From Root Canals to Root Cause with Dr. Eniko Loud and Sachin Patel Perfect Practice

In this episode, Sachin and Dr. Eniko Loud talk about Dr. Loud’s training, background, and interest in applying functional medicine practices to holistic dental care. Dr. Loud explains there is more to dental care than treating cavities and broken teeth. Sometimes teeth break when there is uneven pressure in the bite. Dr. Loud explains how this happens. She covers what kinds of problems mouth-breathing can cause, why there is so much dental crowding and a functional problem with braces. Listen in for information on holistic and myofunctional dental therapy.
 
Key Takeaways:
[1:02] Sachin introduces the topic for today: oral health and beyond and introduces his guest Dr. Eniko Loud, a pioneer in the treatment of orofacial conditions. Dr. Loud provides dental care in a very holistic way using functional medicine. She focuses on the whole patient. Sachin shares more about Dr. Loud and how Joe Polish of Genius Network introduced them.
 
[3:33] Sachin welcomes Dr. Loud to the podcast.
 
[3:56] Dr. Loud was trained in medicine and dentistry in Europe. She had a passion for seeing the whole person. When she discovered functional medicine, it was a paradigm shift. She decided to get certified in functional medicine. She started making an impact on her patient’s health, with documents and dietary plans. She was excited about showing up for work.
 
[6:30] Dr. Loud tells how diseases of the body can show up on the tongue seven to 10 years before they show up in the body. She says bad breath is one of the biggest indicators of disease.
 
[8:11] Dr. Loud explains the patient's experience. The first appointment can take up to two hours. Based on functional medicine, there is a lot of listening and gathering of information. Before the appointment, Dr. Loud reviews records, diet, toxin exposure, and sleep habits. She connects all parts of the patient’s history with their oral health. Patients are amazed.
 
[9:38] Dr. Loud says this should be the standard of care in dentistry. Dr. Loud is a guide to her patients on their journey. She offers two ways, down the path of disease or the path of health. Most patients choose health. The patient is in the driver’s seat and makes all the decisions. Patients receive a report card after their hygienist appointment showing markers of health.
 
[12:15] The standard in Dr. Loud’s practice is for patients to have zero bleeding. That is how the patients can measure their success and progress.
 
[13:03] Bleeding gums might signal malnutrition. A lot of times, it indicates a lack of proper care. Mouth-breathing could be an issue or bacterial overgrowth even if they brush and floss properly. Toothbrush heads or mouth appliances may not be properly sterilized, spreading bacteria. Toothbrushes should be changed after two months. Dr. Loud likes electric toothbrushes.
 
[15:15] Dr. Loud likes Oral B iO series brushes. Dr. Loud says it rotates and oscillates so it is very effective at removing plaque.
 
[16:25] To tell if you have a tongue-tie, open your mouth wide and touch the roof of your mouth with your tongue. If you cannot, it is likely you have a tongue-tie. Dr. Loud explains some of the problems a tongue-tie can cause, and how the posture may be affected. Swallowing problems, sleep apnea, and snoring also may result from a tongue-tie.
 
[19:33] Dr. Loud describes a 3-D scan that can show abnormalities from a tongue tie. An oral surgeon can perform a frenectomy to relieve a tongue-tie.
 
[20:35] Dr. Loud recommends myofunctional therapy before and after a frenectomy to prepare the muscle for what it will have to do when the release is done.
 
[22:15] Two different things impact teeth; bacteria and forces. Most patients don’t know they have an overload of forces on their teeth. Dr. Loud explains what can happen when a crown is a few microns too high. This may change the joint position. If the forces are not distributed evenly, some teeth may be overloaded,