, Rafael, for inviting me. Number one, I'm excited to be here to talk about oral health. And really, my motto is, if the eyes are the windows to the soul, then the mouth is a gateway into your overall health. Yeah. And I think it's so often forgotten, especially when we go to the doctor, they forget to look in the mouth. So I'm really trying to bridge the gap between dentistry and medicine. So I'm Dr. Sandha, and I have a periodontal training, which is a master's in oral biology. And I also am a certified nutritionist and combination. Thank you. I see so many nutritional deficiencies in the mouth, so that's why I decided to go and study more nutrition and to combine the two.

I have a question regarding that, because I don't know if it's because I'm from France, but I remember as a kid, I had a lot of issues, and the only thing that the dentist would tell me is, do not eat candies. Right. But they wouldn't tell me anything else. We were not really good at flossing and everything. But I think it's so important to know what food can do for you. Right. And how it can help and how it can also damage your teeth.

Definitely. And we have a lot of cavities, not only in children, but also in adults that we see today because of the dry mouth issues that we have today. We have more and more people on different medications, and, you know, that could cause dry mouth, but also with children. You know, I grew up in Romania, so actually I have quite a bit of a number of fillings in my mouth, and I visited the dentist quite a bit, and I was told the same thing, like, you just don't eat candies. But actually, it's not just the candy. For example, chocolate. We can have chocolate, and it's so beneficial for our health, especially dark chocolate.

So you mean even though it has sugar?

Even though it has sugar, it's not a sticky food. So if you have a sweet tooth and you want to satisfy that craving, just have a piece of dark chocolate, and that's great. And it doesn't cause cavities. What Causes cavities, is actually sticky foods. So like toffee, but also breads, bread, bagels, chips. So it's not just candy.

So the starchy food or the carbohydrates that turn into sugar and stays there. That's what we should be more aware of.

Exactly. That's what we should be more aware of because the bacteria that causes cavities loves that sticky food, that carbohydrate like food. So it causes a little acid, and that acid, as a byproduct of their eating, destroys the tooth. That's what really happens.

What if you brush your teeth right after you ate bread? Is that okay, or. I just love bread, so I'm trying.

To find a way. Yeah, I love bread, too. And that's actually very important. At least, let's say it's great to brush your teeth after eating bread. And even if you don't have a brush, let's say just have some water, swish it in your mouth and just check with your tongue to make sure you don't have any food stuck on your teeth. That's a great way to fix that. And you could still have the bread.

So, I'm sorry, I interrupted you. So you studied nutrition specifically because you wanted to understand more what happens with the food and your teeth, but also as a general way of being healthy, I guess.

Yes. And also I do quite a bit of surgery. 70% of what I do are oral surgery, like dental implants, biopsies, and general grafting and. And really rebuilding smiles. That's what I do. So I saw that some patients would heal fine and some wouldn't. And I wanted to give my patients some nutritional advice on how to heal better. And I'm actually in the process of writing a book right now called Healing for a Pill Popping Nation, which should be out in the next few months.

That's great. You have to let me know.

Definitely.

Did you write other books before?

No, it's my first one.

That's interesting.

Yeah. And I will be talking actually about.

Homeopathy, which is my little favorite topic.

Yes. So, yeah.

And actually that's how we got to know each other better, when you got into homeopathy. And would you like to say, you know what, a little bit. What you can do with homeopathy as a dentist and oral surgeon.

Yeah, I would love to. And I love that homeopathy is so available today. You walk into a natural food store and it's right there. So I can send my patients. Yes, big change from what it used to be. So I'M glad I met you during the course. And I took the course because I thought homeopathy was herbal. Yeah.

A lot of people. And we still need to clarify that with Josh. We're always trying to make the difference between homeopathy and herbal, and we just need to repeat it because it is a little bit confusing.

