Blog

Category Archives: General Care

Family Dentistry: Can Our Entire Family See the Same Dentist?

Photo Credit: ldprod | Adobe Stock

Photo Credit: ldprod | Adobe Stock

Not all dentists can treat your entire family, but a family dentist specializes in providing care for anyone at any age. If you aren’t sure if family dentistry is right for you, check out these four benefits.

You’ll Save Time

One of the best reasons to choose a family dentist is because it allows you to save time. Just imagine if you, your spouse, your elderly mother and your children have different dentists. You would have a hard time grouping the appointments on the same day around the same time, and even if you did, you’d have to drive a bunch of places, wasting time.

If your family all has the same dentist, however, it’s no problem to group appointments. That way, everyone goes in at once on the same day at the same location. Yes, you may be there for a little longer than if you went on your own, but you’ll end up saving time and taking less time off work to take everyone.

You’ll Share Your Family History

Having everyone see the same dentist is also useful because it allows the dentist to get to know your family and their history better. Some oral issues run in the family or may be common among family members because of similar habits. For example, if parents drink a lot of sugary soda, chances are the kids have developed this habit, too.

A dentist can use family history to help diagnose problems. If a child has a lot of cavities from too much sugar, the dentist can speak with the parent about cutting back on sugar at home. This is a clever way for a dentist to learn more about each of your family members. As a result, you all hear the same advice and reinforcements, such as cutting back on sugar, eating more vegetables, etc.

You Won’t Sacrifice Services

You may think that a family dentist won’t be able to offer you everything your family needs, but that isn’t the case. Family dentistry is about providing many services to everyone. It doesn’t mean only providing the basic services like cleaning, X-rays fillings, etc. Most family dentists provide specialized services for any age.

In addition, many family dentists can offer your family more advanced treatments. Some are skilled in major procedures like root canal therapy. Thanks to a growing popularity in cosmetic dentistry, many family dentists also offer great cosmetic procedures to improve the look of everyone’s smile. At Landmark Dental Group in Santa Cruz, for example, you can get tooth whitening, porcelain veneers and even dental implants.

Your Children Will Be More Comfortable

One of the worst things about going to the dentist is being uncomfortable, and this is a common problem with children because they just aren’t used to going to the dentist. Having you and the rest of the family there as patients may help them feel a little more at ease. Instead of telling your kid, “it’s time for your dental appointment” you can say, “it’s time for our trip to the dentist.”

Also, switching doctors and dentists can be nerve-wracking. If you choose a pediatric dentist for your child who doesn’t see adults, they’ll have to go through the entire process again of finding a dentist and feeling comfortable once they are older. A family dentist, however, can continue to see your child as they age.

Don’t waste your time and money with several dentists. Family dentistry allows your entire family to have the same provider. For more information, contact Landmark Dental Group today.

Landmark Dental Group Contact | Santa Cruz

Looking for a Dentist Near You? Get 2017 Started Off Right With a High-Quality Santa Cruz Dentist

Photo Credit: luckybusiness | Adobe Stock

Photo Credit: luckybusiness | Adobe Stock

Get 2017 Started off Right with a High-Quality Santa Cruz Dentist Near You

With the new year here, it’s time to start thinking about your smile. If you’ve been neglecting your teeth, it’s time to make the resolution to get back to taking care of them. Start by finding a high-quality Santa Cruz dentist near you.

Check out what they can do for you:

Keep Your Teeth Clean and Healthy

What’s the most basic thing a Santa Cruz dentist can do for you? The answer is simple: keep your teeth clean and healthy. Regular check-ups and cleanings are a must for good oral hygiene.

And, if you’re in need of extra special care, Landmark Dental Group also offers root scaling and planing for people with gingivitis or deep pockets that hide tartar and plaque. Everyone needs to come to the dentist at least twice a year for preventative care even if you don’t have a problem. It’s the best way to stop problems before they start.

Get Your Whole Family Treated

As a family dentist office, Landmark Dental makes treating your whole family easy because they see anyone at any age. If you have a child whose first tooth just emerged, they invite you to bring your child for their first exam. You’ll learn how best to care for your child’s teeth. If you have a geriatric parent, bring them by. Older patients often have many problems such as dry mouth, gum disease, etc., that need specialized attention.

