The dental and medical industries continue to make correlations between our oral health and overall physical health. As dental research and the science communities continue to provide avenues for evidence that our oral health is directly related to our overall health, dentists are working towards creating a medical and dental collaboration. As modern medicine continues to treat disease and injuries, working with a dentists that also collaborates with the medical industry can have a significant impact on your overall wellbeing.
Connecting Your Oral and Physical Health
More and more information continues to emerge connecting our oral health to our overall health. How well you take care of your teeth and gums can have a significant impact on your physical health. Your dentists can provide insight into more than the health of your mouth. Regular check-ups and exams can reveal medical issues with your bones, heart and digestion through warning signs that reside inside your mouth. Moreover, visiting with your dentists for routine exams can help deter future health issues. A study presented by the American Heart Association found that people who received routine dental exams and cleanings had a 24 percent lower risk of a heart attack and 13 percent lower risk of stroke compared to those who did not receive routine dental care.
Keeping Your Overall Health in Check
Nearly 90 percent of systemic diseases can be detected in the mouth. Oral symptoms that are a cause for concern are swollen gums, mouth ulcers, dry mouth, and excessive gum problems. For many patients, visiting with their dentists can help detect the early signs and symptoms of diabetes, leukemia, oral cancer, pancreatic cancer, heart disease, and kidney disease. Moreover, your dentists can be the first medical professional to note bone loss through x-rays.
How Can You Benefit from Regular Dental Exams?
It is no secret that visiting your dentists on a regular basis can have a significant impact on your oral health. However, the added benefit of routine exams is your dentists can also help detect issues that may impact your physical health. Issues such as poor nutrition, improper jaw alignment and other signs of developing oral health problems can be caught early on, providing a path to treatment for both the dental and medical aspects. You can help deter medical and dental issues by following these tips:
- – Brushing your teeth for at least two minutes, twice a day, including the gumline
- – Flossing to remove plaque buildup
- – Committing to a healthy diet that will provide essential nutrients
- – Staying away from cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products
- – Following the directives from your healthcare provider and dentist
- – Scheduling an appointment to see your dentist immediately if you experience any unusual symptoms such as bad breath, sores inside the mouth, red or swollen gums, or a sore jaw
If you are experiencing oral symptoms it is important to visit with your dentist as soon as possible. For more information call the caring team at Sair Dental to learn how your dentist can help keep your overall health in excellent shape.