Yes. And, you know, the thing is, herbal medication can be toxic, but homeopathy is very safe. And that's. That's a major thing that I tell my patients. A lot of them are worried, oh, you know, can I overdose on arnica? Is it going to, you know, I said, no. You know, the homeopathy, arnica, you cannot. So arnica is something that I use quite a bit right after surgery because it really helps with bruising and swelling and the discomfort following a procedure.

So because you didn't use homeopathy, I don't know, maybe two years ago. So you can really compare what you see now and what you used to see as far as the healing.

Yes, I definitely can compare the results. And I have much less discomfort today compared to what I used to, especially in more extensive procedures, even for myself. I use homeopathy arnica, for example, for bruising, and I do find that it reduces the length of the bruising as well as the discomfort.

I remember not so long ago, I had a root canal and my dentist was very sorry and you have to do it. It's going to be really painful. But I did my little protocol, including arnica and other medicines, and maybe I was lucky, but didn't, you know, I healed really fast, didn't get the swelling and the pain. So it's maybe something we should just advertise more.

That's true, and I would love to talk to more dentists about it because it's a great asset for our treatment protocol, and it's something that's very safe and it really helps us.

But someone like you would be great to advocate homeopathy to dentist, because I have tried a little bit with what I call conventional dentists. It's just difficult. They're not open to something different. So I'm always more successful with dentists who are more holistic. And I think it's a shame if so many people could benefit. Like you said, it's safe, it's cost effective.

Yes.

And it works.

And it works. Yeah, it's definitely cost effective. I actually keep even a gelsemium for anxiety. You know how many patients hate to come to the dental office, oh, here's my dental appointment. You know, even for Clean, including myself. I hate to be sitting in the chair because you know what's going to happen. Yeah. So it's just that gelsemium is a great medication to decrease that anxiety.

So do you give it in the office or you tell the patient to be prepared and buy it before they come?

I usually tell them to buy it before they come in. I carry with me even for when I fly. You know, if I have a long flight that I'm a little bit edgy about, you know, it just helps me calm down.

It calms you down. And again, you don't have the potential side effects of other medications. You don't feel drowsy, you still yourself.

Yeah.

You're just more relaxed.

Yes, exactly.

Do you see a lot of bleeding gums or, you know, problem with. I had a hard time understanding that gums are part of your. Not the mouth, but the health of your mouth, too. I thought if I have healthy teeth, I'm fine. But I, you know, I hear people have problems with gums.

Yes.

Receding gums. And is that something that you see a lot, too?

So according to the National Institute of health, about 70% of people in the United States have some form of gum disease.

That seems a lot.

It is, isn't it? And, you know, the thing is, gum disease doesn't really cause pain until it's in its advanced stages.

So you don't realize you have it.

Exactly. So most people unfortunately have the disease. Just like diabetes, for example, you know, it doesn't cause any pain. So half of the population that has diabetes don't even know they have it. It's the same thing with gum disease.

So only your dentist can determine if you have it. The early stages.

Yeah. So normally we look at what is called pocket depth. So that's the gum around the tooth. We measure the little distance to the base of where the bone starts. And if those pockets get higher and higher, that means you're starting to develop gum disease. It's such a complex disease because it's a chronic low grade disease and it has a genetic component. So some people are more predisposed to having it than others. It also has a bacterial component to which we could test for today. And it also has to do with a patient's immune system and their status. Whether they're stressed out, we see more exacerbating disease. And whether their vitamin D is low, for example, we know that's associated with.

Increasing dental infections and with the whole thing about not getting in the sun. I guess your vitamin D level is Very up and low now.

Yes, exactly. And that's actually something. As a nutritionist, I do test my patients with just a simple finger prick. You could actually test for vitamin D.

So let me ask you, if a patient comes to you, do they know you're going to do all you have all that expertise or they're just things you're going to take care of? One tooth that's painful. How do they approach you? Because this is pretty unique from what you're saying, what you do in your practice.

Yeah. So most patients, I think, still think of me as more of a periodontist.

