Miami Beach Community Health Center : The Importance of Oral Health

Oral health is essential to general health and well-being at every stage of life, as mentioned by the office of the U.S. Surgeon General. Mouth and throat diseases can range from cavities to cancer, and can cause pain and disability to millions of Americans every year.

In an effort to address these issues before they occur, dental care has now been integrated as part of the primary care program at the Miami Beach Community Health Center. Not taking care of oral health has been directly linked to periodontal diseases, cardiovascular and other health conditions that could lead to other complications.

Some of the symptoms of periodontal diseases are as follows: Bleeding of the gums when brushing, red, swollen or tender gums, persistent bad breath, and loose or separating teeth.

Other conditions like dental caries, decay, and cavities will result when acid products from oral bacteria destroy hard tissues. This is found most frequently among children where this common problem begins at a very early stage.

Another major reason for the importance of consistently visiting a dental healthcare professional is the possibility of oral cancer. Oral cancer is typically painless in its early stages and can often times go completely unnoticed until it spreads. If caught early enough your chances of surviving are much higher, however, if gone unnoticed for too long, oral cancer, unfortunately, has a very low long-term survival rate. Ten points of early check ups by the dentist will assist in uncovering these issues before they start and could very well mean the difference between life and death for some.

MBCHC Dental Services:

Our dental department maintains one full time and one part-time dentist, a full dental hygienist and two full-time assistants. Here are some of the services offered for the preventive and basic dental services which can be essential to prevent further complications and pain.

1. Oral hygiene Instruction
2. Sealants
3. Restorations
4. Scalings
5. Fluoride applications
6. Extractions
7. Emergency Treatments

MBCHC continues to work toward strengthening our oral health program as well as developing an effective community intervention to extend preventions to our patient population. For more information about our dental services or to schedule your appointment visit: MBCHC.com TODAY!