4 Steps to Prevent Dental Cavities

With the introduction of routine dental check ups in the last few decades, people are losing fewer teeth and now new dental research shows that losing teeth shortens a person’s life span. Regular check ups ensure that the beginnings of a cavity can be identified and treated. Dental check ups also provide feedback to the patient about their brushing habits so that similar cavities don’t appear again. What many people don’t realize is that everything in the human body is connected. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, 90% of all systemic diseases show up in the mouth. Researchers have seen strong correlations between heart disease and periodontal disease. Periodontal disease increases the bacteria in the mouth. Once the bacteria has entered the blood stream, it travels throughout the body, including to the heart’s vessels, where the result is infection of the heart valves. In my clinical practice, I have observed a very strong correlation between patients who need a deep cleaning and their history of high blood pressure. This, along with so many other reasons, is why it is so vital to visit your dentist, to catch and prevent sometimes irreversible dental and medical conditions.