If you missed Part 1 of this series, you can find it at www.thetowncommon.com.

I ended last week with a statement that I have used numerous times before – just because it doesn’t hurt doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem. We keep learning more and more about the link between the mouth and the rest of the body. It is essential that dentists and physicians do a better job at co-managing patients, and learn more about the relationship between oral and systemic disease.

And if we’re being completely honest, there also needs to be a disruption in the insurance industry. Dr. Robin Davies (Byfield) said recently, “It just seems like common sense to me.… (Read More)

The connection between oral health and systemic health is well-established and ever-evolving. One thing we know for certain; we are living longer, but with more chronic diseases and medication than ever before.

The latest statistics are alarming. Forty-seven percent of US adults who are age 30 or older – an estimated 64.7 million Americans – have either mild gum disease (8.7%), moderate gum disease (30%) or severe gum disease (8.5%). As the population ages, the prevalence rises with 70% of individuals over the age of 65 exhibiting some level of gum disease. And, since we are on statistics, by 2030, it is estimated that the number of people over 70 years of age will have… (Read More)

I think it is safe to say that our healthcare system has some flaws. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a healthcare system that realized that everything in the body is connected? Unfortunately, there are no reasonable solutions for this in the near future. Therefore, it is important for you to take your health into your own hands and plan appropriately.

Patients will sometimes balk at treatment not covered by their dental insurance. Dentists will often hear, “Just do what my insurance covers. I don’t want anything extra.” In fact, a recent ADA poll showed that a lack of dental insurance was the #1 reason most patients gave for not visiting a dentist. Here are… (Read More)

Last week was teenager sleep patterns and issues. This week we start a conversation about how our sleep needs and potential issues as adults.

We all do better when we get good quality sleep. For some people though, sleep quality is consistently poor. There are many folks out there who “get by”, but are not functioning at full capacity due to poor sleep. Many of them think they sleep fine, but they don’t.

Insomnia, difficulty with falling asleep or staying asleep for more than 3 nights a week, is the most common sleep disorder. Sleep “hygiene” improvement, along with cognitive behavior therapy, is the first course of action to treat this problem.

There are many… (Read More)