Preventative dental care has many benefits

Research over the past decade has shed a lot of light on the connection between oral health and overall body health.  Where once the mouth was thought to be an isolated system, it is now considered a portal to the body that has links to heart disease, diabetes, digestive issues, and even arthritis.  Dental Designs of Maryland is focused not only on oral health but also your whole body wellness, and this research show that it is more important than ever to be taking care of your teeth and gums, as it will not only benefit your mouth but may also affect your entire body!   

Benefits of Preventative Dental Care

• Gum disease – Inflammation and recession of the gums is a condition that afflicts approximately 50% of Americans.  Gum disease is caused by bacteria under the gums and around the teeth that cause chronic irritation and lead to bleeding and pain, this is gingivitis.  If left for prolonged periods of time, the disease could become more serious and lead to bone loss and receding gums which are very difficult to regain, this is called periodontitis.  Gum disease has shown to be linked to an increased risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and other serious system disease.

 

• Broken Teeth – Throughout life our teeth are exposed to changes in temperature, sugary snacks, acidic fruits, and energy drinks.  They are also used to chew hard and crunchy foods.  Our home care may also not always be the best due to stress from life and work.  Over time this leads to tooth decay and broken teeth, both of which are generally easy to fix if caught early.  

 

• Oral cancer – Each year, close to 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer.  The recovery rate with early detection is high, however most oral cancers do not cause pain until much further in the disease process.  This is why the oral cancer screening is an extremely important part of your dental check-up.

 

• Digestion – Chewing your food properly is an important part of digestion.  Preventative dental care catches cavities and gum disease early so that these conditions can be fixed before they cause tooth loss.  A lost tooth will compromise your ability to chew and lead to digestive problems or limit your ability to eat a variety of healthy and nutrition foods.

 

How to Maintain Your Oral Health

• Proper home-care – Most healthy patients only see us twice a year for their hygiene appointments, which means the vast majority of the time you are on your own to take care of your teeth.  Making sure you stick to a consistent home-care routine is the most important part in caring for your teeth.  

 

• Lifestyle factors – The types of things we eat and drink can have a huge effect on our dental health.  We all know smoking and eating sugary snacks is bad for our teeth, but did you know that foods generally considered healthy like oranges and things like apple juice can be just as bad as eating a candy bar?  Limit the intake of sugars throughout your day, and consider quitting smoking or chewing tobacco, and your oral health will improve considerably.

 

• Preventative treatment – Maintain your hygiene appointment every six months, and more often if the dentist recommends.  We also offer sealants to protect the pits and grooves of teeth in patients that are at high caries risk, as well as yearly fluoride treatments that will strengthen your enamel and prevent tooth decay.

 

• Periodontal maintenance – More frequent and comprehensive hygiene appointments may be needed for patients with existing bone loss and gum recession.  These appointments are called periodontal maintenance, and are often recommended 3-4 times a year.  These appointments give us the ability to clean far under the gums and prevent further bone loss and periodontal problems.

  Don’t Wait! – If you suspect a dental problem or are having sensitivity, don’t wait until your next hygiene appointment.  Early detection is one of the best ways to make sure your dental care is as easy and conservative as possible.  Call our office right away to have it checked.   New patients are welcome at Dental Designs of Maryland, in Perry Hall, MD and Hanover, MD.  Get in touch with us using the Contact Us link above for preventative care that helps to keep your whole body healthy!