DejaVu,

Okay, thank you for the update and additional information about your friend.

I am going to re post some of your thread and address some of those issues that you shared here as I think they are pertinent to her situation. I will re post and then reply in bold type.

<<While she has taken probiotics daily for years, she was not taking them at the time of the dental procedures.>>

ACTUAL PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS, NOT IN THE FORM OF YOGURT OR ANY OTHER STORE BOUGHT FOOD SOURCE, ACT ALMOST LIKE A MEDICINE IN THE INTESTINAL TRACT. THEY ARE GOOD BACTERIA'S THAT SUPPLY AND CONTINUALLY REPLENISH THE HEALTHY BACTERIA'S THAT ARE DESTROYED FROM DAILY LIFE, POOR DIET, STRESS, MEDICAL CONDITIONS, METHYLATION DISORDERS, ETC.
IF SOMEONE IS SUPPLEMENTING WITH A DAILY PROBIOTIC FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME AND THEN COMPLETELY STOP, THEIR INTESTINAL BACTERIA MAY BECOME UNSTABLE OR IMBALANCED.

AN IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE ... PROBIOTICS ARE NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL MEDICAMENT. SINGLE STRAINS LIKE LACTOBACILLUS GG OR LACTOBACILLUS-PLANTARUM ARE IS GENERALLY TOLERATED WELL BY MOST PEOPLE. HOWEVER, CERTAIN PEOPLE WITH CERTAIN CONDITIONS REQUIRE SPECIFIC STRAINS OF BACTERIA EITHER AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE TO GET THROUGH A CERTAIN CHRONIC CONDITION OR FOR A LIFETIME. TAKING A PROBIOTIC THAT IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO THE INDIVIDUALS NEEDS CAN CAUSE FURTHER DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS WHICH FREQUENTLY SHOW THEMSELVES AFTER THE PERSON IS SUBJECTED TO ANY TYPE OF PHYSICAL TRAUMA SUCH AS DENTAL PROCEDURES LIKE ROOT PLANINGS. HER DENTIST, IF HE IS CONVENTIONAL, IN ALL PROBABILITY IS NOT GOING TO BE EDUCATED ON PROBIOTICS, ETC. IT'S NOT A PART OF THEIR DENTAL TRAINING. SO SHE WILL NOT GET ANY GUIDANCE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.

<<She eats whole foods and is one of the healthiest people I know re: eating a healthy diet, restricting unnecessary meds, etc.>>

A HEALTHY DIET IN THE TRUE SENSE IS FEW OR NO PROCESSED FOODS OR DRINKS .. REFINED SUGAR .. ARTIFICIAL SUGARS LIKE SPLENDA .. NO SODA OR OTHER SOFT DRINKS, DIET OR OTHERWISE. IT DOES CONTAIN FOOD IN THEIR WHOLE FORM LIKE VEGETABLES, FRUIT, MEAT, WILD CAUGHT LOW MERCURY FISH (BAKED, BROILED OR STIR FRIED), HEALTHY OILS LIKE VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, ORGANIC UNREFINED COCONUT OIL, ETC., NUTS, SEEDS AND WATER. EVERYONE IS A BIT DIFFERENT SO ONE DIET IS NOT MEANT FOR EVERY PERSON. BUT THAT LIST GIVES A BASIC FOUNDATION FOR A HEALTHY DIET TO BE DRAWN UPON.

<<No menstruation at the time of dental procedure.>>

NONE... JUST BEFORE, DURING OR JUST AFTER?

<<Candida can always be an issue. She had lost the last of any excess weight over the past 9 months and has likely starved out any of the last of candida; yet, how can anyone know for sure?>>

JUST CURIOUS, WAS SHE OBESE, MEANS HAVING A BMI (BODY MASS INDEX) OF 35 OR MORE? HOW MUCH WEIGHT DID SHE LOSE ALTOGETHER AND HOW DID SHE DO IT? BY THE WAY... KUDOS TO HER FOR LOSING IT!!!

CANDIDA IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR MANY PEOPLE, OVERWEIGHT OR OTHER. HOWEVER ONCE THE WEIGHT IS LOST, THE INTESTINAL TRACT MOST LIKELY WOULD BENEFIT FROM SUPPLEMENTATION OF PROBIOTICS.

<<She has had intermittent intestinal issues which have not been figured out to date. These are relevantly recent, within the past 3 months and she has been looking at the well water, etc, to find a cause.>>

SHE COULD HAVE FOOD INTOLERANCE'S, AND/OR DYSBIOSIS (MICROBIAL IMBALANCE IN THE DIGESTIVE TRACT), AND/OR ANOTHER INTESTINAL DISORDER, AND/OR A METHYLATION OR MAST CELL DISORDER. ALL OF THESE ISSUES ARE QUITE COMMON AMONG THE GENERAL POPULATION.

AS A SIDE NOTE .... CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE RARELY EXPLORES, IN ANY DEPTH, THE ROOT CAUSE OF INTESTINAL DISORDERS. THEY ARE REAL QUICK TO MEDICATE THE SYMPTOMS.
PRACTITIONERS IN FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE, NATUROPATHY, HOMEOPATHY AND INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE USE VARIOUS TESTING METHODS, EVEN GENETIC TESTING, TO LOOK FOR THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS IS REFERRED TO AS "PEELING THE ONION" UNTIL THE CAUSE IS KNOWN.