Fix Problems That Arise

Of course, even with good preventative care, problems may arise. A little too much sugar could lead to a cavity, and a lot of sugar could lead to a big crack. Your Santa Cruz dentist is there to help with fillings, crowns and extractions. They even offer tooth-colored fillings. So if you need a filling or have metal fillings, you can have them replaced with white fillings that look like natural teeth. Everyone will think you’ve never had a cavity on your life!

Get a Complete Smile

It’s so common to have one or two missing teeth, especially if you are older. This can sometimes be embarrassing, but Landmark Dental Group has you covered. They offer three different ways to replace missing teeth: dentures, dental bridges and dental implants.

Dental implants are the most durable way to replace missing teeth, but they are expensive. Whatever your budget and preferences, you’ll find a way to get the complete smile you desire.

Perfect Your Smile

So many things affect the beauty of your smile: discoloration, genetics, poor oral hygiene, etc. In the past, you pretty much had to live with an imperfect smile. However, today, there are many ways a Santa Cruz dentist can give you a breathtaking smile. Some services include teeth whitening, veneers and crowns. These are all great ways to make your smile look brighter, healthier and younger.

Stay Calm and Relaxed

Too many people have anxiety about going to the dentist, and in the past, there may have been reason, but today, going to the dentist is painless. Of course, that doesn’t always stop your anxiety. So, if you need a way to relax in the chair, choose sedation. You can choose from inhalation sedation, oral sedation and IV conscious sedation. All of them make you feel so relaxed you may fall asleep. Plus, they have some amnesiac qualities, so you won’t remember much of your visit — making it less scary to go to the dentist in the future.

Don’t neglect your mouth a moment longer. You want to be proactive with your smile, so serious problems don’t arise. For more information, contact Landmark Dental Group.

Landmark Dental Group Contact | Santa Cruz

New Year’s Resolutions for your teeth!

Photo Credit: puhhha | Adobe Stock

Photo Credit: puhhha | Adobe Stock

4 New Year’s Resolution Ideas for Your Teeth

Miguel de Cervantes expressed in this quote many years ago: “Every tooth in a man’s head is more valuable than a diamond.” Wouldn’t it be great if everyone thought of their teeth as highly valuable assets?

The good news is that the New Year is a time for people to start over. This year, consider a resolution for your teeth. If you haven’t been doing everything you can for your smile, check out these resolution ideas for your mouth that Landmark family dentistry in Santa Cruz can help with.

Start Flossing

Even if you brush your teeth like a pro, if you aren’t flossing, you’re hurting your teeth. Plaque and bacteria love those little hiding spots between your teeth because your tooth brush can’t reach them. Flossing between your teeth at least once a day removes the bacteria. Not only does this reduce the risk of decay between your teeth (which requires a filling) it also reduces your risk of gum disease. Gum disease occurs when your gums become infected with the bacteria in your mouth. If you don’t floss, you’re allowing that bacteria to build up, eventually leading to swollen, irritated, bleeding and painful gums. If you have bridges, make sure to get special floss or flossers and floss under your bridges daily too.

Reduce Sugar Intake

Sweets, candy, desserts and anything else with tons of sugar are delicious, but they wreak havoc on your entire body. Eating a lot of sugar increases your risk of cavities. If you tend to dine on sugary foods or beverages, make a resolution to reduce your intake. One good way to reduce your sugar intake is by not drinking soda anymore. Reducing your sugar intake is also a good idea because it lowers your risk of developing diabetes, and there is a correlation between diabetes and your oral health. People with diabetes can’t fight infection as well, making them more likely to develop gum disease and other infections.

Get Regular Cleanings

It’s so easy to skip going to the dentist until something starts to hurt. However, if you visit a dentist on a regular basis, you might not develop any problems at all. Preventative care is extremely important in dental health because it’s impossible to re-grow your teeth. Instead of dealing with cavities after they develop, stop them before they happen by getting regular cleanings. Your dentist uses this time to get rid of tartar and plaque, but it’s also a good opportunity for your dentist to spot any potential problems, such as a weak spot in your enamel, so that you can protect it before it causes problems.

