Health Dentistry

Health dentistry is a multidisciplinary aspect of dentistry that encompasses such health categories as nutrition, fluoride, headaches, halitosis (bad breath), tongue piercing, snoring, expectant mothers, and many children’s issues.

This section is dedicated to supplying patients with as much information on these subjects as possible so they can make well-informed decisions about their oral health. The web pages in this web site in conjunction with the articles available on line that the doctor of this site has written are an invaluable resource that all patients should avail themselves to, so they can be an integral part of their own health care treatment. Informed patients are more likely to make the most appropriate treatment choices for them, their family members, their life styles and beliefs.

Many of the disorders such as nutrition most people don’t even consider an oral health issue. However, many oral health problems can stem from poor or inadequate nutrition. In fact changes in the oral cavity (mouth, tongue, oral pharynx and soft palate) can often be the first signs and symptoms of many systemic diseases such as Chron’s disease (a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract) as well as many others. The oral cavity is like a mirror to systemic health. Changes often occur here before anywhere else in the body because of the extremely fast turn over rate for the tissues that line the mouth, pharynx, soft plate and tongue. Since there tissues are replaced faster than anywhere else in the body any imbalance or disease that effects the body will often show up in the oral cavity before anywhere else as these tissues will not be able to replace themselves as they would in health and therefore will demonstrate changes indicative of the systemic disease that is afflicting the body.

Oral Diseases - TMJ

Oral diseases can also cause headaches. The principle reason is bruxing, or what is commonly referred to as grinding, of the patient’s teeth. This occurs principally at night when patients sleep and therefore are often unaware of their parafunctional habit. This disorder can led to TMJ (temporomandibular joint) problems. This is the joint were the lower jawbone, the mandible, articulates with the lower portion of the skull just under and in front of the ears. The pain can radiate from the TMJ causing severe headaches. Another way that that bruxing causes headaches is through the attrition of the patient’s teeth. The enamel of the teeth is actually worn off leaving the sensitive underlying dentin exposed to the harsh oral environment. Once the dentin is exposed the teeth become extremely sensitive to extremes in temperature whether hot or cold, chewing pressure, sweets, and anything abrading against them like food. All of these can cause the patient to suffer from headaches. A third way that bruxing can cause headaches is by causing extreme muscle fatigue, muscle spasm, and or muscle injury. A patient who grinds their teeth causes an inordinate amount of strain on the muscles of mastication, those used for chewing. This can cause many problems resulting in pain that can radiate and cause headaches.

Oral diseases often lead to halitosis. Most bad breath comes from the bacteria that are in the patient’s mouth. Mal-odor is the result of the bacteria’s metabolism. When they brake down the sugars they use for food the produce waste products, methyl mercaptins, which are responsible for the patient’s bad breath that others perceive. This is exacerbated by any oral infections such as decay, periodontal disease (gum disease) and abscesses of any sort including those that arise from tongue piercing. Since even a health oral cavity has many resident bacteria the chance of getting an infection from tongue piercing is extremely high, not to mention the damage the tongue ring will do to the patient’s teeth.

Snoring can be a very debilitating disease that can cause sleeping disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea and others. These sleep disorders can lead to poor cognitive skills, sleep walking and falling asleep during the day when operating motor vehicles. Sleep disorders can also lead to premature death in severe cases. Because of the danger associated with sleep disorders they should be diagnosed and treated as early in the onset and progression of the disease as possible.

Expectant mothers and children also have special needs that directly affect their oral health and the oral health of their unborn. That is why being informed about issues such as how dental treatment can introduce bacteria into the mother’s blood stream and the possible effects this can have on the unborn and how to avoid or at least minimize this is crucial. That is why this section is dedicated to being an indispensable resource to our patients.