But this experience I’m about to share, I’ve never seen or experienced before. My mom and I decided to visit a local salt mine turned into underground city for halotherapy. The place is located in Ocnele Mari. Once we got there, we were taken by bus 29 meters into the ground. When the gates opened, we were truly impressed. The ceiling was 20 feet high and the area was over 40,000 sq meters, with 2 restaurants, a race track, movie theater, art gallery, store, basketball court, soccer and other games. All undergrounds, surrounded by massive walls of salt.

What is halotherapy?

Salt is known to have a bactericidal and cleansing effect, partly due to it’s negatively charged ions. By breathing in the salt aerosols, the lungs detoxify and the immune system strengthens. Halotherapy is used to prevent as well as treat certain conditions. Doctors recommend it for:

• respiratory problems, such as asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, emphysema, ear and throat infections, sleep apnea
• nervous system problems, such as stress, chronic fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety
• skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis, acne and dermatitis
• digestive problems, including oral infections, such as thrush
• endocrine problems, including thyroid issues and metabolic problems
• smoker’s detoxification

When in the salt mines, it was recommended to breathe through the nose and through the mouth, so that the mucosa of the mouth and throat can come in contact with aerosols as well. The size of the salt particles suspended in the air are between 0.1 and 0.9 microns. They stick to the skin or mucosa surface making the cellular membrane become more fluid and elastic, cleaning out any infection in the areas exposed to the aerosols. 30 minutes is all that’s needed to get the benefits of salinotherapy, but it doesn’t hurt to stay longer.

The 4 main actions halotherapy has on the body are:

• purifying the respiratory passages
• strengthening the immune system
• detoxifying the body
• regeneration of skin and mucous membranes

There are some contraindications to salt therapy: hypertension, lung cancer, recent heart attack or stroke, hyperthyroidism, pregnancy. If you are claustrophobic, it is also advised to avoid the salt mines. Some spas in United States have recreated the atmospheric environment of a salt mine, and this is a good way to experience the benefits of halo therapy. But if you get a chance to visit the salt mines, it is quite an experience!

In great health,
Dr. Sanda

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As millions of Americans obsess on the Ebola virus, there are other viruses that are reappearing which have been previously extinguished, such as measles, mumps and even the flu. But why are these viruses really reappearing? I think we should take a hard look in the mirror.

Why? We are allowing them to latch on to us. An unhealthy lifestyle, chronic diseases, increased sugar intake, stress and various pollutants weaken our immune system, allowing viruses to flourish. Everyone is waiting for a cure, a vaccine.

Lets face it. Our immune system is overwhelmed today by processed foods, numerous household chemicals and artificial food additives, air pollutants and stress. Many diseases associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, such as type II diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome and many cancers such as lymphoma, are at their highest rate. All these affect the immune system. We are clearly not prepared physiologically to deal with viral or bacterial infections. What’s worse is that antibiotic and viral resistance is a world-wide problem. For example Herpes simplex virus type 1 has developed a resistance to Acyclovir (Frobert et al, 2006).

There are very limited antiviral treatments today against the vast majority of viruses that can infect us. While we are hopeful for a cure, a vaccine, let’s not wait on ways where we can start strengthening our immune system now! While It’s Ebola today, the flu every season, or another virus will be on us in days and years to come.

Here are a few points on how to prepare our immune system for the flu season and other viruses:

Reduce the amount of sugar intake. Sugar is inflammatory in nature and weakens our immune system

Increase the amount of medium-chain saturated fats such as coconut oil. Lauric acid, caprylic acid and myristic acid have anti-viral activity. In the body, lauric acid produces monolaurin, which is an effective virucidal agent. It has been shown to kill HIV, measles, HSV-1 and cytomegalovirus, to name a few (Enig M, Nutrients and Foods in AIDS, CRC press, 1998).

Take mushroom supplements. Shiitake, reishi and maitake have all been shown to help us build resistance to viruses.

Take a nutrition deficiency test with your nutritionist. Make sure you are at optimum level, especially with vit D, zinc and antioxidants (Acta Reumatol Port. 2014 Aug 24).

Drink plenty of water. Enough said!

Get enough sleep. This is very important for all of us to remember, juggling busy schedules.

In great health,
Dr. Sanda

To discuss your personal health with an award-winning periodontist and nutritionist contact Dr. Sanda Moldovan to schedule a consultation.

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It was a beautiful Sunday-spring-is-in-the-air afternoon, where I was enjoying a pool side brunch in Los Angeles. As I was mingling with the friends who were there, I noticed a mom with her 2-year-old son, holding a plate of food, mostly meat. She looked around to see if anyone was watching, as she took pre-chewed food out of her mouth and gave it to her son.

My light and upbeat mood suddenly took a 180 degree dive in the other direction, as I thought, “Yuck! What if she has periodontal disease?” Those bacteria could transfer right to her son. After all, periodontitis develops in children. Also herpes virus, which causes not only lip lesions, but also break-outs on the roof of the mouth, can be transmitted.

