There are a number of technological innovations that have turned dentistry on its ear in the last decade, and one of them is the Key-3 Laser Dentistry System manufactured by KaVo. This is a gentle and cool laser with such a short pulse that your nerves are physically incapable of even noticing it, so you won’t feel any pain, even if you’re getting your gums scaled back to reduce or eliminate that “gummy smile”. The KaVo laser penetrates to microscopically shallow levels, which makes it exceptionally precise. Here’s what the laser does: 1 – It destroys bacteria, even in deep pockets between the tooth and the gum, 2 – It reduces the need for dental drilling or anesthetics, 3 – It removes plaque and tartar build up, 4 – It penetrates microscopically tiny pockets where gum disease can begin, 5 – It gives your dentist continuous feedback as to whether tartar is still present, 6 – It provides a fast, safe, and effective way to do root canals, scaling and planing of tooth and root surfaces, and other dental procedures that have traditionally been uncomfortable and invasive, 7 – It seals the gum tissue to prevent infection and promote faster healing after dental surgery.

If you had asked your grandparents what the future of dentistry could possibly be, it’s unlikely that they would have imagine a tool like this. It makes the process quicker, more efficient and effective, and far more comfortable, and without any additional cost. In a win-win this universal, the only people not coming out ahead are the patients of dentists who have yet to adopt a KaVo system into their practice.

It’s important to note that so far there is no evidence to support a direct cause-and-effect of oral systemic relationships that directly connects the mouth with the rest of your body. That’s well and good, but try telling someone suffering an impacted wisdom tooth that the pain they feel through the whole starboard side of their body is imaginary and you’ll start to understand who entirely entwined this human system is. The oral-systemic relationship in your mouth refer to the association between the health of your oral cavity – teeth, gums, tongue, bone, soft tissues, – and the rest of your body.

If you’re in pain, I think you already know you’re a bit out of whack. Before about ten-fifteen years ago, medical and dental professionals generally believed that health issues were totally exclusive f the health of the mouth and teeth. In other words, you could be strong as a horse with poor teeth, and it wouldn’t impact your body in bad ways, and you could have sickly joints that would never come back to haunt the jowls of your, well, jowls.  

Today we know such things are untrue, and that the systems of the body are all interconnected, not just in terms of blood and oxygen flow, but in other forms as well. Have you ever had a tooth ache that gave you a sore throat and made the whole side of your face tinge with tender pain? That’s not a figment of your imagination, that’s very real and exactly what we’re talking about. What you perceive is just the tip of the iceberg. Whether you feel the pain in your tooth or not, that infection can already be spreading throughout your body causing serious, perhaps even irreparable harm. Periodontal disease is present when inflammation and infection destroy the tissue that support your teeth.

You may have heard of Gingivitis from some silly mouthwash commercials, but just because you saw it between reruns of Seinfeld and Friends doesn’t mean it isn’t real. This common form of mild inflammation, if left untreated, can eventually become periodontitis, which leads directly to the destruction of gum tissue. It’s at this stage that oral bacteria can enter the bloodstream, run its course through the body, and have its pick of the litter as to which organs it may like to infect. Your brain? Your heart? Your liver, kidney or lymph nodes? Considering the potential association between infections of the teeth and gums, and other health problems of inarguably more serious natures, the prevention of periodontitis should be addressed early and with the same seriousness you dedicate to washing your hands, putting gas in your car, and paying your rent. Early prevention and detection may be the most important step in your overall health, and your dentist can help you understand the risks faced in general, as well as the risks you may face directly and personally yourself.It may not seem like much when you skip a brushing after a meal, but that may be the infection that goes to your heart, and once it does, there may be little that can help you. Consider instead just a quick and painless checkup to help you understand what risk, if any, you may be facing.