Lyle Hurd: Well, after having met you and worked with you for awhile, you had me firmly convinced that the oral cavity is a very major organ system in our body. Could you tell us a little bit about some of the things that take place in our mouths and the other areas that are affected and how they really are that important to your health?
Flora Stay: Until recently, most of the mouth was just regarded as drilling and filling teeth. However, several studies have come out now, reporting what a major impact this organ, as we call it, does make on many health illnesses and health conditions. For example, we now know that chronic illness can be impacted in a major way by poor oral health. For example, many people dismiss gum disease, even very initial stages of gum disease, such as just a little bleeding, that type of thing, as not a big thing. However, that really is the presence of chronic inflammation, which as we know now, inflammation plays a major role in heart disease, chronic fatigue—such as fibromyalgia, etcetera—and diabetes, respiratory diseases. All can be exasperated because of poor oral health. So my mission right now, is really, very strongly to try to educate the consumer on this relationship and for them to take more responsibility towards understanding this very important organ. And how if they don’t really address it, while they’re trying to treat these other conditions, it will not improve as successfully as if they did pay attention and take responsibility for their oral health.
Lyle Hurd: That’s very interesting. And you have already written a couple of books I understand?
Flora Stay: I have. The first one was The Complete Book of Dental Remedies, which really focused on more of a holistic approach. The second one was The Fibromyalgia Dental Handbook because there are so many individuals suffering with fibromyalgia. 15 million people have fibromyalgia in the U.S. alone and world-wide over 90 million. It’s something that’s been ignored in general by the medical and dental community, and I felt that it needed to be put out there to increase awareness about it. Again the medical gurus that have written all these books that are very well-known really, rarely touch on the importance of oral health and so that’s where I come in and, like I said, that is absolutely my passion right now, to help educate the public—and the medical community—on the importance.
Lyle Hurd: Well, we look forward to talking with you more. I appreciate it, and we hope you’ll be back numerous times.
Flora Stay: Thank you, Lyle.
Lyle Hurd: Thank you.
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