Manuel (Frankie) F. Rilatos Sr. –
1942-2017
On Oct. 28, 2017, Frankie, 75,
passed away at his home in Siletz, Ore.,
surrounded by his loved ones and his
dog, Bruno.
Frankie was born in Logsden, Ore.,
on April 20, 1942, to Manuel and
Eva Rilatos.
After high school, Frankie enlisted
in the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam
for several years. After his service in
the Army, he moved to Spokane, Wash.,
and opened his own dance studio. He
later moved to Siletz where he spent the
remainder of his life.
A memorial service was held at the
Siletz Tribal Community Center on Nov.
4, with burial at the Paul Washington
Cemetery immediately following the ser-
vice. Friends and family were invited to
join in a potluck at the community center
following the burial.
Courtesy photo
Manuel (Frankie) F. Rilatos Sr.
Siletz Community Dental Clinic
Contact the Siletz Community Dental Clinic if you experience dental pain or a
dental emergency. Staff will do everything they can to see you as soon as possible.
Morning check-in time is Monday-Thursday from 8:30-9 a.m. and Friday from
10:30-11 a.m. Afternoon check-in time is Monday-Friday from 1:30-2 p.m.
Photo by Andrea Taylor
Dental hygienist Teresa Carpenter checks the teeth of Siletz Tribal Head Start
students during this annual event where Siletz Tribal Dental Clinic staff apply
fluoride varnish to teeth and look for potential problems.
How does your mouth support your overall health?
By Nancy Ludwig, MS, RDN, LD,
Siletz Tribal Head Start Nutrition
As part of my role as a consultant
nutritionist to Siletz Tribal Head Start,
I offer information for families. Our
food choices affect our oral health in
many ways. In addition, our oral health
affects how well our body can digest and
absorb nutrients. The mouth is where
nutrition starts.
We need teeth that chew so we can
break down our foods to absorb nutrients.
Certain foods promote tooth decay. Other
foods support healthy teeth and protect
against bacterial growth.
Poor oral health can be the underlying
cause of cardiovascular disease. Specific
oral symptoms provide clues to specific
health conditions. Nutrient deficiencies or
excesses can be seen in the mouth.
The oral-microbiome is an up-and-
coming field of study, which in time
may cause a rethinking of some of the
detergent-like toothpastes and rinses cur-
rently available.
We need teeth that chew so we can
break down our foods to absorb nutrients.
Digestion begins in the mouth. Chewing
allows enzymes to break the food down
further so nutrients can be absorbed and
provide what we need to grow and repair.
Often people are not concerned about
their teeth until it is too late. Once decay
or infection causes loss of teeth, the abil-
ity to chew is impaired. Dental work and
dentures can be expensive and often don’t
fully solve chewing problems.
When food textures need to be modi-
fied to eat, nutrition is generally impaired
from lack of variety. Furthermore, because
the act of chewing provides health ben-
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Siletz News
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efits, some health advocates even recom-
mend chewing liquids!
Certain foods promote tooth decay.
Other foods support healthy teeth and pro-
tect against bacterial growth. The foods
and beverages we consume provide food
for bacteria. Bacteria love to eat sugars
and carbohydrates. Sweet sticky foods,
such as candy, provide more contact time
on the teeth to promote bacterial growth
and eventually tooth decay.
Even milk can be a food source for
bacteria in the mouth. Baby bottle syn-
drome occurs when a bottle is propped
into the baby’s mouth and milk stays in
the mouth, causing decay.
Foods that do not contain sugar or
starch protect against tooth decay. It is use-
ful to choose snacks that do not promote
tooth decay. Examples include protein
foods, especially those that contain fat,
such as cheese, nuts, hard-boiled eggs,
meat or fish jerky.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that can
replace sugar in food products, gum or
toothpaste. It is claimed to protect the
teeth. Whether or not this is true, it is
not a natural product and if excess sugar
alcohols are consumed, they can cause GI
upset. It’s best to limit sugary foods and
brush teeth after eating them.
Poor oral health can be the underlying
cause of cardiovascular disease. You could
think of it this way – plaque in the mouth
may predict plaque in blood vessels.
Inflammation, infection and gum dis-
ease or periodontitis are also associated
with cardiovascular disease (hardening
of the arteries). Periodontitis is a chronic
infection by oral bacteria that affects
the supporting structures of the teeth. A
mechanism has been proposed whereby
the burden of bacterial pathogens, anti-
December 2017
gens, endotoxins and inf lammatory
cytokines of periodontitis contributes to
the process of atherogenesis and throm-
boembolic events.
In response to infection and inflam-
mation, susceptible individuals may
exhibit greater expression of local and
systemic mediators and may thereby be
at increased risk for a myocardial infarc-
tion or stroke. Further information can be
found at joponline.org/doi/abs/10.1902/
annals.1996.1.1.821 or circ.ahajournals.
org/content/112/1/19?etoc.
Specific oral symptoms provide
clues to specific health conditions, such
as celiac. When children have poor tooth
enamel, it may be an early sign of celiac.
Furthermore, frequent canker sores can be
a symptom of celiac. Even for someone
with known celiac, canker sores may a
sign of gluten exposure.
Nutrient deficiencies or excesses can
be seen in the mouth. Fluoride is an inter-
esting nutrient that supports strong teeth
but can cause pitting and discoloration
when ingested in excess. When fluoride is
found in water, it is often difficult to know
how much fluoride is being consumed.
The risk of getting too much fluoride is
the reason for strict guidelines around not
swallowing fluoride toothpaste or rinses.
Other nutrients, especially calcium
and the other minerals that support bone
health, also support strong teeth.
The oral microbiome is an up-and-
coming field of study, which in time
may cause a rethinking of some of the
detergent-like toothpastes and rinses cur-
rently available.
The human oral cavity contains a
number of different habitats, including the
teeth, gingival sulcus, tongue, cheeks, hard
and soft palates, and tonsils, which are
colonized by bacteria. The microorgan-
isms found in the human oral cavity have
been referred to as the oral microflora,
oral microbiota or more recently as the
oral microbiome.
These microorganisms literally share
our body space and have been all but
ignored as determinants of health and
disease. The oral cavity is a major gateway
to the human body.
Microorganisms from the oral cavity
have been shown to cause a number of oral
infectious diseases in addition to caries
(tooth decay). Research points to possible
links with periodontitis (gum disease),
endodontic (root canal) infections, alveo-
lar osteitis (dry socket) and tonsillitis.
Evidence is also accumulating
to link oral bacteria to systemic dis-
eases, including cardiovascular dis-
ease, stroke, preterm birth, diabetes
and pneumonia. For more information,
visit jb.asm.org/content/192/19/5002.
full?site=JBacteriol&utm_
source=TrendMDJBacteriol&utm_
medium=TrendMDJBacteriol&utm_
campaign=trendmdalljournals_0.
In summary, the condition of your
mouth affects more than your smile or
the enjoyment of your food. After reading
this article I hope you can see that it also
influences your overall health. Traditional
foods support oral health as the diet is low
in sugars and carbohydrates with ample
vegetables, meats, fish and fats.
As the Head Start consultant nutri-
tionist, I am available to support families
by discussing nutrition-related concerns
via telephone. There is no charge for Head
Start families.