Prevention and Health-Focused

Comprehensive Exams • Systemic Health • Periodontal Disease and Mouth-at-Rest

Our goal is to be proactive vs reactive, because we care about your health and quality of life. By providing comprehensive exams, watching for disease causing bacteria and life-threatening changes in your mouth, we can help you promote your health and save you money by catching small changes BEFORE they become large. Your health and your pocketbook will thank you.

We will be looking beyond teeth and gums. The mouth is the window of your total health and in our evaluation, we are
highly in tuned to your health, so we ask that you share any changes in your medical history. Ideally, we eliminate the need
for treatment or have early detection. For instance, many medications change saliva flow which will greatly increase tooth
decay.

Our comprehensive examination will begin with evaluation of your Airway, Oral Cancer Screening, Tooth Wear, Tooth Alignment, TMJ and thoroughly evaluate Teeth and Gum health including gum recession and bone loss. How teeth touch when
chewing and make contact is a huge difference on how teeth/restorations wear or fracture.

Periodontal Disease and Systemic Health

CHRONIC INFECTION IN THE MOUTH FROM PERIODONTAL DISEASE
HAS DIRECT CONSEQUENCES TO THE ENTIRE BODY

Periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth and causes inflammation throughout the body. This infection and inflammation enters the body via the mouth and can cause major health issues, even heart attacks.

Sadly, periodontal disease affects 47.2% of the US adult population according to the CDC,. which is why at PDG we recommend all adults see our hygienists every 3-4 months

PH testing

WHY DO WE ASK YOU TO COME TO YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR “MOUTH-AT-REST?

(which means not eating, drinking or brushing one hour prior so we can do saliva pH testing)

The mouth is the entry point for your digestive system. Sugar isn’t the only cause of cavities – prolonged acidic and acid producing bacteria are the real culprits. We offer Saliva pH & bacteria testing for our patients, which will not only show if your pH
is harming your oral health, but also your overall health.

By getting an accurate Saliva pH and bacteria reading, we’ll be able to tell if your teeth are at risk for cavities. The higher the
saliva acidity the more you are at risk for cavities.

Why does it matter?

Knowledge and prevention of acidic overload is critical to our health and well-being. Cancer, fibroids and cysts all thrive in an
acidic environment. Acid causes inflammation to run rampant which can cause every imaginable disease and disorder and
untold pain. With inflammation we see inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s Disease, allergies, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, asthma, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, etc. The list goes on and on. The cascading effect of acidosis and inflammation
in the mouth results in over growth of disease causing bacteria, gum disease, loss of teeth, and tooth decay.