Stop Smoking

Smoking is one of the worst things you can do to your body, but it also affects your teeth. For starters, cigarettes can turn your teeth brown. These stains can be whitened with tooth whitening procedures, but they will return again and again. Like diabetes, smoking also makes it harder to fight against infection, so your risk of gum disease drastically increases. Severe gum disease can lead to severe tooth loss and gum recession. Last, smoking and any tobacco product increases your risk of developing cancer, including lip, mouth and throat cancer. So if you smoke, stop — and see how quickly your mouth and entire body improve.

With a New Year approaching, it’s time to start thinking about something you can do for your smile. Any of these are great ideas and will make your mouth happier. For more information about what you can do for your smile this New Year, contact Landmark Dental Group, a family dentist in Santa Cruz, today.

Landmark Dental Group Contact | Santa Cruz

Taking Care of Your Teeth During the Holidays

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock | karandaev

Photo Credit: karandaev | Adobe Stock

Taking Care of Your Oral Health During the Holidays

The holidays are wonderful: all the cookies, candy, rich food and holiday beverages. It’s so easy to forget about your oral health as you dine on all the delicious food that everyone seems to offer you. This holiday season, follow these oral health tips to ensure your teeth stay healthy and strong through the New Year and beyond.

Limit the Sweets

As soon as the holidays begin to approach, it seems like everyone has a baked dessert they want to give you, or a bowl of candy that’s readily available. With so many sweets around, it’s easy to drastically increase your sugar consumption…but don’t give in! While it’s fine to be a little bad and eat a few more sweets than normal, don’t go overboard.

There are many ways you can help yourself avoid candy and sugar. For starters, make compromises with yourself. When you’re at work, and someone is giving out Christmas cookies, but you know you’re going to be eating Christmas cookies later at a gathering, skip the work ones. If you suddenly get a craving for sweets, avoid the Christmas candy and try an apple. It’s also helpful if you keep the sugar away from you. Don’t put candy canes on the tree or have a bowl of candy available.

Avoid Red Wine

Many people have a lot of gatherings as the holidays approach, so you may find yourself going to dinner parties with friends and family more often. It’s likely you’ll find wine at these events, but be careful. Red wine can stain your teeth, so it may be best to avoid red wine completely and stick to white. That way, your teeth stay nice and white.

Wine also has a lot of sugar in it; as with candy, keep it to a minimum. When possible, avoid sweet wines, which contain more sugars that can damage your teeth. Stick with dry white wines for the least amount of sugar and stains.

Don’t Neglect Your Cleanings

It’s likely you have an upcoming dental cleaning during the holidays, but with so much to do, you may decide to put it off until next year. That is a terrible idea, especially if you are indulging in more sugar than normal. It’s always important to go to your regular dental cleanings, so your dentist can remove tartar and look for problems.

If you think you may be developing a problem, such as a cavity, don’t put that off either. The only thing that can happen if you avoid going to the dentist for a minor cavity is that the cavity can worsen, leading to pain and a more rigorous treatment.

Floss and Brush More Often

As always, brush and floss like you always do, but if you are eating or drinking more sugar, it may be a good idea to floss and brush more often throughout the day. If you do decide to eat a sticky candy cane, brush your teeth after eating it to immediately eliminate the sugar and give it no time to attract bacteria.

If you decide to drink wine, or another substance that can cause stains, immediately brushing your teeth may not be a good idea. Wine is acidic, which may soften your enamel. Brushing while the enamel is soft can damage it. It’s best to rinse your mouth out with water and brush after an hour or so.

Don’t let the holiday season destroy your oral health. These four tips will keep your mouth looking and feeling great. For more information, contact Landmark Dental Group today.

Landmark Dental Group Contact | Santa Cruz

I’m afraid of the dentist, I haven’t been in years!

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock | nikolasvn

Photo Credit: nikolasvn | Adobe Stock

5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Fear the Dentist

So many people are scared to go to the dentist, especially if they haven’t been in a long time. However, there is nothing scary about going to the dentist.

