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What is the relationship between oral health and general health? This connection has been brought to light more and more over the years through continuing research and supports the rationale for practicing a holistic approach to dentistry. It is obvious that if our chewing system is impaired, a burden is placed on the digestive system. And if our immune system is lagging through chronic infection and other systemic diseases, it certainly will manifest itself in the oral tissues. There is a reciprocal factor here also. When there is oral inflammation or infection, it can influence the rest of the body. For instance, researchers have found that people with periodontal disease (bleeding gums) are twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those without periodontal disease. This fact is supported by the American Academy of Periodontology (Gum Disease Specialty organization) as well as the American Heart Association. Research evidence is showing that gum disease is also associated with diabetes and prediabetes, strokes, osteoporosis, pregnancy complications, pneumonia, respiratory disease, sinus problems, gastric ulcers and pancreatic cancer
In the past, we have seen people with gum disease go through our programs to stop bleeding gums, and some have had remarkable results with no bleeding afterwards while others with the same condition continued to bleed. We have discovered that there is a reason for this - a definite connection between the state of one’s general and oral health.
We have changed our approach to one of “zero tolerance for bleeding.” We now treat the problem both from the inside and the outside. All people with bleeding gums are tested for inflammation (hs-CRP), diabetes and prediabetes (fasting blood glucose and Hb1Ac) and a lipid profile, with simple FDA approved in-office pin-prick blood testing. After cessation of bleeding through our gum health program which includes natural, immune building supplementation, we again do the tests. It is not uncommon to see those with unhealthy test results prior to the program besides having no bleeding gums, having developed healthy test parameters. If the results are still abnormal at the conclusion of their program, they are referred to their medical doctor for further testing. We are proud and excited to offer individualized programs for our patients that really work – not just for 3 or 6 months, but when followed through - for a lifetime!
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