<<The reaction immediately after her dental work, was severe in nature.>>
YES YOU MENTIONED THAT. AGAIN, THE PROCEDURE COULD HAVE IGNITED A PROBLEM THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY "SILENT" OR HAD "INTERMITTENT" SYMPTOMS. IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE BACTERIA'S, BOTH GOOD AND BAD, THAT RESIDE IN OUR MOUTH, BELOW OUR GUMS, ETC ALSO LIVE IN OUR DIGESTIVE TRACT.

<<She has taken probiotics daily for years. However, she was not taking probiotics at the time of the dental procedure.>>

YEA, HER INTESTINAL FLORA IS LIKELY OUT OF WHACK. WHY DID SHE STOP TAKING THEM?
IF THE PROBIOTICS THAT SHE WAS TAKING PREVIOUSLY WERE WORKING FOR HER... IN OTHER WORDS NOT CAUSING HER ANY INTESTINAL DISTRESS, THEN IT WOULD BE WISE TO START TAKING THEM AGAIN ASAP.

<<I cannot be sure of the duration or severity of her periodontal issues. I believe she was told this was all caught just in time, whatever that may mean?>>

THE PHRASE "caught just in time" COULD MEAN SHE HAS AN ADVANCED STAGE AND WITHOUT INTERVENTION, WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME SHE WOULD BE LOSING HER TEETH TO GUM DISEASE. IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN SHE HAS HAD AN ONGOING ORAL INFECTION BREWING FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND THAT BACTERIA HAS TRAVELED SYSTEMICALLY. PERIODONTAL DISEASE OF THE ENTIRE MOUTH DOES NOT HAPPEN OVER NIGHT. IN MOST PEOPLE IT TAKES MANY, MANY MONTHS IF NOT YEARS TO DEVELOP TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S ADVANCED. CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS, POOR DENTISTRY, POOR ORAL HYGIENE, POOR DIET, MEDICATIONS ... ARE ALL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO PERIODONTAL DISEASE.
THE ROOT PLANINGS ARE DONE TO REMOVE THE INFECTION THAT IS VISIBLE AND TO ENCOURAGE HEALING TO TAKE PLACE IN THOSE AREAS. BUT THE PATIENT NEEDS TO BE VERY DILIGENT WITH THEIR HOME CARE IN ORDER FOR THE DISEASE TO NOT TAKE A HOLD AGAIN. OTHER FACTORS THAT ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO PERIO DISEASE ARE STRESS AND CERTAIN LIFESTYLE HABITS.

<<She has been held up from dental work due to other medical issues and financial constraints and is just now having an opportunity to address these dental issues.>>

YES, FOR MANY REASONS DENTAL HEALTH IS OFTEN TAKEN FOR GRANTED OR PUT ON THE BACK BURNER. IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH DENTAL ISSUES WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL WELL AND IT'S ALSO OFTEN DIFFICULT TO AFFORD PROPER CARE. THE LONGER WE WAIT TO SEE A DENTIST, THE MORE PROGRESSED THE PROBLEMS BECOME. BUT WE CAN ONLY DO THE BEST WE CAN DO AT THE TIME. HOPEFULLY SHE IS ABLE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH HER DENTAL CARE NOW AND COMMIT TO A REGULAR MAINTENANCE.

<<My friend went to the dental office for her next session. She had explained what had happened following her last session. She asked about the use of antibiotics in her case. She had a dentist and a hygienist "assigned" to her case.>>

WHAT COUNTRY DOES SHE LIVE IN? IS SHE GOING TO A DENTAL SCHOOL OR DENTAL CLINIC?

<<Her dentist became upset and quit as her dentist, stating she could not care for a patient who did not trust her.>>

SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A 'GOOD' THING THIS DENTIST CHOSE TO NOT TREAT HER ANY FURTHER. WHO NEEDS SOMEONE WITH A POOR ATTITUDE LIKE THAT?! EVERY PATIENT HAS EVERY RIGHT TO INQUIRE OR ASK QUESTIONS. PERIOD.

<< A colleague (dentist) signed on as her dentist and she kept the same hygienist, both of whom were not the least bit upset with her voicing her concerns and questions.>>

THAT IS REASSURING

<<It was quickly decided they would postpone today's procedure and would move the procedure to a Wednesday, when they will have time to provide follow-up care, should she have an extreme reaction once again. This seems like a very reasonable plan, being available for any follow-up care, should follow-up be needed. (With this plan, she is not left ill over the weekend, without additional care, should she have a reaction, should she need assistance or should she need an antibiotic, after the next session.) Brilliant "common sense plan" put forth by my friend and agreed upon by her dental care team. >>

I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY! PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIEND I AM GLAD TO HEAR THAT SHE STUCK UP FOR HERSELF ... IT IS ALWAYS BEST TO BE OUR OWN HEALTH ADVOCATE!! KUDOS TO HER!!!

<<Thanks so much Hope and Bryanna for your rapid responses and very helpful input! >>

YES, THANK YOU HOPE
AND DEJAVU YOU ARE VERY WELCOME! I AM NOT HERE AS OFTEN AS I USE TO BE. HOWEVER, I DO CHECK IN FREQUENTLY. LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS AND PLEASE KEEP US POSTED ON HOW SHE'S DOING