Shirley MacLaine Testimonial
Excerpt from Author and Actress Shirley MacLaine’s book Above the Line
I had what is called TMJ. I had heard that term. Temporomandibular joint syndrome refers to a malposition of the respective jaw structures and associated muscles. This condition results in muscle contractions which are a factor in approximately 80 percent of all pain related to back and spine. Some seventy-five million Americans are affected by TMJ syndrome, but only about 5 percent of all TMJ patients are actually diagnosed correctly and treated for their problem. I am one of them. Luckily I found Dr. Bill Wolfe in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a mercury-free dentist who constructed a customized splint that I wear over the top of my lower teeth to alter the way the upper and lower jaw fit together to stabilize my entire spinal column. I wear it twenty-four hours a day except when eating. Thanks to the brilliance of Dr. Wolfe, my long-standing back pain and neck pain, the result of decades of overuse as a dancer, has resolved itself. I’m achieving long-term correction and stability of my spine and enjoying dramatic relief of my chronic pain that I was convinced was going to require surgical intervention. Instead, perhaps the creative expression from my voice had to be balanced with the earth-plane stability of my teeth and muscles in my mouth.
Excerpt from Author and Actress Shirley MacLaine’s book Sage-ing While Age-ing
… body, they can harbor infections without symptoms—there is no pain or discomfort very often, yet there may be chronic infection eroding the body’s immune response, wearing out the immune system. And this infection is very difficult to detect. I had had the infection long before the toothache. About 98 percent of Americans have some areas of diseased gum tissue in their mouths, and half of these are also experiencing a progressive “bone loss.”
The mouth, unfortunately for those who like to kiss, is a hostile environment. It’s warm, moist, and full of nutrient-laden saliva, decaying teeth, and saggy gums, which makes a haven for bacteria.
The philosophy underlying the teaching of dentistry today, in the main, limits its practice to mechanics, pain control, and aesthetics. I was fortunate in finding naturopathic doctors and dentists who could really help me. I was fortunate to meet and be helped by Dr. Bill Wolfe. He practices in Santa Fe, and I urge you, dear Reader, if you are having tooth problems, to go to his website at www.drwolfe.com.
Along with my wisdom tooth problem I have three root canal teeth that are on the meridian points to my stomach and lungs. I thought perhaps I should have the root canal teeth pulled, but Dr. Wolfe tested the toxicity of the teeth and found that they weren’t bad enough for removal. He suggested laser treatment for me so that I could save the teeth. I seem to be doing fine now, but without the laser treatment I think my immune system would have suffered.
As Dr. Voll says, we have only so much currency in our immune system bank accounts. If our immune systems are always concentrating on keeping our teeth healthy, some other part of the body is paying the price with neglect. I am grateful I have come to understand the naturopathic…
