There is so much more to oral health than just having clean teeth. Poor oral health can negatively impact simple daily functions such as eating or swallowing. On a larger scale oral health can also impact patients who suffer from certain diseases. For example, if a patient suffers from diabetes, their ability to heal is compromised as a complication of the disease. This increases the patients risk for tooth decay, periodontal disease, and even tooth loss.
More than 35,000 cases or oral and pharyngeal cancers are diagnosed each year. This is something that your dental hygienist is trained to screen each patient for. When caught early, the chances of recovery are increased.
There are many medications that cause side effects that impact oral health such as dry mouth. Dry mouth can greatly increase the risk for tooth decay, periodontal disease, and tooth loss. There are many options to treat dry mouth that Dr Randall and the hygienists are happy to share with you.
To protect your overall health, it is important to also protect your oral health. Here are a few ways to accomplish this:
- Regular Dental Visits: We recommend that our patients come into the office for their hygiene appointments every 4-6 months. This allows us to very closely monitor and maintain your oral health. Oral health is something that can change very quickly. Our goal is to prevent that if we work as a team by you scheduling and keeping oral health appointments and we will provide the services catered to specifically care for your needs.
- Toothbrushing and Flossing: A toothbrush should be replaced every 3-4 months or sooner if you notice the bristles becoming splayed/flattened. Bristles should only be soft or extra soft. This prevent gum tissue trauma and gum recession. An electric toothbrush is ideal for the most bacteria/plaque removal during brushing. We have them for sale in the office if you are ever in need. Flossing should be done daily to remove the food and bacteria that we put in our mouths each day. Flossing is very important to prevent gum/bone disease in the mouth and to prevent tooth decay in between the teeth.
- Diet: To prevent tooth decay a diet low in sugar and acid are critical. One sip of an acidic beverage such as pop, can keep the mouth in an acidic state for 20 minutes. If you sip on pop all day, the mouth will always be coated in acid which destroys the tooth enamel.
Contact us today to schedule your hygiene visit so we can maintain both your oral and overall health!
