Your Health

Dentists tell you it’s important to brush, floss and have dental cleanings regularly to avoid cavities and tooth loss AND to enhance your overall health. Read on to find out more about the Mouth-Body Connection and Oral Cancer.

Mouth-Body Connection

Research continues to show a strong relationship between dental and medical conditions. This is commonly referred to as the mouth-body connection. Gum disease has been linked to medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, certain forms of cancer, and premature birth and low birth-weight babies. In fact, more dental and health insurance companies are starting to cover extra dental cleanings for at-risk patients because of the link between oral health and general health.

Regular dental exams in addition to proper brushing and flossing are important to aid a healthy disease-free mouth. Consult with our dentist or general practice doctor if you have or are at risk for:

• heart disease or high blood pressure
• diabetes
• cancer, particularly pancreatic cancer
• are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

Oral Cancer

Dentists offer an important opportunity to provide oral cancer screening, which is important for everyone, not just tobacco users. Oral cancer currently kills about one person every hour in the U.S., but with proper prevention, such as with regular oral cancer screenings, people diagnosed have an 80-90% survival rate.

1st Advantage Dental of New York is dedicated to raise awareness of oral cancer by educating patients and performing regular oral cancer screenings.