Tag: oral health

When it comes to taking care of our mouths, we’ve been taught wrong all along. Since childhood, we have been told to brush our teeth twice a day for as long as it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice — roughly two minutes. This just isn't long enough, and as we get older, most of us spend even less time than this. We squirt some toothpaste onto our brushes, give them a swish around our mouths, and rush out the door. And spending so little time on brushing, it goes without saying that most of us don't even bother to floss. 

A yearly checkup at your physician’s office usually consists of a complete body exam. They test your reflexes, monitor your pulse and blood pressure, run blood tests, and even take a urine sample. Along with all of these tests, they’ll ask you a whole host of questions about your diet, lifestyle, and mental health. During these physical exams, it seems like your doctor thoroughly examines your entire body, but how often do they look into your mouth and ask about your oral health?

One thing that people often forget is that every part of your body is connected to another part. That means that the health of one area directly affects the health of another. The same is true for the health of your mouth. When you have infections in your teeth and gums, they can quickly spread to other areas of your body, leading to new infections and other health complications.

Most people don’t know the surprising connection between the health of the mouth and the health of the body. Mounting research points to a correlation between poor oral health and diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetic complications, and dementia. If these health problems could be prevented through proper oral care, then why aren’t more doctors and dentists talking about this important topic? That’s what Dr. Charles Reinertsen has been wondering for years. It’s why he founded The Dental Medical Convergence in 2021.