Dentists have become more involved in your overall health

There was a time not so long ago when people thought of their medical doctors as health providers, and their dentists as, well, dentists. Doctors diagnosed your illnesses, attended to your general health, delivered your babies, and dealt with traumatic emergencies. Dentists fixed your teeth when they hurt, pulled them out if they really hurt, gave you lectures about brushing and flossing, and occasionally uttered the awful words "root canal".

Well, times have changed. Dentists are now acknowledged to be the primary oral health care provider, and your oral health is recognized as a major cornerstone of your general health. In addition, the state of your oral health often provides the first indications of major health problems.

How does your oral health affect your general health? Scientists now suspect that bacteria in the mouth, often in infected gums, can move throughout the body. The worse the infection, the greater risk the bacteria will enter your bloodstream. Once there, it can increase arterial plaque which restricts blood flow and increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Dentists are also often the first to notice symptoms of hypertension, diabetes, oral cancer, and osteoporosis. For these reasons alone, our role in general preventive medicine is becoming increasingly important. A recent survey indicates that most dentists take an active role in counseling their patients on a variety of health issues on a regular basis. For example, smoking is now seen as possibly the major cause of periodontal disease, and dentists are at the forefront of proactive anti-smoking counseling.

We believe that preventive dentistry is the fundamental basis of oral health care. By taking care of your dental health needs, you are taking an important and positive step towards your overall health and quality of life.