THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ORAL HEALTH AND OVERALL HEALTH

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ORAL HEALTH AND OVERALL HEALTH – BLOG #104
Dr. Spiker Davis D.D.S. 713-781-2800, Jenna Nixon Holistic Nutritionist 281-433-9996 & Dr. Matt Guerre D.D.S. 713-781-2800
In collaboration with Dr. John Seger M.D. Cardiologist 713-791-9444
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It seems to me that GOD did a great job of engineering this house we call the human body. Each system is connected and supports and influences the other systems. As you see in my title, “THE MOUTH IS THE WINDOW TO YOUR HEALTH!” For the last few years, I have been running an informal study in my office and most of the patients know nothing about it, as the study is more for me. Basically, the study looks at my patients that over age 60. I make an analysis of those patients as to whether they are healthy or not. This is an unfair and unscientific study because I am not their physician, but here is what I look at-

Do they look healthy-we can all make this judgement just by looking at or friends or people in the mall-“DO THEY LOOK HEALTHY?” I look at several things like weight, build, color, movement etc. Some people just don’t look healthy-right?
I have a pretty good idea if they are healthy or not based on the health history that I collect from these patients such as the medicines they take, have they had a heart attack, are they diabetic etc. Unfortunately, more than half of my patients in this study are taking 5-10 medications such as ones for high blood pressure, diabetes, prediabetes, heart health etc. It is getting harder and harder to find a patient over 60 without some of these issues.
I know their dental health-do they floss and brush?, do they eat a healthy diet?, do they have cavities and gum disease, have they had root canals and extractions?? It has been my experience that I can look into their mouth and dental history and if they have had a lot of oral issues then most of the time they also have overall health issues. I am more and more convinced that there is a huge connection between oral health and overall health because I see it almost daily. I heard a lecture from Dr. Charles Mayo years ago and he insisted that if you followed preventive dentistry (Brush, Floss, eat right, get your teeth cleaned etc.) you would live 10 years longer. I believe that!

I read an article a few months ago that they have finally figured out why so many people in the hospital get pneumonia. It is because the patients and the staff do NOT take good care of the teeth and gums while they are in the hospital and therefore they get an infection in the mouth which they breath and swallow and this causes the pneumonia! My limited experience with friends and relatives in the hospital confirms this. WHY?

The mouth is considered to be a port of entry to the entire body and the health of the mouth can influence the general condition of the whole body. If the oral cavity is neglected then this can affect the heart, lungs, brain, blood sugar etc. It has even been linked to premature birth! In my opinion dental is crucial for overall health. If it is neglected, you will suffer! From talking with my physician friends, it is really obvious that inflammation anywhere in the body will cause substantial problems. In fact, inflammation may be the root cause of almost all problems.

It also pretty common knowledge that oral health is linked to bone mass and some drugs used to treat bone issues can also cause oral disease and create broken teeth and infected gums. It is all linked together.

Also, diet is linked to both oral health and overall health. You are what you eat.! Consumption of Sugar and processed foods is now linked to about 45 other different medical conditions. So if you eat poorly and also have poor oral hygiene, then you are just asking to get sick and maybe even die!

This is one of the reasons that I highly recommend the PALEO DIET. It is basically an anti-inflammatory diet and it leads to a very healthy mouth. If find it interesting that Caveman (Paleo) did not even have a toothbrush and yet he almost never had a cavity. He seldom had cancer or heart disease, but he never ate sugar (other than an occasional fruit in season) or processed foods and he ate all of those organic fruits and vegetables along with grass fed pasture raised protein, vegetables and fruits or some wild caught sea food. Why can’t we do the same?

– Spiker

SUMMARY-It is obvious to ME that your mouth is the window to your health. In my opinion, we should all focus on our health every day and that includes brushing, flossing, dental cleanings and while we are at it, lets visit our physician for that annual checkup! What do you think? I also think it is so important to follow healthy eating. Of course, i love a Paleo lifstyle/diet as it does not allow any of this junk. I cannot overemphasize the connection between oral hygiene and the condition of ones overall health. they are linked together.

The doctors and staff are behind you and call us if we can help. 713-781-2800. Also, please call or email JENNA NIXON if you need some detailed NUTRITIONAL counseling from a true WELL-TRAINED professional.

REMEMBER, “YOU DON’T HAVE TO FLOSS ALL OF YOUR TEETH, JUST THE ONES YOU WANT TO KEEP”!

LET’S MAKE THIS OUR HEALTHIEST YEAR EVER! we only have a few months left.

Spiker

“THE MOUTH IS THE WINDOW TO YOUR HEALTH”. BRUSH AND FLOSS TWICE DAILY, AVOID SUGAR AND PROCESSED FOOD FOR 2024 AND SEE YOUR DENTIST AND PHYSICIAN ON A REGULAR BASIS.

Spiker Davis D.D.S. spiker@thepaleodentist.com John Seger M.D. Matt Guerre D.D.S. Jenna Nixon Nutritionist

Jenna@goodthingsnaturalhealth.com 281-433-9996

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