This week our office hosted consultant Annie Harris of JP Consultants to provide continuing education to our entire team. As a registered dental hygienist, Annie provided the latest information on periodontal (gum and bone) disease and the relationship between gum disease and systemic (whole body) disease. Did you know that even the earliest stage of gum disease-gingivitis-is linked to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, autoimmune diseases, and diabetes? The bacteria in our mouths causes gum inflammation, infects the nearby blood vessels and travels to all parts of the body causing inflammation in other sites. Controlling this bacteria is the role of the hygienist (along with your home care) to decrease your risk of all these related diseases. Do you have a family history of any of these diseases? If so, having perfect gum health and controlling the bacterial biofilm in the mouth is critical to decreasing your risk of developing these diseases in your lifetime.
So that’s where Angel and Jill, our dental hygienists, come in! They have been trained to assess your individual oral health status and risks and customize their care specifically to your needs. Their care is not “one-size-fits-all”, and your recare visits are not “just a cleaning”. Specifically, using comfortable ultrasonic instrumentation, they seek to reduce the bacterial biofilm in the nooks and crannies between the teeth and gums. Doing this repetitively over a series of appointments destroys the “bad, disease-causing” bacteria, promotes a healthy biofilm, and benefits your entire systemic health. And to maintain that health, they will customize both your homecare regimen and your recare interval to your particular needs.
Preventive Dentistry is not just about preventing decay…it involves controlling the bacterial biofilm in the mouth that leads to decay, tooth loss and other serious systemic diseases. Our goal is to provide our patients with state-of-the-art level of preventive dental care. Our patient’s health is our top priority!