Most of the people think oral health as a minor problem compared to other body issues. However, your entire life can be affected in several ways that you often take for granted. The health of the mouth is the reflection of the overall wellness of our full body. Our mouth contains many bacteria which are beneficial for the body when kept in control with flossing and regular brushing. If regular dental care is not taken properly or ignored, it may lead to tooth decay and gum disease. A healthy mouth always leads to a healthy body. Poor oral health affects sleep, memory, pregnancy, blood sugar level, joints, lungs and heart in several ways. Dental care McLean is not only vital for your oral hygiene but at the same time protects your overall health. We will be discussing some of them.

Heart

Repeated and persistent inflammation of gums leads to blockage in the blood vessels thereby causing strokes and cardiovascular problems. When one suffering from inflammation, drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol as well as strong mouthwash. When flossing and brushing, you should do it slowly and avoid exerting too much pressure on both gums and teeth. Gum inflammations will not affect your heart directly and instantly, but inflammation gets increased throughout the body and eventually, it leads to cardiovascular issues.

Sleep

If your mouth is not properly cleaned or rinsed after eating especially the food that contains starch and sugar, tooth decay may occur. Similarly, when you are eating in a hurry, raw and sore spots of chewing cheeks can occur. These conditions worsen during night and make it annoying for you to sleep. Overgrown bacteria in your mouth lead to snoring and disturb the sleeping pattern of the patient. It also affects their partner and family members which leaves everyone waking up tired even after sleeping for several hours.

Lungs

Dental care in McLean is connected with lungs because when there are bad and unwanted bacteria present in the mouth, they also enter the lungs through inhalation that cause infections like pneumonia. If the patients already suffering from lung infection develop periodontal diseases, the condition becomes worse.

Blood Sugar

If someone is suffering from diabetes, then gum infections worsen the situation. It is brutal as diabetic people are prone to gum diseases. Therefore, both conditions lead to each other. If one of these diseases gets cured, you will be relieved. So, taking care of gums is comparatively easy than managing diabetes. The common remedy is cutting down on food that has high sugar content as it helps to maintain the blood sugar level as well as help in controlling the unwanted bacterial growth in your mouth.

Memory

Excessive growth of bacteria in the mouth leads to swollen and bleeding gums which are termed as gingivitis.   Strange it may sound, but studies show that people suffering from gingivitis tend to have an effect on their memory that makes it tough for them in performing even a simple mathematical operation like multiplication and subtraction as well as suffer from the late verbal recall that ultimately affects daily lives. Use antibacterial mouthwash twice a day for eliminating the bacteria.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy in women gets affected due to bad oral health or gum problems. Women with gum infections are more prone to developing gestational diabetes. If the mother has gum disease, there are chances that baby can be low weight and there is an increase in early delivery which means there are some complications for the child at birth as well as later in life. Therefore, when a woman is pregnant, it is vital to visit a McLean dentist regularly.

Inflammation in the Body

As we have discussed earlier, poor dental care in McLean causes inflammation in the mouth that leads to inflammation in the whole body and also causes inflammation in the joints. This type of condition is termed as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and occurs because the mechanism of damage of connective tissues in both joints and gums are the same. So, if someone is diagnosed with RA, the doctor always recommends visiting a dentist for a daily checkup and make sure you floss and brush two times regularly.

Endodontists are dental specialists who study and train for treating diseases in the dental pulp. A common endodontic treatment is the root canal procedure, which can essentially save your infected tooth or even protect your teeth from further infections.

Here are the reasons why you should choose a good endodontist for you and your family.

A Specialized Field

Not every dentist studies to be an endodontist as well. Your general dentist may or may not offer endodontic treatments. So, if you need a root canal treatment, you will need to go to an endodontist. For instance, let’s say your family dentist in Springfield doesn’t offer endodontic treatments. So, if you need an endodontist Springfield VA then your general dentist may refer you to one.  If not then you will need to find a new one even while battling with severe pain in your tooth. For this reason, it is important to choose a
Northern Virginia dental clinic from the start where your dentist offers different types of treatments including endodontic procedures.

Endodontic procedures like root canal require precision otherwise the infection can remain in the dental pulp. If it is not performed properly then you might even experience a great deal of pain during the treatment. Other procedures like apicoectomies (removing a dental root’s tip) can be useful when root canal cannot help. The procedure can help you to avoid getting a dental implant or go through a painful extraction. The field of endodontic can include procedures to treat dental trauma, cracked tooth, and other oral problems.  

A dentist needs to train for a few years to specialize as an endodontist. It is a dental specialty that deals in emergencies and not every dentist is qualified to handle such treatments. Endodontists need to diagnose a dental problem to identify the source of the pain in the pulp. Until the diagnosis is correct, it is not possible to identify the right treatment plan for the same.