Could you explain the difference, what a periodontist is exactly?

Sure. Actually, you're right. Most people, I think don't know what a periodontist is unless you go visit one and then you'll never forget. So a periodontist, we really treat the foundation around the teeth. So we look at the bone health and the gum health around the teeth.

And we also X ray, or you can just by looking.

We do X rays, sometimes two dimensional and sometimes three dimensionals like CT scans and also just by measuring and looking at the bleeding. So I deal with not only periodontal disease, but like putting dental implants and rebuilding structures, rebuilding bone. So it's a surgical profession, but you.

Also deal with the usual issues that you go to your dentist for or that's more. You have a colleague who does that, the cavities and all that.

Yes, I work with a colleague that does the general dentist who works with the cavities and things like that. However, as a nutritional side, if I see somebody has several cavities, I'm going to talk to them about their diet and how to avoid and how to remineralize the teeth.

Oh, that's something you can do.

Yes.

Tell me about that.

So if we actually test the PH and the saliva, we get different levels. So ideally we'd like to be more of a neutral ph, which is around 7.7.7.4 is even better for the saliva. Most of us today, because of the stress or processed foods or not enough water intake, we have an acidic ph.

Do you test it with the paper?

Yes.

Okay, so we can even do it at home?

Absolutely, yeah. And it's something I do for myself, just to kind of see where I'm at.

Does it vary during the day?

It can vary during the day, but ideally what you want to do is measure it in the morning when you wake up because you haven't eaten. And you know, then you can get an accurate level where your body is. So if you're more on the acidic side, what you want to do is incorporate foods in your diet that are more alkaline.

Such as?

Such as dark leafy greens. Reducing sugary foods and reducing starchy foods and avoiding things that are really acidic. Like colas, for example, things like that. Fruits are okay. On the other side, interestingly enough, lemons and limes are alkaline forming.

It's always a little bit difficult to because it tastes acidic, but it's the way the byproducts are more alkaline. But I know it's for people, it's confusing. Just remember that we can have lemon and oranges.

Yes, that's true. However, you know, don't overdo it. Just like anything else. For example, if I had a patient the other day who said, oh, I eat four oranges a night. I said, wow, that's extreme. So if you really like citrus, just remember, don't brush your teeth right after eating citrus because what happens is in the mouth the fruit is acidic. So even after drinking Coca Cola, for example, don't brush your teeth right away. Wait about half an hour for the saliva to rebalance a little bit the pH. Because what happens is if you actually brush right after eating four oranges, you can wash away the enamel. You can actually wear away the enamel.

Especially if you brush right when it's still acidic in your mouth. That's interesting.

Yeah.

So and if the saliva is acidic, that's going to cause more cavities. Right. It contributes to more cavities.

That is right. So the saliva is acidic, can contribute to more cavities. And that's a way for, you know, for somebody to test themselves at home. There's so many self diagnostic tests that we could do at home today. You know, I mean the PH paper strips, you could buy them at any natural food store today or pharmacy.

Try it. That's very interesting because sometimes it seems that you eat the right food but maybe, maybe it's not working for you or maybe it's not the right quantities. So it's such an easy tool.

Exactly. You know, so something you could do at home. So it's easy.

Would you say there's also a relationship between the PH in your saliva and canker sores? I don't know if it's the right term, but aptios ulcers or is it related to that?

You know, canker sores are a very interesting topic. It can be related, but what we find now today is canker sores can be related to gluten Intolerance.

That's what I read. Yes.

So I always. If I see somebody that had a canker sores, I asked them if they have any stomach bloating or gas and what they're eating, what their diet is like. If somebody has wheat for breakfast, lunch and dinner and they have the discomfort, bloating, gas and they get canker sores, more likely they're going to have a gluten intolerance and they should get off the wheat and the breads that contain gluten.

So again, are we talking about canker sore twice a year or is it something that has to be really happening often? So you look into it.

