Change the Oil in Your Mercedes

I see patients in my office who have previously committed
significant amounts of time and money to have their teeth
restored. They have replaced missing teeth, repaired damaged
ones, straightened them, and enhanced the appearance of
their pearly whites through a variety of cosmetic procedures.
Most of these folks recognize the importance of follow up care
to preserve their investment, but there are some who neglect
simple maintenance after the hard work has been done.

I don’t understand this. It’s like someone who makes the
commitment to buy a Mercedes Benz, a durable, high quality
product, but then neglects regular oil changes even though
the cost of this service is just a small fraction of the original
purchase price.

Recently I saw a patient who had extensive dental
restorative work done several years ago. It was a time and
cost intensive project which made a dramatic improvement in
both the patient’s dental function and appearance. When the
work was completed, this person did not return to my office
for several years until they were in pain. Nor did the patient
seek out follow up care anywhere else during the interim. As a
result, additional complex treatment will be required to bring
this patient back to optimal dental health. All this could have

been avoided by following a plan of regular maintenance and
repair.

So what does this mean to you? Whether your teeth have
been restored by a dentist or you have all your natural teeth,
the key to keeping them working well and looking good for
a long time is regular maintenance. Even if you don’t have
dental insurance, the cost of regular care is much less than
the cost of major repairs—just the same as an automobile.
You may not have a Mercedes in the garage, but you have
something just as valuable in your mouth. Take care of it.

Yours for excellent dental health,

Walk Your Way to a Healthy Mouth

Walking really does your body good from head to toe. Not only will it help keep your heart and legs strong and your waist trim, but it may protect your pearly whites, too.

It all has to do with the aerobic fitness benefits that walking confers. In a recent Japanese study, the folks who were the fittest were also the least likely to have severe periodontitis, a form of gum disease.

Tone for Your Teeth
Being both fit and slim is even better for your teeth. In the study, participants with a healthy body mass index (BMI) as well as a high capacity for aerobic endurance had the lowest odds of gum troubles. It's just one more great reason to add a calorie-burning daily walk to your oral-care regimen. You'll make your doctor and your dentist proud.

Axing Inflammation
How, exactly, does breaking a sweat keep your mouth healthy? Well for one, researchers believe that exercise helps quiet inflammation throughout the body, and that's a good thing because inflammation is one of those potential triggers for disease, including gum disease. Physical activity may also help keep blood levels of C-reactive protein in check -- another happy outcome because this compound may play a role in the origins of gum disease.

Reverse Benefit
It works the other way also—keeping your mouth healthy can benefit the rest of your body. Because untreated inflammation in your mouth can lead to inflammation in other parts of your system. In fact, effectively flossing and brushing your teeth daily can make your health age as much as six years younger.
So as you plan your personal health strategy, keep in mind that the health of your mouth is intimately related to the health of the rest of your body.