If you have Health Issues, Why the Dentist should be your first stop

When was the last time your healthcare provider asked you about the condition of your mouth, teeth and gums? Most people don’t even consider their mouth having such an intense impact on their overall health.

Important Questions

In our opinion, from a biological holistic dental standpoint, there are some important questions a medical healthcare provider should take into consideration when seeking to treat diseases and conditions such as:

• Alzheimer’s
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Respiratory issues
• Joint pain
• Low energy
• “Mystery” Ailments
• Low birth weight in pregnant women

These important questions might be:

• Do your gums every bleed when you floss or brush?
• Do you see a dentist regularly?
• Have you ever had any root canals?
• Have you ever had any teeth removed?
• Do you grind or clench your teeth regularly?
• Do you have mercury “silver” fillings present in your mouth?

Oral Health is the Gateway to Overall Health

This may seem like a stretch to some, but for decades, studies have revealed that the development and health of a person’s teeth, gums and jaws have been linked to all of the diseases and conditions previously mentioned because of underlying infections in your mouth. The pathogens causing the infections can travel to various locations in the body. When a condition affects the entire body, that is known as a “systemic disease”. That is exactly what periodontal disease is.

Let’s review WHY these questions may be so important for your medical healthcare provider to ask in order to help determine the root-cause of your condition or disease.

Do your gums ever bleed when you floss or brush?

If you think about it, wouldn’t it be concerning to you if your skin started spontaneously bleeding every time you brushed up against something, or while you were toweling off after a shower?

Of course you would be concerned, right? You know that spontaneous bleeding is not a healthy response, and neither is it healthy to have bleeding gums.

Bleeding when flossing or brushing is your body’s warning signal that there is an infection going on in your gums. We encourage you not to ignore your body’s warning signs which may also include:

• Red, swollen or puffy gums
• Bad breath
• Gum recession
• Loose teeth

Healthy gums:

• Don’t bleed
• Don’t hurt
• Are pink and tight against the teeth
• Are stable and strong in the jaw bone

What would Dr. Azouz at Sacramento Natural Dentistry do to treat periodontal disease, gum disease and gingivitis?

First, we will start with a thorough examination of your gums, evaluating the shape, color and placement of the gums, measuring the bone height at 6 points around each tooth and diagnosing the type of cleaning that is most appropriate for you.

If there is very little to no bleeding and your gum pocket measurements (bone height) are no more than 3mm deep, then a regular dental hygiene cleaning is likely all that you will need.

If there is moderate to severe bleeding during our evaluation, or very deep gum pockets around your teeth, then those are indications of previous or current gum infections known as periodontal disease that will need more extensive treatment such as a “deep cleaning”, laser treatment and ozone flushing to eradicate the bacterial invasion under the gums. This has helped many people keep their teeth for a long time and support their overall health.

If the teeth are severely mobile (wiggly), then unfortunately, the foundation that holds the teeth in your jaw may be too compromised to keep the teeth and in the worst case scenario, the tooth may need to be removed, in which case we will offer biocompatible replacement options.

The Silent Killer

Remember, oral infections including periodontal disease can impact systemic health, set the stage for chronic degenerative diseases and increase the risk of:

• stroke by up to 2-fold,
• diabetes by up to 11-fold,
• heart & cardiovascular disease by 2-fold,
• osteoporosis (bone loss) by up to 4-fold,
• chronic respiratory infections by up to 4-fold,
• pregnancy related risks like premature birth and low birth weight by up to 8-fold

As you can see, periodontal disease can play a heavy role in your health. It has been known as “The Silent Killer” because it starts out painless with very little to no obvious symptoms to a person until they go to the dentist and have their gums evaluated by the dentist or dental hygienist.

Measuring the gums to evaluate for gum disease is a standard of care in dentistry and if your dentist or hygienist is not completing this evaluation at your initial new patient exam and regularly at your dental cleanings, then you may want to consider a new dental home.

At Sacramento Natural Dentistry, Dr. Azouz is a biological holistic dentist. That means that, unlike most dentists that are never taught this in dental school, Dr. Azouz thinks about the entire body when making dental related diagnosis and creating an optimal treatment plan that will be best for your overall health and wellbeing.

We are currently taking new patients at Sacramento Natural Dentistry in Citrus Heights, CA, so spread the word and give us a call to get started on your oral health and wellness journey today at 916-961-2020.