Complete health dentistry involves caring for a patient’s overall health by making the connection between oral health and total body health. Complete health dentists use clues from a patient’s mouth to find signs of other illnesses they may have or be at risk of having. We strive to form partnerships between dental and medical professionals to work toward the common goal of improving a patient’s overall health and wellness.
What does this involve? One step is moving from reactive care to preventive care. Ways we do this in our office include Salvary Diagnostics (Oral DNA Saliva Tests), Oral Probiotics, and Oxygen Therapy. As these assessments are being performed, our team notes any risk factors for oral and systemic diseases the patient presents with and thoroughly explains the correlations to them.
We can then organize a profile that includes oral and systemic risk factor findings and discuss how their chronic gingivitis (reversible) or chronic periodontal disease (irreversible) may place them at risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke, poor glycemic control, Alzheimer’s Disease, rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory complications, certain cancers, pre-term delivery and even adverse pregnancy outcomes.
How Oral Health Affects Your Overall Health
Many people think that standard cleanings and regular dental visits at Lepore Comprehensive Dentistry are just doing what most of us were taught as kids: preventing cavities or getting your gums healthier. However, there is recent groundbreaking research and additional information indicating that many other physical health problems can occur due to poor oral health. Some of these are DIRECTLY affected by the bacteria associated with an unhealthy mouth.
Some of these conditions affected include:
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Stroke
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Diabetes
- Sleep Apnea
- High Blood Pressure
- Colorectal Cancer
- Lung Disease
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Kidney Disease
- Pregnancy
- Obesity
How Lepore Comprehensive Dentistry Monitors Overall Health
There are several steps that the team at Lepore Comprehensive Dentistry take to help you stay healthy. Your visits to our office will be more than just a hygiene cleaning. We go above and beyond to gather a complete picture of your overall health. By doing this, we can choose customized dental treatment plans that will not only leave you with a beautiful smile but more importantly, will help prevent other health issues from presenting themselves or worsening down the road.
Some ways we learn about your complete health include:
