Dental health is not only about pretty pearly whites. While the focus in our practice is on tooth, jaw, and mouth, at Westover Family Dentistry we also know that dental care is important for total body wellness.
Chewing, speech, and self-confidence all start with a healthy set of teeth. Like a fountain, the health of your teeth can trickle down to affect the rest of your body functions like digestion, breathing, and even their little hearts.
Regular dental checkups are essential to a healthy lifestyle because at Westover Family Dentistry we know how to spot problems early on and treat them quickly to prevent more serious complications down the road. Read on for some ways that dental care can affect the rest of your child’s body and maintain their overall health.
Reduce the Risk of Infections
Proper mouth care and reducing plaque on your teeth can mean fewer bodily infections. Our mouths can harbor some really seedy stuff like bacteria, yeasts and viruses that hang around our teeth. Without proper dental care like regular brushing and flossing, your gums can become inflamed and bleed, offering germs an open route to enter your body to cause a host of other problems like heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and even pneumonia or other respiratory illnesses. Taking care of your gums may feel unnecessary but your gums need the same level of care as your teeth.
Chewing and Digestion
“Chew your food!” Sound familiar? Don’t worry, you’re not being an overprotective parent. Eating a healthy diet is a great first step to ensuring your health and what you eat needs to be properly broken down. Healthy teeth and good chewing habits contribute to good digestion and help the body absorb the nutrients in your food better. Proper chewing also prevents bloating and other gastrointestinal problems.
Memory Function and Alzheimer’s
Believe it or not, gingivitis has been linked to a person’s level of cognitive function. Yes, studies have shown that gingivitis AKA gum disease – inflammation, bleeding, and tenderness of your gums – can affect how adults perform on memory and cognitive skill tests. A recent study demonstrated a link between the bacteria that causes gum disease with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Just another reason why starting healthy habits, like flossing, early will help keep you and your family healthy.
Tongue Tie Solutions
Ankyloglossia or tongue-tie is when your tongue movement is restricted by a little band of tissue at the tip of the tongue attached to the base of the mouth. This can affect breastfeeding for infants and speech later on in life. If left untreated, older children and adults can find it difficult to clear bits of food from teeth, contributing to tooth decay and gum disease. Dr. Westover is experienced with resolving tongue tie issues through a laser procedure (frenectomy) done in-office. It’s a simple procedure and can make a huge difference with your child’s health and self-confidence. In more good news, the laser frenectomy procedure doesn’t need sutures, a scalpel, and sometimes not even a needle. And if you’re a stressed new mama reading this, please come see us – we can help!
At Westover Family Dentistry, we strongly believe in total body health and it starts with healthy habits contributing to a healthy and happy smile. We are a caring and friendly office with a great reputation (just read our reviews!) in the area. If you care about your child’s overall health like we do, we hope you’ll bring your little one in for a visit. Whether they’ve just sprouted their first tooth or they have some wiggly ones, we look forward to meeting your child.
Click here to schedule an appointment today!
