The Three Pillars of Total Health Dentistry

Intro:
In the first of its kind dentists-to-patient podcast, you’ll gain incredibly valuable insight into the mouth-body connection. You won’t hear any fluffy filler here. You’ll actually be able to connect the dots. Join us for a worthy jolt of insight on the Total Health Dentistry podcast with Dr. Ali.

Dr. Ali:

Hey everyone, it’s Dr. Ali. In this episode you’ll gain a worthy jolt of insight about the three pillars of Total Health Dentistry. In the last episode, which was the introduction to the whole podcast, I defined Total Health Dentistry as understanding and treating what is going on in the body that may be making your dental health suffer, and at the same time understanding and treating what is going on in the mouth that may be making your body health suffer. We talked about the three pillars of Total Health Dentistry and they are airway, nutrition, structure. In this episode we will talk about why of all the possible key underpinnings, I have chosen these three pillars. And we will dedicate the next three episodes following this one to discuss each one of the three pillars in much greater detail.

So airway, what do we mean by that? Well, we only have two ways to take in air: through our nose and through our mouth. So essentially we’re talking about the actual structure of the nasal passageway, which is essentially a pipe on one end, taking in fresh air from the environment and pumping that air into our pharynx or the back of the throat, and then into our lungs. Our nose should actually be the primary airway and we will cover why that is in greater detail in episodes to come. And then there’s the mouth, which is a larger pipe at first, but then it also allows air to get into our throat and then into our lungs. So that’s what we mean by airway, our nose and our mouth. Those are the only two airways we have.

So what effects proper airway development and maintenance? It’s very important. So what effects it? Well, in future episodes we will discuss what prevents and what helps proper airway development and maintenance. Things such as overgrown adenoids and tonsils can be a major blockage for the nasal airway. And the tongue can similarly block the mouth airway if you think about it. So we will discuss all of these in much greater details in episodes to come. Okay, so those are the existing blockages. But how did they develop to be blockages? The all critical developmental stages. We will discuss pre-nursing and nursing strategies to help optimize the best airway development. We will discuss all important tongue muscle coordination and exercises and how that shapes the nose, sinuses, roof of the mouth, dental arches, and lastly the crookedness or the straightness of teeth. So that’s airway.

The second pillar of Total Health Dentistry is nutrition. So I really can’t think of any realm of health that cannot be influenced positively by good nutrition or negatively by poor nutrition. So it’s no surprise that it’s one of the three pillars of the Total Health Dentistry. However, in this podcast we’re going to go past the fluffy stuff and go into the details that matter. I try to be a pretty organized person, so we will start in the beginning. You’ve heard of family planning? Well we will be discussing pre-family nutrition planning, meaning how to eat before you get pregnant to prepare your future child for great total dental health.

Of course, most of our Total Health Dental listeners will have families started already so we will discuss in greater detail, great nutrition practices to enhance airway and structure with special focus on our dental health, and of course a heavy dose of gut health, which is so, so central. So here’s a brief sample of nutrition topics we will be discussing in future episodes: gluten-free living, pros and cons. Raw versus pasteurized milk. Is there room for both? What are some safe snacks? Why I’m against calorie counting, how to choose a restaurant and many other episodes which I hope will give you and your loved ones great value.

And so the third pillar of health is structure. As we discussed earlier, in a simplified way, we are talking about pipes, but they are soft tissue pipes. So they are ever more delicate than any other pipes we deal with on a daily basis. So in sequence we want to first promote the best development of these pipes. And since they are soft pipes, we need to guard the structures surrounding the pipes so as to not squeeze the pipes. Okay, so once they are developing and have developed, now how do we maintain the structure of these pipes? And as an adult, if your pipes are squeezed, how do we regain that precious airway space without surgery?

Like I mentioned in the first episode, the introduction to Total Health Dentistry, discussing structure as a major pillar is quite rare. The topic gets very little attention so just speaking to folks about structure often starts with a, what do you mean type of look. Yet it is critical. Since so much of our physiology is soft in nature and bones themselves are very vibrant, organic structures, we will dedicate a number of episodes to this pillar of Total Health Dentistry. Here’s a little sample of some of our future episodes with a structural focus. Episodes such as the TMJ episode, crooked teeth are not genetic, nourishment and facial architecture. That’s an interesting one. The Weston Price Smile and Bite. Are your chewing muscles comfortable? So this is just a sneak peek at some of the upcoming episodes. Please subscribe and join us for these episodes and much more which will provide you and your loved ones with great value.

So there you have it. The three pillars of Total Health Dentistry: airway, nutrition, structure. Subscribe to the podcast and join us for a worthy jolt of insight to help you and your loved ones in all things to do with Total Health Dentistry.

Legal:
Please note that Dr. Ali Farahani is a general dentist and that Total Health Dentistry is not a specialty of dentistry. While we make every effort to broadcast correct information, dentistry is a constantly changing science and art. One doctor may have a different way of doing things from another. Dr. Ali Farahani is simply presenting his views and opinions that will be as evidenced based as possible. We welcome any comments, suggestions, or corrections of error.

Dr. Ali Farahani takes no money from drug or device companies. By listening to this podcast or reading this blog you agree not to use this podcast or blog as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others, including, but not limited to patients that you are treating. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast or blog. Under no circumstances shall Sante Family Dental, Dr. A. Farahani Dentistry Professional Corporation or Dr. Ali Farahani, or any of their employees, associates, or affiliates, any of the guests or contributors to the podcast or blog, be responsible for damages arising from use of this podcast or blog.