Your Body’s Well-Being Is Dependent On Your Oral Health Nearly everything that is life-sustainable is either eaten or breathed. Ninety percent of that makes contact with and/or travels through the mouth. Therefore, if there is infection or disease in your mouth, you are breathing and swallowing it hundreds of times each and every day. Additionally, there is a systemic toll the infection creates on your immune system. If there is any infection present in your mouth, whether it’s periodontal disease or tooth decay, your body has to fight this infection with the normal antibodies that are present in your body. At this point, you may be thinking, “It all sounds good, but where is the link between oral health and my over-all health?” The answer is this . . . when your body’s immune system is fighting a chronic infection of the mouth it is not able to fight off outside infection as easily. Professional dentists have been saying this for years and recently the American Heart Association and several Medical Journals have acknowledged this fact. The outside infections can be as severe as pneumonia and the flu, or as subtle as just general malaise from common allergies throughout the changes in the seasons. These facts, now being published, indicate direct evidence strongly suggesting a healthy heart, liver, kidneys, stomach and one’s general over-all can be dependent on a healthy oral environment. Never too young to prevent and never too old to get started with a more healthy life style. Now is your time. Obviously it’s best to get started young with good home care and routine dental re-care visits. More importantly, just remember it’s never too late to start. Many dental patients begin to think about these things while in their “golden years”. It’s during this time when we begin to reflect on life’s accomplishments and thinking about having living a healthy life style. If you’re in your 50’s, it is easy to realize the mind is still good, but the body is beginning to fail. Beginning to have sore joints and achy muscles. Beginning to experience hearing loss and loss of vision. But so often over-looked is the one think that’s 100% preventable, failing oral health. The most medically significant impact to healthy living is eating a healthy diet. One of the greatest investments you can make in yourself is having great oral health before an event like a stroke, heart attack or a terrible fall or accident that would physically prevent you from receiving the dental care you deserve. If you are a denture wearer you should educate yourself right now about your options for a healthier lifestyle through healthier oral health. All of us at Miami Dental Care are committed to your total well-being and more importantly, we are committed to you!