Testimonials

Did you know that a healthier smile could lead to a healthier heart?  New research suggests that  an individual’s oral health mirrors the condition of their body as a whole.  If your mouth is healthy, chances are that your body will be too.  However, if you have poor oral health, then you have an increased likelihood of suffering from other issues, especially those that influence your cardiovascular health.

If the eye is a window to the soul, the mouth is a window to your physical health.  If offers insight into what is oing on and offers a vantage point for detecting signs of systemic disease.

Systemic diseases are those that may affect the entire body, as opposed to specific parts and may include diabetes and poor heart health.  Your mouth may act as an infection source to the rest of your body, with plaque buildup creating an environment where bacteria can accumulate and grow.

For a healthy individual with a good immune system, the presence of bacteria may cause no issue.  However, for those with a weakened immune system, it may lead to the development of infection in other parts of the body, especially in the heart and bloodstream.  For example, endocarditis is a cardiovascular infection cause by poor oral hygiene.  Bacteria from the mouth enter via the bloodstream, sticking to the valves of the heart and negatively influencing their function.  This same bacteria may also negatively affect arterial functions, consequntly leading to issues throughout the body.

While bacteria from your mouth would not normally enter your bloodstream, you should be brushing and flossing but not so hard as to cause bleeding, and those with poor oral health are at a higher risk of bleeding.  Even medications that reduce saliva, as well as antibiotics that disrupt the bacterial balance of the mouth, may affect your normal defense against bacterial infection.

Long term gum infection can lead to decay and tooth loss, but research suggests that these oral infections may also lead to other long-term health issues.  Poor oral health has been found to increase the difficulty of controlling diabetes , and infection may lead to insulin resistance.  Gingivitis is suggested to play a role in clogging arteries due to bacteria in the mouth causing inflammation throughout the body, which leads to artery blockages.  Someone with a declined dental state may also find themselves suffering from poor digestion, irritable bowel syndrome, and sleep disorders.

None of these things sound particularly fun, and fortunately, all of them can be controlled though appropriate dental care. Regular visits to the dentist will help you stay on top of any oral health issues, and will allow your dentist to keep track of any changes that occur as you grow older.  Brushing and flossing twice a day, and eating a nutritious diet, particularly one high in Vitamins A and C will assist in keeping gum disease at bay.  If you have dentures, ensuring that they are kept clean will go a long way, and those who smoke should be aware of the strong links between cigarettes and poor oral health.

Courtesy of http://livewellclub.com.au/FlipPageQLD/#p=166

Body + Soul, Courier Mail 14/12/14

You may eat an impeccable diet, put your gym membership to good use, and have a good balance between work, family and life, but nothing is as ruinous to good health as not getting enough sleep. A pattern of sleeping less than six hours per night affects the body in several ways, including an increase in the stress hormone cortisol. Additionally, high levels of cortisol impact the immune response, making you more susceptible to infections, cold sores and autoimmune disease. To make matters worse, not sleeping well may be the cause of weight gain as a good night’s sleep increases the release of leptin, a hormone that signals a sense of satiety and suppresses appetite. In contrast, insufficient sleep increases ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger.

Sleep Hygiene

The term “sleep hygiene” has nothing to do with flossing and everything to do with adopting tried and true guidelines that are important for promoting a good night’s sleep. These include trying to get to bed well before midnight. Humans are creatures of habit, and the body responds to well to a regular timetable. If possible, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. The body produces a spurt of growth hormone between the hours of 11pm- 1am, which helps to repair muscle tissue and increase bone density. In what is perhaps a throwback to our prehistoric ancestors, sleep is best had in cave-like conditions- cool (under 21ºC) and utter darkness.

Taping Up

Snoring and mouth breathing have a negative effect on sleep quality, while nose breathing at night helps you wake up feeling more refreshed. To encourage this, place a strip of 2.5cm wide surgical tape horizontally over closed lips. You’ll sleep like a baby. Don’t do taping if your nose is totally blocked, you feel nauseous or have had a few drinks.

Why Nose Breathing is Best

It’s preferable to breathe through your nose, since it was designed for this very purpose. Mouth breathing is linked to sleep apnoea, gum disease, crowded teeth, obesity, poor concentration, asthma and sinus issues, ADHD, anxiety and high blood pressure. Nose breathing is longer and slower, which helps to reduce the volume of the breath and create a slight in carbon dioxide. This has the dual benefit of increasing levels of oxygen to the brain and other tissues, and switching on the parasympathetic nervous system, which triggers the state of rest and relaxation.

Mouth breathing is a common habit that many people have developed in early childhood and stays with them for life.  This habit can however, be broken.

