Why a Happy & Healthy Mouth Matters

Things have changed since us parents were the little ones going (or not going) to the dentist years ago. I know that the annual exam was never a priority in my house growing up, and often got skipped altogether unless there was some kind of an issue, like tooth pain.

Doctors and dentists were like two different species, even though the mouth is just as much a part of the body as the brain, the heart or the lungs. The connection between oral health and overall health barely existed… but like I said before, things have changed. Medical professionals of all kinds have begun to see the importance of good oral health, and have been collaborating with the dental world to bring awareness to everyone, especially parents and parents-to-be.

Providers at our Family Health Clinic have recently invited an Oral Health Navigator (that’s me!) to visit with their little patients (and their parents) during well child visits, administering oral health risk assessments, providing oral health education, and connecting them to a dentist when needed. Getting the word out that oral disease can affect how we eat, communicate, learn and feel, and also may be associated to heart disease, diabetes, and pre-mature delivery and low-birth weight in babies, well, it’s not just my job, but it’s also important to me. And it’s not just important to me, but it’s important to the staff I work with at the Family Health Clinic and the Mom & Dad Project.

To learn more about taking care of your child’s teeth or to be connected to a dental home, give me a call at (909) 878-2327. My name is Destiny, and I’m your Dental Navigator!