I commend both Mr. Ridley and Mr. Longland. This is a very important subject that needs to be addressed immediately. Microbial burden and microbial diseases have a major influence on all of our health and all of our pocketbooks. While society has made it a priority to protect ourselves from all microorganisms, the fact is the bad microorganisms are having an ever-increasing effect on our health and our healthcare costs.

There’s a huge disconnect in healthcare in regard to its approach to bacterial load and especially to the presence of biofilms. Biofilm is the biggest enemy we have in healthcare, and it’s being overlooked because of an older approach to the microbial disease paradigm. There are so many ways we can improve lives and reduce healthcare costs by looking through a new lens at the effects of biofilms on human health.

We live in a world where we have an ever-expanding number of resistant bacteria, and we now find out that they also protect themselves within a biofilm community. The bacteria are finding ways to combat everything we throw at them. An obvious example of this is the fact that there are five oral bacteria that come only from the mouth that have their DNA show up in the plaque buildup around the heart, which is one of the major causes of heart disease.

I especially commend Mr. Longland for his work on “Why Am I Still Sick?” the documentary, which is a great exposé on the effects of biofilm on our health.

Daniel L. Sindelar, DMD
President, American Academy for Oral Systemic Health
Author, Refresh Life