At Streamside Dental one of the most distinguishing features that Dr. Distelhorst practices and promotes is whole body health. Natural, whole body dentistry has developed from the understanding that the health of the human body as a whole is directly related to the health of the mouth. When patients receive conventional dental care the dentist merely treats the affected area, whether that entails a cleaning to remove plaque or a restorative procedure to fix damaged teeth. At Streamside Dental we believe that the human body is made up of interrelated systems. Your overall health can affect your oral health and visa versa. We believe that there is a strong relationship between gum disease and chronic illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. At Streamside Dental we have kits available to test if you will be sensitive to a dental material. To evaluate whether or not a person will react negatively to a dental material, blood is drawn at a lab or medical office and is sent to Clifford Consulting and Research, Inc. for Material Reactivity Testing.
About Plaque
Plaque and acid are produced either by food or by bacteria living in the mouth. It appears as a white slimy substance coating the teeth, and if large amounts form it can create several problems. These can include bad breath (Halitosis), decay of tooth enamel, and periodontal (gum) disease. Periodontal disease is characterized by bleeding gums and loss of bone around teeth. Gums that bleed allow bacteria to enter the blood stream and travel to different organs, so it is crucial to maintain proper hygiene. Every person has some level of bacteria, but the exact amount of acid produced is dependent on what the bacteria is provided. By monitoring and altering your intake, significant steps can be taken to improve oral and overall health. Contact Streamside Dental and Dr. Distelhorst to get excellent advice in Vail, CO regarding plaque prevention.
At Streamside Dental, Dr. Distelhorst has long been counseling her patients about the effects that certain types of food can have on both plaque production and oral hygiene in general. Plaque causing bacteria mainly feeds on sugars, so sweet foods like candy and desserts should be consumed in moderation. Many know that sugar is bad for teeth, but you may not have known that foods rich in carbohydrates are also bad for teeth because when broken down by saliva they are also made of sugars. Examples of these kinds of foods are crackers, bread, and cereal. If at your appointment you appear to have excessive plaque Dr. Distelhorst may suggest specific changes in your diet and oral hygiene. When unable to brush after a meal chewing gum with xylitol (such as in certain gums like Trident®) is helpful.
Important Nutrients
Just as there are foods that are bad for teeth, there are certain foods that are very good for teeth due to the essential vitamins and minerals they contain, namely vitamins A, C, D, and the mineral calcium. Ingesting vitamin A is crucial for many functions, but for dentistry it helps in the creation of healthy enamel, as well as for the generation of mucus membranes in the mouth. Vitamin A deficiencies can lead to enamel hypoplasia which is staining and disintegration of enamel. Foods that are excellent sources of vitamin A include liver, broccoli, carrots, butter, and most leafy vegetables.
Vitamin D and calcium work hand in hand to create healthy, strong bones and teeth. Calcium is the material from which bones and teeth are made, and vitamin D helps aid in the absorption of calcium. Deficiencies in these nutrients can cause bone resorption, or deterioration, but also can directly impact oral health through infection. Cytokines, which are protein that cause inflammation, have been observed to be produced at much higher levels within cells of patients with deficiencies in either nutrient. This makes you more susceptible to infection, so it is important to get enough vitamin D and calcium to prevent gum disease. Calcium and vitamin D can be found in milk and other dairy products, but vitamin D can also be produced naturally by the body through exposure to sunlight.
It is widely known that vitamin C is important for oral health because it is an antioxidant that helps to regenerate bone and connective tissue. Deficiency in vitamin C results in collagen (connective proteins) that is too weak to do its duty. This is called scurvy and is characterized by bleeding mucus membranes in the mouth. Sailors in the 1700’s even used to take limes on long sea voyaged to prevent this. Just as they did, you need to eat foods with high vitamin C such as oranges and other citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, and kiwi.