In fact, check out these five reasons not to fear going to a dentist:

1. Dentists Can Do So Much

Not only do dentists want to ensure that you have a healthy smile, but they also want to make sure you have a beautiful smile. Many general dentists nowadays offer cosmetic services. Not only can your dentist suggest treatments like fillings, root canal therapy, etc., but they can also suggest ways to make your smile look perfect with veneers, crowns, bridges and dental implants.

2. Cleanings Prevent Pain

Cleanings can be painful sometimes. If you don’t floss regularly, your gums may bleed when the hygienist flosses your teeth. If you have sensitive teeth, the cold water may hurt. However, cleanings prevent more severe, serious pain, such as cavities and infections. To reduce the pain of cleanings, make sure you floss at home, and ask your dentist about toothpaste for sensitive teeth. You can also take over-the-counter pain medication before your visit.

3. Novocain Will Numb the Pain

If the dentist does need to perform a treatment that may cause pain, Novocain will be used to numb the area. You don’t need to be scared because the entire area is numb while you are treated. Some people fear the dentist because they underwent a filling or root canal therapy, and they didn’t receive enough Novocain. This isn’t normal. If you do experience pain during the treatment, tell your dentist. They will stop and apply more Novocain until you are completely numb.

4. Dental Treatments Relieve Pain

If you’re in pain because of a cavity, fracture, infection, etc., you should be jumping at the chance to go see your dentist. Many people associate the pain of a problem like an infection with the dentist, but the dentist is fixing the problem, not making it worse. Therefore, even if you experience some pain after the treatment because the area is tender, it pales in comparison to the pain you experienced before, and quickly, the pain will completely leave.

5. Sedation Is Available

If you are still nervous about going to the dentist, ask about sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry helps keep you relaxed during the treatment. You are awake during the procedure, but you don’t register every little thing the dentist is doing, which makes it easy to pretend you are somewhere else. There are three types of sedation: inhalation, oral pill and IV conscious. You may become so drowsy and relaxed you fall asleep. If you choose oral pill or IV conscious sedation, you’ll need a ride home.

Don’t let your teeth decay because you’re scared of going to the dentist. Just like your doctor, the dentist doesn’t want you to be in pain. Landmark Dental legitimately cares about your oral health; we’ll do all that we can to make your mouth healthy and beautiful. For more information, or if you have questions, contact Landmark Dental Group today.

Landmark Dental Group Contact | Santa Cruz

What You Get From Regular Professional Tooth Cleanings

What You Get From Regular Professional Tooth Cleanings

Photo Credit: ossiancz | Adobe Stock

What You Get From Regular Professional Tooth Cleanings

It’s easy to ignore those routine dental cleanings, especially if you don’t have any pain. However, a tooth cleaning is an important piece of your overall dental health. Check out these five benefits you get from regular professional cleanings.

1. Lower Risk of Cavities

Of course, the most obvious benefit of regular dental cleanings is less risk of cavities. As plaque and tartar build up on your teeth, they damage your tooth enamel. If left untreated, this leads to tooth decay or cavities. Regular brushing and flossing at home removes easy-to-reach plaque. However, a dental cleaning is the best way to get rid of hard-to-clean areas, such as below the gum line. A professional tooth cleaning is also the only way to remove tartar effectively without damaging enamel.

2. Reduced Gum Inflammation

All that plaque and tartar on your teeth doesn’t just affect the tooth tissue. It affects your gums too. Too much tartar can cause your gums to become inflamed and sore. If the tartar isn’t removed, it can lead to gingivitis. With a good cleaning, the tartar is removed, and the inflammation to your gums is reduced. In some cases, the irritation may cause pockets to develop, which harbor plaque and tartar. If these pockets are deep enough, your dentist may suggest scaling and root planing to clean and smooth below the gum line.

3. Brighter Smile

True, the best way to whiten your smile is with tooth whitening. However, if you have tobacco, food or beverage stains on your teeth, such as stains from coffee or red wine, professional cleanings can help remove those. When the dentist polishes your teeth, some of these stains are removed. After your cleaning, you’ll notice, whiter teeth without the need to schedule a tooth whitening session.

