New Year’s resolutions typically include a few designed to boost a person’s health, whether it be losing weight, toning up those muscles or nixing unhealthy habits. Rarely does a visit to the dentist’s office make the annual better-thyself list. But it should, says Dr. Eric Burgess, a cosmetic dentist.
Jacksonville’s Burgess Center for Cosmetic Dentistry is about much more than teeth. In fact, they offer a full line of facial skincare and aesthetic services and products. But all that’s for naught if your whole self isn’t healthy. And a healthy body can begin with a routine dental checkup. Here’s why:
- As the mouth goes, so goes the whole body: Dental conditions gone untreated can contribute to a multitude of other, more serious medical conditions. Plaque buildup and periodontal disease (gum disease), a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth, are linked to heart disease, diabetes and high blood sugar.
- Your baby’s depending on it: Expectant mothers have long been warned that gum disease can cause premature birth. But because bleeding gums, a major sign of gum disease, also is a common effect of simple hormonal changes in pregnant women, the condition often goes untreated. That statistic proved heartbreaking for a woman in California whose baby was stillborn. The case marked the first time that scientists have been able to link bacterial from a mother’s bleeding gums to an infection in a full-term, but stillborn baby. Bacteria from a mother’s mouth can enter her bloodstream, which allows it to enter and colonize in the placenta, potentially infecting a fetus.
- Confidence is very healthy: A person’s smile is one of the first features that others notice. So, if your teeth are healthy, white and beautiful, your confidence will soar. This only means good things for your social and business interactions. Plus, taking the initiative to get professional care for your teeth can help ease any worries you may have about your dental health and other related medical risks.
Take control of your full body’s health by starting with a trip to the dentist. Jacksonville’s Burgess Center for Cosmetic Dentistry offers both general dentistry and cosmetic dentistry services. And an array of aesthetic services including facials, peels, facial hair removal, and Botox and Juvederm dermal fillers can give you a healthier, more youthful look – something that tops many New Year’s resolution lists.