Wheeler Health Spotlight (May 2018)

Improving Oral Health

There's a proven connection between taking care of your teeth and gums and your overall health. Oral health issues can not only cause tooth decay and loss, but also affect your heart, pregnancy, and more.

Taking care of your oral health is achievable...

  • Floss and brush daily,
  • Avoid tobacco,
  • Eat a healthy diet, and
  • See a dentist regularly.

But just as important is learning about the connections between your overall wellness and your oral health.

For instance, the bacteria in your mouth can cause an infection called endocarditis, which affects the inner lining of your heart. It can happen when bacteria from the mouth pass through your bloodstream to your heart. And inflammation in your mouth, like in your gums, can possibly even contribute to stroke and heart disease.

Many other factors can also play a role in your oral health...the medications you take, conditions like diabetes, cancer and more. Pregnant women may be at increased risk for dental disease, which can, in turn, cause other health conditions to occur, affecting both mother and child.

Wheeler's Family Health & Wellness Center at 43 Woodland Street, Hartford offers full family dental services, including:

  • Routine cleaning
  • Cavity fillings
  • Extractions
  • Root scaling
  • Sealants
  • Dentures
  • Crown and bridge treatments
  • X-rays
  • Root canals

Call 888.793.3500 today to schedule an appointment! Wheeler staff also are very active in the community doing outreach about dental care. Do you have a community group interested in learning more about dental care and health? Contact us to learn more.

The online health library also is full of articles about maintaining oral health, especially for your children:

  • Many Parents in the Dark on When Kids Should First See a Dentist
  • Health Tip: Prepare Your Child for the Dentist
  • Preventive Dental and Vision Care
  • Promoting Dental Hygiene Habits
  • Improvements to the Family Health & Wellness Center are supported in part by the State of Connecticut Nonprofit Grant Program, the Connecticut Health & Educational Facilities Authority, the Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, and the Ensworth Charitable Foundation. Additional support is provided by Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation. Wheeler is a Health Center Program grantee under 42 U.S.C. 254b and a deemed Public Health Service employee under 42 U.S.C. 233(g)-(n).

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