4. Increased Chance of Catching Serious Problems Early

Your dentist does more than just clean your teeth. A good dentist also looks for signs of more serious problems. For starters, with X-rays, your dentist looks for any signs of infection that may require a root canal. However, your dentist can spot more deadly problems too. If you show any signs or symptoms of oral cancer, your chances of catching it early vastly increase if you regularly see your dentist for cleanings. Spotting any cancer early is key in winning the fight.

5. Education for At-Home Care

When you go in for your regular dental cleaning, it is the perfect time to ask your dentist questions about your oral health care. Are you unsure about the toothpaste you are using, which type of floss is best, how often should you be flossing, etc.? Find out everything you can do at home to make sure your mouth stays healthy and you don’t have to spend a bunch of money on extensive dental work.

Tooth cleaning is simple, fast and effective, so there is no excuse to skip your next appointment. Cleaning helps to keep your teeth healthy and beautiful without costing a fortune. For more information, or to schedule a cleaning, contact Landmark Dental Group today.

Landmark Dental Group Contact | Santa Cruz

Antibiotics for Dental Procedures After Joint Replacement

Antibiotics

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock | Feng Yu

Your mouth has a lot of bacteria in it. Typically, as long as you care for your teeth, you don’t have to worry about bacteria from your mouth reaching another part of your body. However, if you have recently had joint replacement surgery, there are many situations that could increase the chance of joint infection. If you’ve had joint replacement surgery, learn more about antibiotics for dental procedures and when they are necessary.

Why Do You Need Antibiotics?

When you have a joint replacement, one of the most dangerous possible side effects is an infection in the joint. When your dentist works on your teeth, even minor services could allow the bacteria in your mouth to enter your blood stream. From there, it has the ability to reach any part of your body, including the joint replacement. Even after the area has healed, there is a risk of infection after dental work, which is why it’s important to tell your dentist if you’ve had joint replacement surgery.

Who Needs Preventative Antibiotics?

Just having joint replacement doesn’t necessarily mean you will need preventative antibiotics. In most cases, you also have to have:

  • Inflammatory arthritis
  • Weakened immune system from disease, medication or radiation
  • Type 1 Diabetes
  • Had joint replacement in the last two years
  • Had a previous infection in the joint

These conditions all increase your chance of getting a further infection. Therefore, if any of these ring true, make sure to tell your dentist. Depending on your history and the treatment, your dentist will determine if antibiotics are the right choice.

What Procedures Require Antibiotics?

Not every procedure requires antibiotics. For example, if you are just getting some X-rays, your dentist probably won’t suggest antibiotics. Most of the time, you’ll only need antibiotics if there is a possibility of blood exposure, such as:

  • Extractions
  • Dental implants
  • Root canal
  • Local anesthetic injection (even before a filling)

Also, if your gums are tender from gum disease, you’ll also need antibiotics for gum disease procedures and regular cleanings (because your sore gums are likely to bleed).

What Kind of Antibiotics Should You Expect?

There are typically two ways your dentist will provide the antibiotics. If you can take pills, you’ll be given a prescription for oral medication. If you can’t take oral medication, the dentist can administer an injection an hour before the procedure. Types of antibiotics your dentist may prescribe include:

  • Amoxicillin
  • Cephalexin
  • Cephradine
  • Clindamycin (if you are allergic to penicillin)

Taking care of your artificial joint after surgery is important, and one of the key steps is talking with your dentist. Discuss your procedure and history. Your dentist will use this to determine when antibiotics for dental procedures are necessary to keep you and your joints healthy. For more information about the connection between dental care, antibiotics and joint replacement, contact Landmark Dental Group today.

Family Dentist

family dentist

Photo Credit: LuckyImages | Adobe Stock

4 Things You Should Know About Family Dentists

If you’re looking for a great dentist in the Santa Cruz area, you must consider choosing a family dentist. Family dentists offer many types of treatments and have many advantages.

Check out these four things you may not know about a family dentist.

