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If you are like many people, you might think of your oral health as separate from your overall health. After all, most dental coverage plans are distinct from health care coverage. However, your oral health goes far beyond being able to chew nutritious and enjoyable foods. Oral health problems may be an indicator of a variety of other health problems.

Links between Oral Health and Overall Health

In the late 1980s, researchers noticed a trend among patients who had recently suffered from heart attacks. As the Journal of the American Dental Association reported, they observed that these patients were more likely to have dental caries or cavities, periodontitis or inflammation around the tooth, and other forms of gum disease. Later studies found similar results, and dentists and doctors now recognize poor oral health as a risk factor for a variety of heart conditions, such as heart attacks, atherosclerosis, and coronary heart disease.

There are even more links between oral health problems and overall health problems. Some individuals do not find out that they have Type 2 diabetes until a dentist sees that they have periodontitis. If you have diabetes, worsening periodontitis can indicate that your diabetes is not under control.

Poor oral health is also associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, poor oral health puts you at higher risk for respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, because harmful pathogens can enter your body through your mouth.

Take Care of Your Teeth

Keeping your teeth healthy remains important, especially as you grow older. Older adults are more prone to dental caries and other oral health problems, as well as to chronic diseases. While taking care of your oral health might not prevent a specific disease, a healthy mouth is a significant factor in your overall health.

You can take care of your teeth by continuing to brush twice a day and floss every day. Avoid consuming too many sugary and starchy foods, and drink water after each meal or snack to rinse your teeth. See Dr. Gregory Weaver for regular checkups, and contact Weaver Dentistry if you have any concerns about your teeth or gums.

Just like natural teeth, Dr. Gregory Weaver will tell you that dentures have a tendency to get coated with plaque, which is a sticky, transparent film that attracts food and bacteria. When you don’t take care of your dentures adequately and regularly, plaque can build up, harden, and become difficult to remove. More importantly, it can result in dental problems, including gum disease and infection. Proper care for your dentures also helps them maintain their shape, fit the way they are supposed to, and last longer.

Cleaning your dentures

Your dentures should be cleaned with the same diligence as you clean natural teeth.

• Take out dentures and rinse them after eating. To remove food particles, run water over your dentures.
• Clean your teeth after denture removal. Once dentures have been removed, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to brush existing teeth, gums, and tongue.
• Scrub your dentures on a daily basis. At least once per day, gently scrub your dentures with a soft-bristled toothbrush and denture cleanser.
• Soak dentures overnight. In order to keep their shape intact, many dentures must remain moist. Always use a mild denture solution recommended by our office. Never use hot water on your dentures, as they may warp their shape.
• Rinse dentures prior to placing them back in your mouth. This is especially important if you soak your dentures in a denture solution.
• Dentures are fragile and can break when dropped. It’s a good idea to hold them in a soft cloth or towel to keep them from falling and breaking.

Over time, even with diligent daily care, your dentures may form difficult-to-remove tartar. When this happens, our team at Weaver Dentistry uses a powerful ultrasonic cleaner to remove stubborn, denture build-up.

Proper care for your dentures can help retain their shape, prevent oral issues, and increase their longevity. Visit Dr. Gregory Weaver regularly at our convenient Raleigh, NC office to maintain your oral health and keep your dentures in tip-top shape.

TruDenta is a revolutionary new treatment method that can actually make a visit to our Raleigh, NC office something that you will look forward to. TruDenta is designed as a treatment for multiple issues, and this simple method of care can actually give you an amazing long term improvement in your life.

TruDenta is a treatment that is precisely the opposite of a painful and difficult dental experience. In fact, there are no needles, no injections, no pain, and no potentially dangerous or addictive drugs when you have TruDenta treatment.

There are a number of different treatment benefits with TruDenta. While every patient may be unique and will enjoy benefits unique to their particular situation and condition, some of the most often seen treatment benefits of TruDenta include:

• Improved sleep
• Cessation of teeth grinding and teeth clenching
• Reduction in snoring or even cessation of snoring
• Reduction is painful muscles and sore muscles
• Reduction in problems with joints in the jaw, including less popping and clicking
• Reduction in chronic headaches, including migraine and tension headaches

The benefits of TruDenta are not just relegated to the physical ones, either. Many of our patients tell us how much they appreciate the fact that we are able to show them digital force imaging that illustrates the origins of their problems. We are also able to help educate you about your condition and your symptoms, and how to effectively manage them on your own. If you have any questions about TruDenta and how it can benefit you, please feel free to give us a call!

We’re proud to have adopted the Wand Single Tooth Anesthesia (STA) system. The Wand STA uses a computer interface to deliver anesthetic to a small area of your mouth. We can target only the tooth, nerves, or gums where you need dental care. The Wand STA system leaves the rest of your teeth, tongue, gums, and cheeks feeling normal.

The benefits for you: fewer uncomfortable side-effects from anesthesia, like drooling, mumbling, and loss of feeling in your cheeks. In addition, you’ll be able to eat and drink (and taste your meal!) soon after the procedure. You get all the benefits of anesthesia, though, including reduced pain and inflammation during a procedure.

The biggest benefit of the Wand STA system is its precision. Dr. Gregory Weaver can choose the area to target and how much anesthetic is needed. The computer-controlled Wand STA system helps control the amount of anesthetic so that only the targeted area is numbed. By providing a slow, steady stream of anesthetic, the system avoids causing the stinging sensation that can come with injections.

The Wand STA represents a big step forward in reducing the anxiety and pain associated with dental anesthesia. Many patients tell us the Wand STA injections were completely painless. In fact, it’s not unusual for a patient to ask when the process will start – even though it has already begun!

On top of that, since the Wand STA system delivers the anesthetic agent to a precise area, there’s no more waiting in the dentist chair for the numbness to set in.

The Wand STA can help patients with dental anxiety, too. For some, the thought of a needle entering the mouth causes great discomfort. If that describes you, rest assured that the Wand STA provides a non-threatening and more comfortable experience at our Raleigh, NC office.