But not only that. If the mom has cavity forming bacteria, those would also transfer to his baby teeth. Some studies have also shown that if the mother has ulcer causing bacteria H Pylori, this also can be transferred to the baby.

Premastication, pre-chewing, or kiss feeding is the act of chewing food for the purpose of physically breaking it down in order to feed another that is incapable of masticating the food by themselves. This is often done by the mother or relatives of a baby to produce baby food capable of being consumed by the child during the weaning process.

The chewed food in the form of a bolus is transferred from the mouth of one individual to another, either directly mouth-to-mouth, via utensils, hands, or is further cooked or processed prior to feeding is practiced all over the world and mostly it was started because they didn’t have blenders or baby food in jars.

Since I don’t follow celebrities as a rule, despite having several high profile patients in my periodontal and health and wellness practices, I had no idea when I began research for this article– the controversy surrounding premastication, due to actress Alicia Silverstone’s staunch defense of the practice.

I still choose with all respect to Ms. Silverstone and others, based on my professional experience, cautioning my patients against it, despite critics who say there are not enough clinical studies to support dental opinions such as mine. This is an ideal case of you being better safe than sorry.

If you are a mom, I strongly advise you against this practice of premastication. However, if you believe the benefits for your baby or toddler outweigh the risks, I urge you to make sure you visit your dentist at least twice a year for a thorough check up.

To all moms out there, make sure you brush twice a day and floss daily, as even sharing utensils can transmit oral bacteria to your baby. Good health and wellness to your wee little ones–and moms, as we recognize on Mother’s Day, and hopefully, every day!

In great health,
Dr. Sanda

Ensure that your dental hygiene is in tip top shop. Contact Dr. Sanda Moldovan to schedule a consultation.

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“I am a periodontist”, I say to someone I had just met at a social event. Most people don’t know what a periodontist is, or does, but the older you get, the more likely you will know what a periodontist is.

Why, you may ask? Because the risk of getting a periodontal problem increases with age, whether it is gum inflammation, loose teeth, a missing tooth that requires an implant, gum recession or God-forbid, a gum lesion or growth.

“Perio-dontics” means simply dealing with “around the teeth”. At least, that’s how the profession started. But as it evolved and dental implants became the standard of care to replace a missing tooth, most periodontists are also placing implants. During my residency, which was 3 years long following dental school, I had the opportunity to train with a world-renouned implant periodontist at UCLA, Dr. Sascha Jovanovic. I learned to perform advanced implant techniques, and bone grafting methods for patients who have lost a lot of bone and wanted implants.

Today, 70% of my practice consists of implant therapy and related services, such as bone and tissue regeneration. I work with restorative specialists to rehabilitate an entire mouth in one day, in both LA and NY.

But every periodontal program is different, so there will be many different periodontists. Some don’t do implants at all, with the main focus being on periodontal or “gum” disease. Some periodontists, like myself, specialize in minimally invasive procedures, while others follow a more traditional route. Some periodontists don’t do any gum recession treatment. Most periodontists are knowledgeable about nutrition and how it relates to oral inflammation. I work with my patients to ensure that they achieve optimum healing after their dental reconstructive surgery.

So, do you need to see a periodontist? If you have a concern about your oral health other than cavities, you can find a periodontist in your area at perio.org.

How do you choose the right periodontist for you? Look into what their philosophy is, how they treat certain conditions either by meeting with them one-on-one or checking out their website.

Most importantly, we are working in an intimate space, the mouth, so be sure you feel comfortable with the periodontist you choose.

In great health,
Dr. Sanda

Schedule a consultation to see if Dr. Sanda Moldovan is the right periodontist for you.

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“What happened..?” I barely could get out of my mouth.

“You wouldn’t believe it! I had a pimple behind the ear, which just wouldn’t heal. I kept draining it, but finally, I decided to go to the doctor to cut it off. He thought it was nothing too, but he had it biopsied anyway. It turned out that little pimple was cancer!” said Mr Sully. It was squamous cell carcinoma, one of the more invasive forms of cancer.

When the surgeon went in to remove it, he realized it was much deeper and it surrounded the parotid gland, a gland located in the cheek, which produces saliva. This gland was also removed and a skin graft from his chest had to be placed to cover the area.

Head and neck cancer is best treated when diagnosed early. The problem is, many of us, like Mr Scully, look at a small pimple and don’t think anything of it. Tobacco and alcohol use are the most important risk factors for most head and neck cancers. Additionally, infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) of the mouth causes more than half of all cases of oral cancers. We can test for this HPV infection with a simple swish. Visit www.oralDNA.com for more information.

Chew on this: Do a cancer self-assessment check once a week. Examine your face and neck, including behind the ear and note any raised bumps or pores that look enlarged. If you notice any new and growing “pores” or pimples, visit your dermatologist or ENT specialist. Dentists are also trained to do head and neck exams and then refer you out if something looks suspicious.

In great health,
Dr. Sanda

To set up a head and neck exam with an award-winning periodontist and nutritionist contact Dr. Sanda Moldovan to schedule a consultation.

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