The year has been moving so fast and before we know it, Dental Health Week is here again! So, from 7th – 13th August we are asking everyone to check out the connections of your Mind, Body and Mouth. It is a bit like that skeleton song “Dem bones”.
Some of you will already be aware of how clenching and grinding your teeth is connected to your facial muscles, which are connected to your neck and head muscles requiring treatment by a nightguard and/or daytime awareness and some physiotherapy as well to help retrain the muscles. It can lead to fracturing teeth, nerve death and increased looseness of teeth. More often than not clenching and grinding is a habit built up from a reaction to stress. It can also come from chewing gum regularly. We had a great start to our team day with a lecture on jaw joints and facial pain and posture from the physiotherapists at Thrive Physio Plus. It was wonderful to start the day with some pilates moves and some cork exercises for our facial muscles. Ask your dentist and hygenist
Our ladies will be aware that pregnancy and menstruation really upsets your hormone balance in your gums resulting in inflammation and bleeding and the need for extra special cleaning, flossing and sometimes mouthwash to assist. This also can happen with people with diabetes and heart disease, and without a regular visit to your hygienist and dentist, can result in loss of bone and loss of teeth. We shouldn’t expect to lose teeth as we age!
Eating disorders and uncontrolled reflux can cause erosion and loss of the enamel tooth surface. The erosion has a different pattern depending on the cause. As we lose enamel the teeth become darker because the inner part of the tooth shines through. Treatments can range from nightly tooth mousse or other remineralization agents to assist in strengthening the tooth surface to full dental crowns on every tooth.
Smoking and vaping are injurious not just to your lungs but also to your gums and mouth tissues. The chemicals in both are carcinogens that can create tongue and mouth cancers. Smoking and vaping can cause gum disease that can lead to loss of gum tissue, bone height and teeth.
Your hygienist and dentist will be checking your teeth, mouth and gums to see if an underlying health condition is causing issues with them. Please let us know if there are any changes in your medications or medical history. We may also suggest a visit to your GP to check up on something.
On a lighter note, we hope you enjoyed attending the Illuminate Festival last month. So many awesome light installations to view and interact with. Our city has amazing festivals!
See you in the clinic! The Adelaide City Dental Care Team. PS: check out our socials (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram) for top tips for teeth, mouth and gums and dental family snaps! Maybe even the latest video on YouTube.
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