Endodontists also need to continually update their knowledge and skills as this dental specialty is rapidly advancing with innovative treatments. The tools for endodontic procedures have also become advanced such as now you can expect endodontist to use ultrasonics or microscopes for diagnoses and treatments.

Different Set of Skills

An endodontist needs to have proper dexterity to work on narrow dental spaces. Endodontic procedures require a dental professional to work with tools that require precision in handling; otherwise, your dental pulp can receive more harm than already present.

Endodontists also require to think fast to diagnose a problem to minimize the patients’ pain. Any delay in the diagnosis and the treatment of the problem can make it difficult to save the infected tooth.

Endodontists require different tools to work. For example, they need to know to use 3D X-ray facilities to quickly check the inside portion of the affected tooth.

Endodontists often work with patients that other dentists refer to them. It means that they work with patients with no established relationship and need to quickly regain their trust. It helps the patients to feel safe in receiving treatment from a new doctor under painful circumstances.

Endodontists need to be able to thus reassure their patients with their skills, training, and compassionate nature. They also need to handle drug management during emergency treatments. Such tasks require quick-thinking abilities and clarity of thought. Endodontists need to be an expert on pain management for the well-being of their patients who are always in acute discomfort due to the infection in the dental pulp.

Availability

The fact that an endodontist often deals with emergencies requires them to be available for their patients on short notices. Endodontists often perform 20-25 root canal procedures in a week alone. If your endodontist is also your general dentist then they will have even busier schedules.

So, they need to be really good at time management, have competent support staff at their clinics, and should be able to attend to emergency cases on short notices. If not then they should be able to refer their patients to another endodontic specialist. A good endodontist can be there for you in emergencies and treat you as needed.

When it comes to maintaining good health, it is important to find the right medical professionals for it. Most people neglect their dental health until faced with problems such as acute pain in the tooth or bleeding gums. But a good dentist can help you prevent dental problems and also help you out in emergencies such as a broken tooth or oral injuries.

Here are some things to look for when you are searching for a dentist.

Qualifications

Needless to say, dentists must have proper qualifications for the services they provide. Look for letters such as DDS (doctor of dental surgery) when looking for a dentist. Check their websites to know more about their qualifications. Check if they have obtained their degrees from accredited colleges and institutions. A basic online search such as best dentist in Springfield VA can yield good results and provide you with names of qualified dentists in your area. Just perform the search using the name of your town or city. 

Your dentist must also be a member of recognized medical boards such as the American Dental Association. Many dentists are also members of the dental associations in their state. A dentist who has a membership of recognized national and state medical boards will have passed stringent exams set by these organizations. They also have to reapply for their memberships every few years by clearing tests again to display their knowledge. Know that a dentist without a board member is really not certified to practice as a dental professional even if they have the proper university degrees.

Your dentist will need to continue to study to become trained in newer technologies in the field of dentistry. If your dentist is not up-to-date with current dentistry services then it is best to find a new one who does. Dentistry has become very advanced now. There is no need for you to stick with a dentist who cannot offer you cutting-edge treatments for your well-being.

Experience

When you are browsing through the websites of the top dentists in your area, also check their experience as a dental professional. Choose a dentist for you and your family with at least a few years of experience if not more. If you can find a qualified dentist in your area with at least a decade of work experience then it is even better to choose them for your family’s oral health.

Services

When looking for a dentist, check the range of services they provide before making your decision to choose them. The ideal dentist must be able to provide you with advanced dental care along with general dental services such as cleaning, fillings, and bleaching. Check for services such as preventative care, extractions, Springfield cosmetic dentistry, laser therapy, and 3D X-rays. Your family dentist must be able to offer you all kinds of dental implants such as crowns, veneers, dentures, and even appliances for sleep apnea.

Your dentist must also be able to offer you basic endodontic procedures (different procedures performed inside the tooth) such as root canals. Most kids and even some adults require teeth-straightening procedures. These days dentists can offer such treatments without the use of braces. Invisalign is a procedure where dentists use clear aligners to straighten the teeth.

Location and Office

Your dentist’s office location is also an important factor to consider when finding one. Whenever possible, try to look for qualified dentists in a location that you can conveniently reach in case of emergencies especially if you have young kids. Let’s say, you need the best dentist in Springfield, VA. In that case, first, look for one in or around your neighborhood. But if you can’t find a qualified one in your area, then widen your search a bit. Know that a dentist’s qualification and experience always comes first.

The office must also be well-maintained, clean, and have friendly support staff.

Commitment to Patients’ Well-Being

Your dentist must be committed to the patients’ well-being first and foremost. The ideal dentist will have a service mindset with proven experience in providing affordable care to their patients. Your dentist must be able to provide you the best treatment and even refer you to other specialists if needed.