N
So the N in the oral fitness plan is for nutrition. Now from day one of life to the last day of life, it’s so important that you’re able to eat the right foods. You’re able to eat without any pain and with good function of your jaw. But it’s also important that you’re eating the right things and you’re eliminating the foods that will be challenging your health. There are a number of different nutritional supplements that will help you when, for example, you’re having poor sleep and you’re clenching your jaw, then a lot of magnesium supplements will actually help in reducing that stress and the muscle tension.
A lot of inflammation in your body can be helped by taking some essential fatty acids like fish oils. So there’s a whole range of nutritional advice that we would give you so that you’re sleeping well, you’re breathing well, you’re feeling well, you’ve got good gut function because the mouth is the top of your gut. And obviously, nutrition is a big important factor in getting good oral health and good gut function.
E
The E in fitness stands for ENT, which is referring to the ear, nose and throat specialists. Now you would think that’s not really dentistry, but it’s so important for good oral health that you can breathe through your nose. If you can’t breathe through your nose, then you tend to breathe through your mouth and your mouth gets very dry and you’re more prone to bleeding gums. You’re more prone to snoring and issues with sleep apnea which then stresses the whole body. As a biological dentist, it’s so important that we take steps to optimise your nasal breathing. And that is often meaning we refer you to an ENT specialist who understands the link between the importance of the ear, nose and throat and dental health as well. So if you’re getting some dry mouth in the morning and you’re waking up with a headache, then often because of that mouth breathing. There are certain things that we can do simply as well in dentistry to maybe open your bite a little bit at night so that you can actually breathe better through your nose. So we often make little soft mouth guards that just open your bite so that you can breathe easily through your nose. But we also give you a lot of tips on how to improve that by the position you sleep at night and foods to avoid especially in the evening.
S
So the first S in the oral fitness plan is for sleep. Now again, what has sleep got to do with dentistry? But if you’re really waking up a lot through the night and you’re finding you’re clenching your teeth, then you’re putting a lot of stress through your teeth. And people who don’t sleep well, they often have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. They wake up hot and wide-awake when they should be really getting to a nice deep recovery sleep, which allows the body to heal and detoxify. So if you’re not doing that, then your body is in a stress situation. Now dentistry can come along and actually help with putting your jaw at night into a better position so that you can breathe better and you can sleep better. So if you’re breathing better, especially through your nose because your bite is in a better position, you’re not under stress, you’re not breaking teeth and your quality of sleep will improve.
S
The last S of the oral fitness plan is for smile. Now everyone wants to have a nice smile. They want to have a nice natural smile. It’s a gift that you can give to anyone. It doesn’t cost anything. But if you’re not happy with your smile, then often you will hide it or you’ll be embarrassed to smile. It has a really big effect on your self-esteem. So part of biological dentistry is a lot of cosmetic dentistry as well, so that we can actually give you the best smile with the least amount of damage to your actual teeth using the best techniques that are around. Using a lot of digital processes with a really good laboratory, the aesthetics that we can achieve are amazing. I n that way you are actually happy with your smile and that reflects your overall wellbeing as well.
Keep Smiling,
It’s good for You!
Dr David Cowhig, the founder of the Dental Wellness clinics, is a pioneer in holistic metal free dentistry & aesthetics, providing scientific-based biological dentistry. We support you as an individual and take into account the variety of factors that can lead to dental and oral health problems. We believe passionately that creating health and beauty around us is an integral part of life and you will feel these qualities in our dental care. You can find us at The Gap in Brisbane, focussing on holistic aesthetic total metal-free dentistry.
Contact Dental Wellness on 07 3511 1399 or email [email protected].