1. They See Patients of All Ages

Get your whole family’s treatments done in one location with Landmark Dental family dentist. It’s right there in the name: “family” dentist, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that a family dentist like Landmark Dental in Santa Cruz sees patients of all ages. You don’t have to take your child to a pediatric dentist, your parents to a geriatric dentist and yourself to a general dentist. Landmark offers services targeted at different age groups, such as sealants for children.

The benefits of choosing one family dentist for your entire family are convenience and comfort. You can schedule all your cleanings in lumped appointments, so you don’t have to miss work on more than one day. Also, the dentist gets to know you and your family better, which makes everyone a little more comfortable about going to the dentist.

2. Many Offer Major Services

You may think that a family dentist can’t offer much more than cleanings, X-rays and yearly exams. While they do offer these important services, that’s not all they offer. Many family dentists also offer major services you wouldn’t expect. Many offer services such as extraction, dental bridge and dental crowns, so you don’t have to go see a specialist.

They may even offer more specialized services. For example, at Landmark Dental Group, you can have your root canal therapy performed without having to go see an endodontist. This is especially important because people tend to fear root canals. However, if you are able to have yours performed by your regular dentist, you know what to expect and feel less anxious than if you have to see a specialist you don’t know.

3. They Typically Offer Cosmetic Services

Cosmetic dentistry is exploding. To keep up with the demand, more and more general dentists are learning these valuable skills. So it’s no wonder so many family dentists offer cosmetic services. It isn’t surprising to find that a dentist provides treatments like tooth whitening, porcelain crowns, porcelain veneers and tooth-colored fillings.

Some dentists, however, go above and beyond to ensure their patients get a gorgeous smile without having to see a specialist. At Landmark Dental Group, if you have missing teeth, you don’t have to choose between a bridge or dentures because they offer dental implants.

4. They’ll Give You a Healthy, Beautiful Smile

The best thing about family dentists, however, is that they are dedicated to give you a smile you want. Of course, this starts with a healthy foundation of strong teeth. Therefore, your dentist will work with you to create a treatment plan that will get your teeth healthy with cleanings, fillings, root planing and scaling, etc. If you already have a healthy smile, your dentist will help you keep it that way.

For many people, however, having a healthy smile isn’t enough, but a dentist who only focuses on cosmetic dentistry may not be the best option. When you choose a dentist who also wants to keep your smile healthy, you’ll get a treatment plan that is perfect for improving the look of your smile without impacting the health.

Choose a dentist that can treat your whole family and provide a wide range of services. You’ll get a healthy, beautiful smile. For more information, contact Landmark Dental Group today.

Landmark Dental Group Contact | Santa Cruz

Oral Health for Diabetics – A Twofold Attack

Oral health for diabetics

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock | pathdoc

Diabetes is a common disease. In fact, about 9.3 percent of the US has this condition. Diabetes, however, doesn’t just affect your body’s ability to produce insulin. It affects many other parts of the body, particularly because it affects how well your body fights infection. One part of your body that is susceptible to diabetes is your mouth. If you have diabetes, learn about oral health for diabetics.

Oral Symptoms of Uncontrolled Diabetes

Uncontrolled diabetes can affect many parts of your body, and your mouth is no exception. If you suspect you may be developing diabetes, or if you just want to know how your diabetes can affect your mouth, you must know the oral symptoms of diabetes. One of the biggest problems is that your mouth may have less saliva. This causes dry mouth, which isn’t just uncomfortable. Due to the fact that your body doesn’t have enough saliva to wash away bacteria, your teeth are more prone to decay.

Because diabetes makes it harder to fight infection, infections of the mouth are also possible. Gum disease and tooth infections can occur, and your body has a hard time fighting these off. If you develop a wound in your mouth, diabetes can slow healing time.

What’s the Big Deal With Inflamed Gums?

Minor gum inflammation can be a mild annoyance, but if left untreated, it can cause major dental problems. First, your gums become sore, inflamed and bleeding. Eventually, your gums start to recede, exposing the roots of your teeth and increasing the risk of decay. As the disease progresses, it may affect your jawbone, causing it to diminish, which increases the risk of tooth loss.

