Integrative Health Blog

What's in your Mouth?

There are over 500 species of microorganisms in your mouth!
Most of them are harmless, but some can cause gum disease and tooth decay, and also increase your potential for systemic infections by entering your bloodstream.

At Holistic Family Dentistry we use a microscope because it is a simple, inexpensive, non-invasive, but extremely effective tool to evaluate the health of your mouth and to educate you in good preventive techniques.

This video gives a good illustration of what may be seen in the mouth:

Periodontal disease begins as a microscopic bacterial infection. Before there are signs of disease in the mouth such as bleeding and inflammation a swab of bacteria from under the gums can be used to assist our dental team in educating our patients and establishing a plan to help prevent future periodontal problems. If periodontal disease is already present at a patient’s first visit we will use the microscope to determine how active and the extent of the periodontal problem. The bacteria associated with periodontal disease can be identified. By using the microscope we can treat disease before bone loss occurs.

Traditional indicators such as bleeding gums and “pockets” are not enough anymore. Unhealthy bacteria can be lurking in the shallow spaces between your gums and your teeth.   There are several different types of unhealthy bacteria that can be seen using the microscope. High numbers of spirochetes and white blood cells are closely related to chronic periodontal disease.The microscope is the only in office test that can detect white blood cell’s inplaque. This visual tool allows us to customize our patient’s treatment, monitor their progress and help them understand how their treatment is progressing, as well as provide an early warning system that something is not working. 

What creepy-crawlies are in your mouth? 

Schedule for your bacteriologic examination today!  CALL 202-237-7000 ext. 2 for dental

Laurie DeRosa  RDH is a Registered Dental Hygienist on the  biological dentistry  team at National Integrated Health Associates, NIHA, an integrative medicine and dental center serving the Washington DC metro area. Using the latest in dental technology, her goal is to help the dental patient understand the important connection between their oral health and their overall health.