Chronic mouth breathers tend to have increased:

• breathing rate, heart rate
• Headaches, sinusitis
• Sore/dry throat and cold symptoms, tonsil swelling
• Chronic cough/throat clearing
• Noisy breathing, eating
• Impaired sense of smell
• Snoring
• Asthmatic symptoms
• Poor sleep/sleep apnoea—leading to chronic fatigue/ADHD
• Poor posture
• Digestive disturbances—gas, upset stomach, acid reflux, etc.
• High blood pressure, heart problems
• Erectile dysfunction disorders

They often present with the following dental issues:

• Gingivitis and gum disease
• Bad breath
• Higher risk for cavities
• Malocclusion (overbite, deep bite, reverse bite)
• Reduced dental arch space (narrow roof of mouth)
• greater potential for orthodontic relapse
• TMJ dysfunction – grinding/clenching

Most mouth breathing habits form due to:

• Allergies
• Thumb or finger sucking habit
• Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
• Chronic nasal congestion
• Respiratory infection

Due to the increased breathing rate of mouth breathers, the CO2/O2 levels in the blood are altered and therefore the pH, resulting in more stress/pressure put on other bodily functions/organs.

Things to remember:

• lips together and nasal breathing when not talking or doing moderate/heavy exercise.
• address blocked nose – rhinitis, physical blockage…perhaps a visit to your GP is needed.
• as you start breathing through your nose, the inflammation/stuffiness should subside and then it’ll become easier to breathe!
• breathing from your diaphragm is best – try lying on your back before bed and nasal breathe for 2min ensuring your tummy rises on the inhale and fall on the exhale.

Here are a few tips for reducing tooth wear associated with grinding, erosion and toothbrush abrasion:

• Reduce/eliminate acidic drinks (soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, wine, fruit juice etc)
• Reduce/eliminate acidic foods (citrus fruits, vinegar salad dressings, tomatoes etc)
• Drink plenty of water to maintain good saliva flow
• Reduce caffeine intake (tea, coffee, coke etc) – caffeine is a diuretic which reduces saliva quantity
• After having an acidic drink/foods – rinse mouth with water/chew sugar-free gum
• Get a night guard/occlusal splint made – helps with grinding/clenching of teeth (we need to take an impression of the teeth firstly)
• Use a high concentrated fluoride toothpaste and/or Tooth Mousse at home – this will help to slow down the erosion by hardening the tooth structure.
• Use an electric toothbrush – we recommend the oscillating OralB/Braun
• Use a soft toothbrush in a small circular motion – no scrubbing
• Be mindful of grinding/clenching during the day – it’s helpful to keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth at rest….this helps to naturally separate teeth.
• If you sleep on your side, tilt your head back slightly – it’s harder to clench
• Seek help from a physiotherapist, osteopath, chiropractor or massage therapist to attend to tension in the head/neck region.

Did you know that a healthier smile could lead to a healthier heart?  New research suggests that  an individual’s oral health mirrors the condition of their body as a whole.  If your mouth is healthy, chances are that your body will be too.  However, if you have poor oral health, then you have an increased likelihood of suffering from other issues, especially those that influence your cardiovascular health.

If the eye is a window to the soul, the mouth is a window to your physical health.  If offers insight into what is oing on and offers a vantage point for detecting signs of systemic disease.

Systemic diseases are those that may affect the entire body, as opposed to specific parts and may include diabetes and poor heart health.  Your mouth may act as an infection source to the rest of your body, with plaque buildup creating an environment where bacteria can accumulate and grow.

For a healthy individual with a good immune system, the presence of bacteria may cause no issue.  However, for those with a weakened immune system, it may lead to the development of infection in other parts of the body, especially in the heart and bloodstream.  For example, endocarditis is a cardiovascular infection cause by poor oral hygiene.  Bacteria from the mouth enter via the bloodstream, sticking to the valves of the heart and negatively influencing their function.  This same bacteria may also negatively affect arterial functions, consequntly leading to issues throughout the body.

While bacteria from your mouth would not normally enter your bloodstream, you should be brushing and flossing but not so hard as to cause bleeding, and those with poor oral health are at a higher risk of bleeding.  Even medications that reduce saliva, as well as antibiotics that disrupt the bacterial balance of the mouth, may affect your normal defense against bacterial infection.

Long term gum infection can lead to decay and tooth loss, but research suggests that these oral infections may also lead to other long-term health issues.  Poor oral health has been found to increase the difficulty of controlling diabetes , and infection may lead to insulin resistance.  Gingivitis is suggested to play a role in clogging arteries due to bacteria in the mouth causing inflammation throughout the body, which leads to artery blockages.  Someone with a declined dental state may also find themselves suffering from poor digestion, irritable bowel syndrome, and sleep disorders.

None of these things sound particularly fun, and fortunately, all of them can be controlled though appropriate dental care. Regular visits to the dentist will help you stay on top of any oral health issues, and will allow your dentist to keep track of any changes that occur as you grow older.  Brushing and flossing twice a day, and eating a nutritious diet, particularly one high in Vitamins A and C will assist in keeping gum disease at bay.  If you have dentures, ensuring that they are kept clean will go a long way, and those who smoke should be aware of the strong links between cigarettes and poor oral health.

