Even before the pandemic, information overload was something chronic. SARS-CoV-2 only amplified the problem. As a result, more than a few news items got overlooked through those first strange months of COVID life.
One of them involved a paper in the CDC journal Preventing Chronic Disease, which urged that oral health care be made “a public health priority in the response to the pandemic.” There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is the fact that many of the health problems that raise the risk of serious COVID are conditions firmly linked to poor oral health, particularly gum disease.
The authors go on to suggest that preventive dental care – in which the focus is on sustaining good oral health rather than working reactively to fix problems as they occur – should be a key strategy in controlling SARS-CoV-2.
This is yet another way in which holistic, biological dentists like Dr. Parsi have been ahead of the curve since this thing began – just as we were with already having appropriate PPE, high quality air filtration, powerful aerosol vacuums, and other protective gear in place, since we’ve long relied on it in order to safely remove “silver” mercury amalgam fillings.
As a biological practice, we understand that the best teeth are your natural teeth and the best dentistry is the least dentistry. Prevention is where we begin. We want you to keep your teeth, gums, supporting bone, and other oral structures as healthy as possible, as long as possible.
It’s something totally achievable through things like eating a whole foods-based diet with minimal sugar and refined carbs, good home hygiene and regular professional cleanings, enough physical activity and quality sleep, getting a handle on stress, and so on.
In fact, it’s one of the reasons for this blog: to give you info to help you keep your oral health the best it can be, just as in our office, where patient education and guidance are central to what we do. The word “doctor,” after all, comes from the Latin word meaning to teach or advise.
But sometimes problems do arise. When that happens, we strive to address them in the least invasive way possible, using only biocompatible materials and techniques that support whole body health and well-being. So we steer clear of fluoride, as well as mercury. The composites we use are all BPA-free. For orthodontics, we take an extraction-free approach and use metal-free options like Invisalign and tooth-colored ceramic brackets.
At the same time, we offer services that can further protect your overall health, including oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea (one recent study shows that untreated apnea doubles your risk of sudden death) and a variety of splint therapies to help with bruxing (habitual clenching and grinding) and TMJ disorders.
Yet many people still don’t realize that their total health depends on their oral health, and vice versa. Dr. Reinhold Voll – the German physician whose work paved the way for biological dentistry – taught that up to 90% of all health problems have an oral component. Often, conditions in your mouth can clue us into a variety of systemic health problems – problems that may not even be on your radar until we suggest you consult a physician to definitively rule them in or out.
THAT is how much your oral health matters. Your whole health – body, mind, and mouth – depends on it.
