Simply put, its because he cares about more than just your teeth. Dr. Mark Galli, a Complete Health Dentist in Encinitas is one of several dentists across the nation leading the charge in a growing field that combines Oral Health with Medical Health and Wellness. Complete Health Dentistry is a growing movement of oral health care professionals who realize that they can have a much larger impact on the health of their patients through better detection at the dental office. Something as simple as taking blood pressure in addition to a complete dental exam can help Dr Galli identify potentially serious medical conditions that otherwise are hard to detect.?
The Surgeon General reports that 80 percent of Americans have some form of periodontal (gum) inflammation. Research has linked periodontal inflammation with conditions such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Gum inflammation can increase your risk for diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and low birth weight or premature births. “Many people are at risk for systemic disease because of the condition of their mouth,” says Dr. Galli. “And for those who don’t see their dentist regularly, or are having trouble keeping their gums healthy, the risks are cumulative.”?
“We want to make sure patients understand how important the health of the mouth is, as it is the gateway to the rest of the body. Chronic inflammation is the root of many diseases that can be improved if that inflammation is healed. The surface area of the gum tissue in your mouth is about the same size as the palm of your hand. Now imagine if you had a wound the size of the palm of your hand on your body. This would allow bacteria to enter your bloodstream and would create chronic inflammation not only in the area of the wound, but all the other systems of the body where the bacteria can reach. This compromises your immune system and its ability to fight illness all over your body.
Through accurate screening and personalized treatment recommendations, effort is directed towards the total health of the patient (as opposed to just the teeth). In turn, the Dentist can work more closely with the Physician to achieve more optimal Dental and Medical health for the patient. Complete Health Dentists are helping to screen and identify risk factors in everyday dental patients from the very beginning of the appointment bydoing something as simple as blood pressure and periodontal screening. Blood pressure is a very important and often overlooked baseline indicator of a patient’s overall health?.
Other procedures that identify disease and risk factors are the screening for head and neck cancer, a thorough exam of the teeth and intraoral structures, and digital x-rays. By looking thoroughly at all the associated structures if the mouth, the Complete Health Dentist can identify dental and health issues early, often before they get potentially serious. Dr Galli and his team take great pride in helping their patients achieve optimal health thru regular dental visits and proactive care.?
Mark T. Galli, DDS, is located at 477 N. El Camino Real, Suite B207 in Encinitas. Call (760) 943-1449 or visit www.gallidds.com for a complete list of services and other helpful information.