Dental Preventive Care’s Importance Underscored by Link Between Poor Oral Health and IBD, says Northridge Dental Work


The full service dental office serves patients from throughout the northern San Fernando Valley and Greater Los Angeles.

Filling in a cavity is always easier, cheaper, and less time-consuming than root canal therapy and that is obviously preferable to having to extract one or more teeth.

A May 13 article in Gastroenterology and Endoscopy News reports on a study showing a connection between serious periodontal disease and IBD (inflammatory bowel disease). As one digestive specialist puts it, “Given that the mouth is part of the gastrointestinal tract, the connection between the two diseases, while poorly understood, isn’t surprising.” Oral health group Northridge Dental Works says that the study is just the latest in a long chain of research. The dental office says that countless studies have found links between oral health problems and a wide range of serious systemic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

Northridge Dental Works, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary serving the northern San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, says that prevention is always the easiest and least expensive way to treat all health issues but that’s especially true when it comes to oral health. It starts with flossing and twice-daily brushing for two minutes — oral rinses can also be helpful — but it’s equally essential to have twice regular dental visits yearly for cleanings to prevent the buildup of tooth decay and examinations to make sure that issues like tooth decay are caught early. Filling in a cavity is always easier, cheaper, and less time-consuming than root canal therapy and that is obviously preferable to having to extract one or more teeth, says the office. When people consider the possible decreased odds of problems like IBD and heart disease, the benefits of maintaining good oral health are easy to see, says the office.

At the same time, Northridge Dental Works says that people who are suffering from the physical pain and psychological stress associated with advanced oral health issues can still reclaim their beautiful smiles. Periodontal procedures to restore their gums and dental implants to replace teeth that have been extracted or lost due to trauma can transform both a smile and a patient’s quality of life. The dental office adds that older types of dental prosthetics, such as dentures and bridgework, are always much better than no replacement at all. However, implants have many advantages — and not only in terms of convenience and appearance. They are also the only type of teeth replacement that reduces bone loss associated with missing teeth. This is a potentially serious issue that can cause more tooth loss and even change the shape of a patient’s face, says the San Fernando Valley dental office.

Readers can learn more about Northridge Dental Works by calling (818) 882-0100 or visiting its website at https://www.ndentalworks.com/. The office offers a full range of dental treatments from cosmetic dentistry and orthodontics to dental restorations, sleep apnea treatment, laser dentistry for periodontal care, and more.

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