Courtesy of http://livewellclub.com.au/FlipPageQLD/#p=166

Body + Soul, Courier Mail 14/12/14

You may eat an impeccable diet, put your gym membership to good use, and have a good balance between work, family and life, but nothing is as ruinous to good health as not getting enough sleep. A pattern of sleeping less than six hours per night affects the body in several ways, including an increase in the stress hormone cortisol. Additionally, high levels of cortisol impact the immune response, making you more susceptible to infections, cold sores and autoimmune disease. To make matters worse, not sleeping well may be the cause of weight gain as a good night’s sleep increases the release of leptin, a hormone that signals a sense of satiety and suppresses appetite. In contrast, insufficient sleep increases ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger.

Sleep Hygiene

The term “sleep hygiene” has nothing to do with flossing and everything to do with adopting tried and true guidelines that are important for promoting a good night’s sleep. These include trying to get to bed well before midnight. Humans are creatures of habit, and the body responds to well to a regular timetable. If possible, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. The body produces a spurt of growth hormone between the hours of 11pm- 1am, which helps to repair muscle tissue and increase bone density. In what is perhaps a throwback to our prehistoric ancestors, sleep is best had in cave-like conditions- cool (under 21ºC) and utter darkness.

Taping Up

Snoring and mouth breathing have a negative effect on sleep quality, while nose breathing at night helps you wake up feeling more refreshed. To encourage this, place a strip of 2.5cm wide surgical tape horizontally over closed lips. You’ll sleep like a baby. Don’t do taping if your nose is totally blocked, you feel nauseous or have had a few drinks.

Why Nose Breathing is Best

It’s preferable to breathe through your nose, since it was designed for this very purpose. Mouth breathing is linked to sleep apnoea, gum disease, crowded teeth, obesity, poor concentration, asthma and sinus issues, ADHD, anxiety and high blood pressure. Nose breathing is longer and slower, which helps to reduce the volume of the breath and create a slight in carbon dioxide. This has the dual benefit of increasing levels of oxygen to the brain and other tissues, and switching on the parasympathetic nervous system, which triggers the state of rest and relaxation.

Mouth breathing is a common habit that many people have developed in early childhood and stays with them for life.  This habit can however, be broken.

Chronic mouth breathers tend to have increased:

• breathing rate, heart rate
• Headaches, sinusitis
• Sore/dry throat and cold symptoms, tonsil swelling
• Chronic cough/throat clearing
• Noisy breathing, eating
• Impaired sense of smell
• Snoring
• Asthmatic symptoms
• Poor sleep/sleep apnoea—leading to chronic fatigue/ADHD
• Poor posture
• Digestive disturbances—gas, upset stomach, acid reflux, etc.
• High blood pressure, heart problems
• Erectile dysfunction disorders

They often present with the following dental issues:

• Gingivitis and gum disease
• Bad breath
• Higher risk for cavities
• Malocclusion (overbite, deep bite, reverse bite)
• Reduced dental arch space (narrow roof of mouth)
• greater potential for orthodontic relapse
• TMJ dysfunction – grinding/clenching

Most mouth breathing habits form due to:

• Allergies
• Thumb or finger sucking habit
• Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
• Chronic nasal congestion
• Respiratory infection

Due to the increased breathing rate of mouth breathers, the CO2/O2 levels in the blood are altered and therefore the pH, resulting in more stress/pressure put on other bodily functions/organs.

Things to remember:

• lips together and nasal breathing when not talking or doing moderate/heavy exercise.
• address blocked nose – rhinitis, physical blockage…perhaps a visit to your GP is needed.
• as you start breathing through your nose, the inflammation/stuffiness should subside and then it’ll become easier to breathe!
• breathing from your diaphragm is best – try lying on your back before bed and nasal breathe for 2min ensuring your tummy rises on the inhale and fall on the exhale.

Here are a few tips for reducing tooth wear associated with grinding, erosion and toothbrush abrasion:

• Reduce/eliminate acidic drinks (soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, wine, fruit juice etc)
• Reduce/eliminate acidic foods (citrus fruits, vinegar salad dressings, tomatoes etc)
• Drink plenty of water to maintain good saliva flow
• Reduce caffeine intake (tea, coffee, coke etc) – caffeine is a diuretic which reduces saliva quantity
• After having an acidic drink/foods – rinse mouth with water/chew sugar-free gum
• Get a night guard/occlusal splint made – helps with grinding/clenching of teeth (we need to take an impression of the teeth firstly)
• Use a high concentrated fluoride toothpaste and/or Tooth Mousse at home – this will help to slow down the erosion by hardening the tooth structure.
• Use an electric toothbrush – we recommend the oscillating OralB/Braun
• Use a soft toothbrush in a small circular motion – no scrubbing
• Be mindful of grinding/clenching during the day – it’s helpful to keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth at rest….this helps to naturally separate teeth.
• If you sleep on your side, tilt your head back slightly – it’s harder to clench
• Seek help from a physiotherapist, osteopath, chiropractor or massage therapist to attend to tension in the head/neck region.