![]() This article will outline the core principles of functional dentistry, provide practical tips to implement at home, share advice on how to work with your primary dentist to apply functional dentistry to your own routine. And far from a “fad” or a new trend, functional dentistry relies on many of the same strategies that our ancestors used to keep their mouths healthy - before toothbrushes had even been invented. So while it’s good to maintain a healthy weight, take nutritional supplements, and adopt other lifestyle habits that support total body health, it may not be enough.įunctional dentistry applies the same holistic approach to the mouth that functional medicine does to the body. What happens in the mouth happens in the body. For this reason and others, more people have been integrating preventative, functional medicine into their wellness routines.įunctional dentistry builds on this idea, applying a holistic approach to oral and dental care. How to Apply Functional Dentistry On Your Ownĭespite spending more than $3 trillion on healthcare, the United States still loses nearly one million people to preventable diseases each year.The Problems with Conventional Dentistry.In the end, if you want a bright, healthy smile, see your dentist regularly, maintain good oral hygiene, and avoid a high-sugar diet. If brushing and flossing are not feasible, rinse your mouth or chew on a piece of sugar free gum. Also, make sure to brush and floss after you have a snack or drink. You can still enjoy these treats, just have them in moderation do not continually snack on foods or sip on drinks. Carbohydrates, if left in your mouth throughout a period of time, can start the process of decay. Third, avoid high-sugar drinks and foods. The fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by binding to the enamel and making it stronger. Second, use fluoride toothpaste and an over the counter fluoride mouth rinse. As the amount of plaque and bacteria increases, the tooth is more susceptible to dental caries when carbohydrates in the food are left on teeth after eating. The purpose of brushing and flossing is to remove and prevent the formation of plaque. Start with proper home care, which includes proper daily brushing and flossing. There are things that you can do at home to help avoid tooth decay. While all of the previously mentioned items definitely help control tooth decay, you must also consider what needs to be done at home to reduce caries. Some of the things we do for high-risk patients are: provide additional fluoride treatments, prescribe a pharmaceutical toothpaste and mouth rinse, place sealants if recommended, provide oral hygiene instructions and make referrals to the proper agency for smoking or diet counseling if needed. The program is offered by the dental clinic to help reduce the number and rate of caries for our high-risk patients. If you are identified as a high caries risk patient, you have the option of being placed on the dental clinic's High Caries Risk Program. ![]() Other risk factors include several areas of tooth structure demineralization, frequent sugar intake, poor oral hygiene and dry mouth. If you have three or more lesions noted at your current exam, you are in the high caries group. So what does it mean if you are placed on "high caries risk?" During your annual dental exam, your dentist will identify and diagnose carious lesions. The bacterium causes dental caries is transferable via saliva from one person to another. One fact about caries many people do not know is dental caries is the number one infectious disease world-wide. So what does it mean if your dentist tells you that you are at a high risk for caries? Caries is more commonly known as tooth decay, the destruction of the tooth layers called enamel and dentin. Once a year, if you are active duty, you make your way to the dental office for the dreaded annual "check-up" and cleaning.
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