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Confess, you do it, too – start off the new year promising yourself that this is the year you’ll improve this or that about your health. You’ll clean up your diet. You’ll lose weight. You’ll be more physically active.
As the old year passes, we reflect on what we’ve achieved and where we’ve fallen short. As the new arrives, we get a symbolic clean slate and the opportunity to do better, to do more, to become the better selves we envision.
This year, we invite you to view those health promises through a different lens: through the ways in which you can take your overall health to the next level by taking your oral health to the next level.
After all, the mouth is a window to your body’s broader health landscape. Those dental concerns you’ve been putting off? They can be critical pieces of your holistic health puzzle.
Maybe 2025 is the year that you’re ready to finally have those old mercury fillings removed and replaced with biocompatible restorations. Maybe it’s time your root canal teeth or old extraction sites deserve a comprehensive evaluation to see if and how they may be impacting your overall health and well-being.
Each step you take is an investment in your body’s long-term vitality. Your smile – and your health – are worth the attention.
NEW ON OUR BLOG
How a More Plant-Based Diet Can Help Your Gums
It’s probably the most famous dietary advice of the 21st century: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Michael Pollan’s pithy saying is good advice, to be sure, especially its emphasis on eating lots of plants. Plants are nutritional powerhouses, after all, packed with essential nutrients, fiber, and phytochemicals that can help prevent disease and promote overall health.
Of course, that’s not the only reason why plant-based diets have grown in popularity. For one, with meat, egg, and dairy prices as high as they are, a plant-based diet can be the far more economical option. Others opt for plant-based foods as the kinder choice for our environment or out of ethical concerns about the treatment of farm animals.
Then there are those who find that they just feel better, physically and mentally, with this type of diet. What we find is that their oral health tends to be significantly better, too…
A Few Nutritional Tips When Shifting to a More Plant-Centric Diet
● Vitamin B12 is found only in animal products. If you’re vegan or drastically reduce the amount of meat you eat, you risk deficiency.
● Plant-based (non-heme) iron isn’t absorbed as well as the iron that comes from animal sources. One trick for improving absorption? Combine iron-rich plants such as leafy greens, beans, and lentils with foods that are rich in vitamin C.
● Similarly, the zinc we get from legumes, whole grains, and other plants isn’t as bioavailable as that we get from animal-based foods.
● While fish is the most famous source of omega-3 fatty acids, plants such as chia seeds, flaxseed, and walnuts provide ALA omega-3s, and your body has a hard time converting those to the more beneficial EPA and DHA omega-3s.
Certainly, you can use supplements to make sure you get enough of all the nutrients you need. If you go this route, though, be sure you consult with a qualified health professional. They can help guide you to good quality supplements and help make sure not only that you get the right ones in the right amounts for your needs but that they won’t interact badly with any medicines, remedies, and other supplements you may be using.