Yeah. So some patients get them twice a year, some patients get them twice a week and they can be very painful. But maybe twice a year is not going to be related to gluten. It may be more related to a mineral deficiency. Okay. So that's something else that I do is micronutrient deficiency testing. So if you have, for example, you're low in zinc or magnesium, you may develop canker sores.

So that's also an indication that something is not in balance.

Yes. So that's why I say the mouth is a gateway to the health. We see if your mouth is healthy or not, which shows us imbalances in the body.

I think it's fascinating. Do you use homeopathy for canker sores?

I do use homeopathy for canker sore, yes. There's two medications that I love to use, Merxol and that really I've had patients with a condition called lichen planus, which is really advanced form of canker sore that we can look at and that's constant for. Goes on for months.

So painful.

Very, very painful. It's basically like an open wound in the mouth.

How can you eat?

Very difficult problem, too. Very difficult. So I've had great success with Merxol and also APIs for pain, for that burning, stinging sensation. In the past, what we used to use and what I was trained to use at UCLA Periodontics. Right. In my program is corticosteroid medication, because we don't know why they pop up. Now we know it's also a food intolerance or a food allergy. So we test for that when we see that. But to get immediate relief, I've had 80 to 90% relief of symptoms by using these two homeopathic medications. Huge.

Say it again. APIs and Mercurial solubilist. Right?

Yes, those are the two.

Dr. Sanda, because we're Getting close to the end of our segment, I want you to mention how people can contact you. If you have a website, what's the best way. Or to read about you, what's the.

Best way so you could. I'm a regular contributor on the Doctors TV show on cbs, can find me there. But also if you go to my website, Dr.sandamoldavan.com maybe you want to spell it. D R S A N D A M O L D O V A n dot com. And I post information on there that are related to nutrition and oral health. And I also have a page called Ask Dr. Samda on Facebook.

That's great.

And I place nutritional answers for patients that are curious about this and that.

And they can also contact you for an appointment or to find out about the offices where you work.

Yes, I work in Beverly Hills in Santa Monica. And the number there is 310-826-6886. One more time, it's 310-826-6886.

Thank you. And you do accept new patients?

Yes, I accept new patients.

They come by themselves or they're usually referred by other dentists.

No, we have lots of patients today that know their gums are bleeding. If you look in the mirror and you see, you know, every time you floss, your gums bleed, don't ignore that sign. I would see a periodontist.

Okay.

Because they're more specialized than gums.

You recommend flossing, right?

Definitely. We have a saying, only floss the teeth you want to keep.

So. Yeah, but sometimes, you know, it can hurt a little bit. I know we made a lot of progress with the, you know, the floss itself, but I remember at the beginning it was a little bit hurtful. You could bleed when you wouldn't do it well. But you're still saying that's what you have to do, right?

Flossing is a good thing. Yes. And I use this floss called expandable floss. It's like a little sponge so it doesn't cut in the gum. It's very gentle.

Okay.

And it cleans very well. I have to give you a sample. Yeah.

You do it before you brush or after?

It doesn't matter. You know, flossing is probably more important than brushing because bacteria loves to hide in between the teeth where you can't get to it.

Very interesting. What about, you know, the water pick? Water.

Any kind of water pick or flosser is great, especially for people that don't have good dexterity and they can't brush well. Or floss so it's really a great adjunct to cleaning.

Dr. Sandha, give us. I'm sorry to bother you, but give us your website again because I know people sometimes are driving, they cannot write it down. Give us your website and phone number.

Great. So My address is DrSandaMoldovan.com and my number is 310-826-6886.

Thank you so much. This was Raphael Coimbatore, co host on here's to youo Health. And Today I had Dr. Sandra Moldovan, dentist and periodontist. Thank you so much.

Thank you. It was a pleasure.

So we're going to listen to those important messages and we'll be back in a few minutes.

Thank you.