Integrative Health Blog

See Your Dentist. It's Good for Your Heart!

Posted by on Sun, Aug 26, 2018

Recently you may have read or heard that "The American Heart Association (AHA) has said that Periodontal Disease (gum disease) is not a cause of heart disease." This statement was on virtually every news outlet including newspapers. What is interesting is that there was so little depth to this "news bite."

In fact, what the AHA said was that no one can say what the cause of heart disease actually is. By this, they mean that heart disease, the number one killer in the USA,  is a "multi-factorial" disease.

Heart disease has many contributors to its cause, and any of these contributors may indeed be the cause in any one patient. Contributors to heart disease include obesity, smoking, lack of exercise, genetics, periodontal disease, and other factors. No single factor might be the cause in any one case.

Inflammation and Heart Disease

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Tags: heart disease, biological dentistry, dental health, periodontal disease, gum disease, holistic dentistry

You Need This for a Healthy Mouth

Posted by on Mon, Oct 21, 2013

Laurie DeRosa RDH

Healthy Saliva = Healthy Mouth

In order for us to have a healthy mouth we need to have healthy saliva.

Saliva helps us to chew, taste and swallow.  It keeps our mouths moist, fights bacteria and helps to prevent bad breath, gum disease and decay.

If your salivary glands are healthy, your body could make up to two to four pints of saliva per day.  Most of your saliva is made during the day.  At night our mouths tend to be more dry. 

A Dry Mouth Can Lead to Dental Problems

Xerostomia is a condition also known as dry mouth and it occurs when our bodies do not produce enough salvia.  When this occurs the gums, tongue, and other tissues in the mouth can become swollen and cause discomfort.  Since bacteria are partial to this environment a dry mouth also leads to bad breath or halitosis. 

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Tags: biological dentistry, gum disease

Natural Dental Products for Healthy Teeth and Gums

Posted by on Mon, Jan 21, 2013

Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body

Believe it or not, when we are taking care of our teeth and mouth we are taking steps to a healthy body.

Daily home care for our teeth and gums is important and not just for the obvious reasons of keeping our teeth for a lifetime and not having bad breath, but a healthy mouth contributes to overall good health.

Natural Dental Products for Healthy Teeth and Gums

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Tags: health products, integrative health, dental health, periodontal disease, gum disease

Periodontal or Gum Disease, a Chronic Disease of Mankind!

Posted by on Mon, Sep 24, 2012

Tom Baldwin DDS

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Tags: biological dentistry, holistic approach, dental health, periodontal disease, gum disease, holistic dentistry

Biofilm, Plaque and Your Dental Health

Posted by on Tue, Feb 21, 2012

Laurie DeRosa RDH

First, what is biofilm?

Biofilm is a collection of many types of bacteria surrounded by a slimy substance that can stick to most everything.  Biofilms can be found in our bathrooms, on our kitchen countertops, cutting boards and yes, the kitchen sink.

Over 900 types of bacteria can live in our mouths but not all at the same time. There are usually 100-200 species on different surfaces at any given time.  The bacteria on our teeth are different than those on the gums, cheek and tongue. Different sides of a single tooth can have different biofilms. 

The plaque that forms on our teeth is a type of biofilm.  Biofilms play an important role in the health of your mouth.  Basically, biofilms are bacterial cells that  will  team up on and around your teeth and under your gums forming clusters of unhealthy bacteria. If left alone, these bacteria will become toxic.   The cells actually feed off each other and if left undisturbed, will multiply and can cause periodontal disease.  

So how do I get this plaque biofilm off my teeth?

Daily brushing and flossing is the best way.  The surfaces of the teeth and gums need to stay consistently clean in order to keep the bacteria from becoming toxic.

You need to see your dental hygienist regularly so that any plaque that has worked its way down into your gums can be removed.  If it is left down under for too long plaque will harden.  You may have heard the terms "calculus" or "tartar" from your hygienist or tv commercials.  This is what plaque is called after it hardens.  Tartar is unhealthy and cannot be removed at home.  It will cause inflammation which can destroy the gums.   It only takes 24 hours for plaque to harden.  Left on the teeth and surrounding gums for too long leads to gum disease

How can I prevent gum disease?

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Tags: dental health, periodontal disease, plaque, biofilm, gum disease