Healthy Mouth Baseline Chapel Hill, NC

Doctor-Patient Relationships in Complete Health Dentistry

Traditional dentists tend to treat their patients as passive recipients of care. Complete health dentists, on the other hand, work collaboratively. This process involves some patient education from the doctor and more active participation from the patient.

Patients of complete health dentistry take an active role from the first consultation when they must identify any discrepancies between the healthy mouth baseline and their dental health. The complete health hygienist and doctor will use these concerns as a jumpoff point to fully assess the mouth and formulate a customized treatment plan for the patient’s unique needs.

Our team aims to help patients maintain their overall health by treating and preventing severe dental conditions. However, there may be occasions when we must refer our patients out to a specialist. Generally, this occurs when we see signs of systemic conditions that we cannot treat on our own. Examples include heart disease, diabetes, and more.

The Oral Health Connection

According to MayoClinic, dental health is often a good indication of overall health (and vice versa). The mouth often acts as the entryway to the digestive and respiratory tracts, and it is also a natural breeding ground for bacteria. Most of these are harmless and can generally be kept at bay with the body’s natural defenses and proper oral hygiene maintenance. However, if not properly managed, this bacteria may multiply to dangerously high levels, causing various kinds of oral infections.

Medications that reduce saliva flow may also make patients more susceptible to oral infections. As saliva neutralizes any acids caused by bacteria in the mouth, it offers a layer of protection from any disease-causing microbes. Such oral bacteria and inflammation are associated with periodontitis, which can play a role in certain diseases. Additionally, other systemic conditions may lower the body’s overall resistance to infection, including in the mouth.

Periodontitis: A Threat to the Healthy Mouth Baseline

Periodontal disease is associated with other systemic conditions (especially diabetes and heart disease). Though experts once believed that this link was due to periodontal bacteria, more recent research has suggested that inflammation may be the culprit. As such, treating periodontal inflammation has the potential to manage both periodontitis and other chronic inflammatory conditions.

The further along periodontitis has progressed, the harder it is to treat. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for periodontitis to produce only a few obvious symptoms even in the later stages. This is just one of the reasons why it is crucial for patients to keep regular appointments with their complete health dentist.

Of course, periodontitis is easier for patients to spot once they are aware of the symptoms. These include changes in bite, deep pockets between teeth and gums, gums that bleed during and after brushing teeth, loose or shifting teeth, persistent bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth, receding gums, and red, swollen, or tender gums.

Working Toward a Healthy Mouth Baseline

Seeing a complete health dentist at least once per year is a great step one can do to maintain their overall health. Fortunately, however, there are several things that can be done to work towards a healthy mouth baseline at home. The most obvious tip is to practice good oral hygiene: Brushing teeth at least twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste and flossing nightly will help remove dental plaque, as will drinking fluoridated water.

Quitting tobacco products and cutting down on alcohol can dramatically improve one’s oral health. Those with diabetes should also take extra care to maintain their condition, as oral health and diabetes have been proven to be bidirectionally linked (that is, they both directly affect the other). Eating crunchy fruits and vegetables and maintaining an overall healthy diet is also important.