Focal Infection Theory Supported by Other Medical Doctors.

What has been learned in the intervening years which
confirms Dr. Price's contributions to mankind?

Research about endondontic treatment since that time has
been extensive and, for the most part, corroborates
Dr.Price's discoveries. At the same time, Price's questions
continue to add new dimensions to understanding problems
inherent in the dental profession's effort to save teeth
and keep people healthy.

Let me tell you about some of the scientific research which
confirms Dr. Price's major revelations and adds so much to
our understanding of this subject. What follows includes a
bit more technical information than I like to present to
lay audiences. However, knowing some dentists and
physicians will read this book because of their own
interest in the subject or because of the demands of their
patients, it seems necessary to include at least a minimum
of scientific data to emphasize studies which support and
confirm the Price discoveries.

The following men made important contributions to society
in this regard: Milton J. Rosenau, M.D. One of the medical
greats who contributed much to our knowledge of the process
of focal infection was Dr. Milton J. Rosenau, Professor of
Preventive Medicine and Hygiene at Harvard Medical School
In Boston. In 1939, in an article published in the Journal
of the American Dental Association, Rosenau reported
isolating streptococci bacteria from an ulcer in the bowel
of a patient ill with "mucous colitis." He transferred the
bacteria involved in the ulcer through intravenous
injection into several animals and reproduced in them a
similar colitis. Extensive medical work to try to locate
the source of the bowel infection was solved when he found
the patient had a crowned bicuspid which had a large
abscess at its root end.

Cultures made from the infected area were injected
intravenously into a rabbit. In 72 hours the rabbit
developed a bleeding, necrosing colitis which proved to
contain the same family of bacteria involved in the
patient's tooth. But Rosenau's experimental work didn't end
there. He then planted these bacteria in some of the teeth
of a dog. X-ray photographs revealed these teeth developed
abscesses quite similar to those found originally in the
patient. What is more, after 16 months the dog developed
ulcerative colitis.

To further his work, Dr. rosenau transferred into the teeth
of dogs other strains of streptococci taken from patients
with a variety of diseases, either acute or chronic, such
as nephritis (kidney disease with stones), cystitis
(bladder), stomach ulcers, arthritis, and various central
and peripheral nerve diseases. Fifty-two dogs were involved
and 1014 dogs who were not inoculated were used as
controls. Between 47 percent and 75 percent of the animals
developed the same diseases as had the patients.

Dr. Rosenau was criticized that he too often found
streptococcus bacteria in diseases transferred via focal
infection. He pointed out the streptococcus organisms were
commonly found to be responsible for the largest number of
chronic cases of invalidism. You will remember that Dr.
Price also found streps the most frequent oral organisms
involved in causing degenerative diseases.

Franklin Billings, M.D. It was Frank Billings, M.D. Dean of
the Faculty, Professor and Head of the Department of
Medicine and Professor of Medicine at the University of
Chicago, who located and identified the first focal
infection in the mouth. In 1914, Dr. Billings wrote: "Focal
infection is most commonly situated in the head, but may be
located in any organ or tissue." What he meant was, while
it was possible for a focal infection to rise from any
where in the body, its most probable starting site was in
the mouth.

It must be kept in mind that in the beginning, studies
disclosed the transfer of bacteria from the teeth and
tonsils was found to infect the heart, bone joints,
kidneys, etc. As time went on, more and more organs and
tissues were found to be involved in diseases which
originated in the mouth.

It would have been better had Dr. Billings been able to
spell out the original findings and then add his new
discoveries, for many people who had trouble understanding
bacteria could be transferred from the mouth to other
tissues opposed his frequent addition of new areas, even
though it should have been obvious search addition was a
new discovery. These objections were partially responsible
for the focal infection theory battles which came about.

Eventually Dr. Billings was to state that at least 99
percent of the focally infected diseases arose from the
tonsils or teeth, and only one percent or less from all the
other sources combined. Some of those other sources proved
to be the sinuses, Lungs, Intestines, toenails, and tonsil
tags or stumps, but keep in mind these bacteria could
originate anywhere.

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Dr. George Meinig, D.D.S., F.A.C.D. is a Founder of the
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Edited and prepared by Sung Lee, alternate author