Preventing Illness and Premature Death

There is a war going on inside your mouth and chances are you are losing.

The enemy? Bacteria that hide in moist, dark places and rot the surrounding tissues. Without constant vigilance, these bacteria multiply out of control and can lead to life-threatening medical complications.

Billions of these tiny bugs form the sticky film called plaque that clings to your teeth. This plaque gives off toxins that destroy the bones holding your teeth in place.

But, the damage doesn't stop there. Bacteria migrate from the plaque and enter your bloodstream, where they can take up residence in the blood vessels. They most often attack the carotid arteries in the neck and increase the risk of stroke. That's because the carotid arteries are the blood supply-line to the brain.

If you have a heart condition, such as a murmur, your dentist will insist that you take antibiotics prior to dental treatment to avoid a severe and possibly deadly infection.

Recent research has shown that the risk of heart problems is increased by up to 300% when certain types of bacteria are present in your mouth. These germs in your mouth have also been linked to respiratory illness, stomach & bowel problems, low birth weight in infants, severe systemic infections and blood sugar imbalances.

Think this is a problem that won't affect you? Think again. The majority of people over age 50 have tooth-rot decay. And, by the time they reach 60, one in four will lose all their teeth because of these nasty little bugs.

As with most other physical ailments, these problems become worse with age. The immune system becomes more sluggish as we get older so we are more vulnerable to the invading army of bugs that attack us on a daily basis.

To make matters worse, almost 50% of Americans do not go to the dentist regularly, where they would get the professional guidance and information they need to win this war.

It's sad to say, but most people are uncomfortable with dentistry. This can range from being just a little anxious to feeling absolutely terrified at the mere thought of going to the dentist!

If you're in this group you needn't feel alone because dental anxiety stops millions of people from getting the care they need to keep their teeth and gums healthy and safe.

This would be bad enough if the only negative outcome to this avoidance of the dentist was a lot of pain and the loss of your teeth.

But it's worse than this - Much worse.

The fact is, that you may be risking your life if you are not taking good care of the health of your teeth and gums. You are, at the very least, risking your health, your continued comfort and your finances.

Medical science is beginning to learn that, while the eyes may be the windows to the soul, your mouth is truly the doorway to the health of your body.

The medical community continues to collect evidence of the deadly effects of improper and incomplete care for your teeth and gums. And in the field of holistic or health-centered dentistry, there are thousands of reports of physical and emotional ailments being relieved through proper treatment.

It may be surprising to discover the many ailments that have been relieved through health-centered dentistry - and that these ailments seem totally unrelated to the mouth!

For example:

Depression Severe anxiety Asthma Polyps Chronic fatigue Acne Chronic sinus infection Arthritis Muscle atrophy Allergies

Numbness Inability to think clearly General malaise Hair loss Light sensitivity Chronic muscle pain Chronic headaches Migraine headaches Compromised immune system Chemical sensitivities

The list goes on and on.

You see, the human body is a complex network of interrelated systems. Poor health in any one of these systems will be reflected throughout the whole network of systems. So, while it may not be literally true that illness in the mouth will always cause illness in other parts of the body, the mouth, gums and teeth will contribute to and reflect the health of your entire body.

That's why it is so important to overcome any reluctance you may have about dental treatment and to seek out a competent health-centered dentist. Although a dentist can neither diagnose nor treat medical conditions, it is essential that you find a dentist who is aware of the relationship between dental health and your health in general.

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Enhancing Health and Well-Being

How would you like to add thirty healthy years to your life span? How about increasing your energy level, decreasing your stress or expanding your joy? Research is showing us that these things are now possible.

We now understand that health is much more than just the absence of illness. It is a state of vigor, of wholeness. Regardless of physical limitations, health is an experience of the fullness of life. Health is a balance of the emotional, social, mental, physical and spiritual aspects of your experience and your life.

Because of State licensing laws, a health-centered dentist cannot provide treatment for these areas. However, he or she should at least be familiar with and open to a variety of alternative and traditional treatments.

To be truly effective in helping you establish optimal health, your dentist should, as a minimum, have a working relationship with an osteopath or a holistic physician, a health psychologist, a chiropractor, a physical or massage therapist, a homeopath, and a naturopath.

In addition to helping you to establish and maintain the health of your teeth and gums, your dentist should be willing and able to refer you to these other health care providers for appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

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Avoiding Unnecessary Pain & Suffering

Emergency dentistry is not fun. And yet, when you avoid seeing the dentist regularly, you're setting yourself up for emergency treatment.

Modern dentistry is almost completely pain free. But this may not be the case with emergency treatment.

The pain and suffering you can experience from a cavity, a lost filling, a fractured tooth, an abscessed tooth, or bleeding, infected and swollen gums cannot compare with the mild discomfort and minor inconvenience of regular dental checkups.

And yet, this is exactly what millions of people put themselves through. They wait and wait. They put off making that appointment until its almost too late.

And then, what could have been taken care of quickly and easily may now require multiple visits with complex and invasive procedures - perhaps even surgery.

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Saving Your Teeth

And what is the outcome of all this avoidance? You stand a 25% chance of losing all your teeth by the time you're 60. And without regular dental care the chances are almost 100% that you will lose one or more teeth to dental disease during your lifetime.

Losing a tooth can cost you more than just social embarrassment and the loss of social status. It can also alter your bite and the way you chew and digest your food. Throwing your bite off can lead to all kinds of nasty medical complications.

Worst of all, however, is the lifelong discomfort and inconvenience of wearing dentures. If you've ever worn a pair of new shoes that are just a little too tight, you have some idea of what dentures will be like - except you can never break them in. this discomfort will continue every day for the rest of your life.

But none of this has to happen. With proper diet and nutrition, a healthy and active lifestyle, and with the help and guidance of your dentist, you can keep your teeth for a lifetime.

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Saving Money

Not only will you experience a lot of pain and suffering by avoiding the dentist, emergency dentistry will also cost you a lot of money.

It's like this - you can run your car into the ground until it breaks down and then spend an arm and a leg repairing it, or you can pay a lot less for preventative maintenance. It's your choice. The major difference though is that you can always buy a new car - you can't buy a new mouth. Once your teeth are gone, they're gone.

If you've been putting off dental treatment, then sedation dentistry may be the answer you've been longing for. Finally, you can get all your dental care done in one visit - a visit that you simply snooze through.

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