Gum disease is also bad for your diabetes. An uncontrolled infection makes it harder for you to control your blood sugar, which puts you in danger and increases your chance of other diabetes complications. On top of that, studies have shown that gum disease can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

How Can You Protect Yourself?

Protecting yourself from the problems associated with diabetes is a twofold attack.

1.) Make sure you continue to care for your smile with good at-home care. You’ll also want to ensure you see your dentist regularly, and divulge that you have diabetes. Your dentist will help keep your mouth clean, which in turn reduces the risk of inflammation. Your dentist can also help look for gum disease before it happens. If you do develop gum disease, it can actually have a negative affect on blood sugar control.

2.) Follow your medical doctor’s instructions. Keep your blood sugar at the right levels and use your medications appropriately. When your diabetes is under control, your body fights infections better, reducing the risk of gum disease. Make sure you also avoid smoking. Smoking decreases your body’s ability to fight infection.

Everyone should take good care of their teeth, but if you are a diabetic, poor dental health can actually affect your diabetes. If you would like more information regarding oral health for diabetics, or if you would like to schedule an appointment, contact Landmark Dental Group in Santa Cruz today. We’ll help you take control of your diabetes and your oral health.

Landmark Dental Group Contact | Santa Cruz

Oral Health and Your Overall Health

Oral Health and Your Overall Health

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock | Antonioguillem

It’s so easy to ignore your oral health, especially if you aren’t having too much pain. However, your body is one connected system, so if something is wrong in your mouth, it could affect other parts of your body. Similarly, health problems that have nothing to do with your teeth or gums could affect your oral health. To protect every part of your body, you must know more about the connection between your mouth and health.

Oral Health and Overall Health Connection

Typically, when you see a doctor about a problem, the doctor treats that area only. For example, if you have a broken arm, your doctor isn’t going to send you to an ear doctor. Therefore, you may find it odd for your doctor to send you to a dentist or vice versa. People tend to think of the systems in their body, such as gastrointestinal, skeletal, nervous, etc., as separate. However, the body is one working machine with many different parts and functions. This is why a problem in your mouth has the potential to affect another area of your body. A holistic view of the body is what allows doctors to treat patients as a whole.

How Poor Oral Health Affects Your Entire Body

When you don’t take proper care of your teeth, plaque, tartar and bacteria accumulate. Of course, this increases your risk of oral problems, such as decay, infection and gum disease. However, there are other examples of oral health problems affecting other parts of the body. If bacteria leaves your mouth and reaches your heart, it could cause endocarditis, which is an infection in the inner lining of your heart. Research has also shown a connection between inflammation/infection and cardiovascular disease. And last, severe gum disease has been shown to cause premature births.

Certain Health Conditions Impact Your Oral Health

Some health problems that have nothing to do with your mouth can actually cause problems with your teeth and gums. Diabetes is one of the most common that can affect your mouth. Diabetes makes it harder for your body to fight infection, so you are at higher risk of gum disease if you fail to take proper care of your gums. Another common disease that can affect your mouth is osteoporosis. This disease makes bones weak, including your jawbone, which could cause your teeth to become loose. Also, some of the medication used to fight osteoporosis has a small risk of damaging your jaw bones.

What You Should Do to Protect Yourself

Knowing that your oral health can cause serious health problems and that some health problems can increase your risk of oral disorders may be scary, but it doesn’t mean there is nothing you can do. Whether you have diabetes, osteoporosis, or some other condition — or not — it’s important to take proper care of your teeth with regular flossing, brushing and dental cleanings. Your dentist will work with you to keep your teeth healthy, which will reduce your risk of other diseases. Making sure that you see your dentist regularly is also a great way of catching potential problems early, so they can be treated sooner.

When you fail to keep your mouth clean, you aren’t just impacting your oral health. You are putting yourself at risk for more serious conditions. If you would like more information about dental health, or if you’d like to start getting back on track with your dental care, contact Landmark Dental Group to schedule an appointment today.

Landmark Dental Group Contact | Santa Cruz