Your mouth is a mirror of your body. Oral health and the health of your body are directly related. 

The entire body pays the price when there is a breakdown or loss of or damaged teeth or gums in the mouth. 

Whiteridge Aesthetic Dentistry applies the proper remedies when teeth are lost or damaged. These solutions include:

• All-On-X Dental Implants
• Single tooth implants
• Bridges
• Veneers

Chronic Disease And Oral Health

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, and many others are all linked to dental health. Multiple Chronic Diseases Associated With Tooth Loss Among Adult US Population

Studies show these diseases are linked to or worsen with poor dental hygiene. 

Diabetes

In addition to creating premature degeneration of the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels, diabetes can reap havoc in your mouth. Less saliva, the result of dry mouth created by diabetes, immediately affects the breakdown of food entering your system. 

With chewing, saliva breaks down food as it enters your mouth. When saliva is lacking, cavities are more likely to occur. 

The gum tissue will weaken when the moistening effects of saliva are taken away.

Cold sores or cuts in the mouth take longer to heal in a diabetic mouth.

Glucose, or sugar, is not broken down in the diabetic mouth. Since diabetes is a disease that pertains to blood sugar levels, the person with diabetes can find themselves with higher sugar concentrations than the mouth can break down. As a result, more sugar is added to the body.

Over time the lack of saliva combined with the effects of diabetes can lead to the loss of teeth.

Arthritis

Gum disease is associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Study from Arthitis.org

Oral bacteria meant to stay in the mouth can end up in the bloodstream when poor oral hygiene is practiced. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, this bacteria finds its way between aching joints. Once in the joints, the bacteria increase inflammation and discomfort.

People with periodontitis, or gum disease, are 50% less likely to be in remission of rheumatoid arthritis.

A weakened immune system from arthritis can create a loss of teeth.

Heart Disease

Again, once bacteria is not broken down in the mouth, it ends in the bloodstream and makes its way to the heart. As a result, blood vessel inflammation, tiny blood clots, or heart attack or stroke may follow. 

After accounting for age, a moderate correlation was found between poor oral health and heart attacks. Harvard Medical Study on Oral Hygiene and Heart Attacks 

The mouth is also damaged when blood circulation is affected in the heart and the rest of the body. This damage can lead to a loss of teeth.

Self-Made Harm to Oral Health

In addition to naturally occurring diseases, alcohol, and tobacco are well-known creators of poor health in general but can drastically multiply poor oral hygiene. 

A study by the University of Connecticut determined that a person is 50 times more likely to get oral cancer when smoking and drinking are involved. University of Connecticut Study on The Impacts of Tobacco and Alcohol on Oral Health 

Any of the diseases mentioned above will either hasten tooth loss or be hastened by the loss of teeth.

Replacing teeth will not cure the diseases discussed but can slow and even prevent their worsening.

When you consider that conditions are accelerated by missing teeth, dental hygiene and the replacement of missing teeth through All-On-X Dental Implants come to mind.

What To Do If You Are Missing Teeth

Just one missing tooth is cause for concern. The fast answer is to call Whiteridge Aesthetic Dentistry if you lose or have lost only one tooth. 

Here is what will happen when you call:

1. An appointment with Dr. Sherman or Dr. Hepworth will be sat at a convenient time.
2. You will be given a full oral exam.
3. X-rays will be taken of your entire mouth. For several missing teeth, a full 3D 360 X-ray will be taken.
4. Your doctor will discuss treatment plans with you.
5. The office manager will discuss insurance options with you and finance options.

All-On-X Dental Implants

Dental implants are the ultimate dental response to a missing tooth or missing teeth. This, in turn, is the ultimate response to helping curb the effects of other diseases.

In the event of the need for full mouth restoration, All-On-X Dental Implants are the dental response.

Dental implants replace every aspect of the tooth. The entire tooth is made up of the tooth we see, and the roots of that tooth go below the gum line. Dental implants are responsible for replacing both the tooth and root of the tooth. Read more about All-On-X Dental Implants with Whiteridge Aesthetic Dentistry

It is not necessary for the placement of a post (titanium dental screw) in the place of every tooth. Depending on the size of your mouth, four to six posts are inserted to anchor the entire set of implants.

Zirconia is used to replace the actual part of the tooth you see. Zirconia has been used for over fifty years in dentistry. As a result, it has been proven to be a durable replacement for natural teeth. The whiteness of zirconia mimics the natural color of teeth. The fact that zirconia is milled from a single block speaks to its natural strength.

Recovery from your dental implant procedure usually lasts about seventy-two hours. There may be some bleeding, swelling, or bruising, but the mouth heals after those first three days.

You will return to the doctor two weeks later for a final check-up to ensure everything is healing correctly.

Going forward, you will care for your new mouth full of All-On-X Dental Implants as you would for your natural teeth. Your care includes daily flossing, brushing, and bi-annual dental exams and cleanings. 

As your mouth is a mirror of your body, your new All-On-X Dental Implants will reflect a perfect smile!

Serving the Salt Lake Valley, Cottonwood Heights, Mill Creek, Park City, Summit County, Elko Nevada, West Wendover Nevada, and Evanston Wyoming