Understanding How Your Dental Health Effects More Than Your Smile
Silent killer periodontitis. It often has no symptoms, yet inflammation can quietly travel through the bloodstream affecting your heart, your sleep, and even your energy.
Most people think oral problems are just about looks. But untreated gum disease can fuel the same inflammation that contributes to heart attacks and strokes.
That's why today we are talking about how your oral health is deeply connected to your overall health, confidence, and longevity, and why early action matters for you and your family.
Oral Health Reflects Overall Health
When you have gum disease called periodontitis, your gums become inflamed and bleed easily.
That's how bacteria can enter into your bloodstream and attach to the fat deposits in your blood vessels. This will contribute to the formation of plaques, known as cholesterol. This increases the risk of clots that can block the blood flow to your heart and trigger a heart attack.
Chronic inflammation is like a silent killer. Both gum disease and heart disease involve chronic inflammation. Infected gums trigger your immune system, releasing inflammatory chemicals into the blood. Over time, inflammation quietly damages blood vessels, making arteries more prone to blockages. Chronic inflammation is a silent killer. It often has no symptoms, and the damage happens without us even knowing.
Oral health reflects overall health. People with severe gum disease are two to three times more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke. Poor oral health goes hand in hand with other risk factors like smoking, diabetes, poor diet, and stress. They all increase inflammation and heart risk, showing that the mouth is truly the window to the body.
How to Protect Both Your Mouth and Your Heart
Brush and floss daily to reduce bacteria and inflammation. Get professional cleanings every six months or more often if you have gum disease. Don't ignore bleeding gums, bad breath, or loose teeth. They are signs of infection. Share your medical history with your dentist and doctor, especially if you have heart disease or take blood thinners.
If we can help people understand this connection, we can prevent not just cavities but possible heart attacks, strokes, and long-term health problems. That's the purpose behind what we do every day at Complete Dental Works.
Can you remember a case that truly changed someone's life? Not just their smile, but their health, too?
Yes, actually we just have a case where a person came in very shy. He was not that confident because he had problems with cavities. I could see how that was also affecting the way he was eating. He was very careful with the kind of food he could have because he was afraid of breaking his teeth. So all of that was affecting his digestion and nutrition.
Once he started to change that, he began to feel more confident because he had his teeth and then he was comfortable eating. There were no more breaking, no more problems, no more gum issues or bleeding. Then he started to introduce different kinds of food and began enjoying his life, actually changing his routine to start new habits.
When you start feeling more confident, you start eating other types of foods, you become more concerned about your oral hygiene, and you start doing different activities and having more relationships with different people because you don't feel self-conscious. That improves your well-being and lets you truly live and enjoy life every day.
Two days ago, I had a patient who came in and wanted to have a nice smile. I told him, "Okay, smile for me," and he showed a lot of teeth. I'm like, "Okay, you see you have a lot of teeth to show," but he said, "I don't smile like that." And I'm like, "Okay, hold on. What did you just say? I don't smile like that. Why? Because of the current condition." If you have nice healthy teeth, your personality changes. You become an extrovert, and now you have a reason to smile.
What goes through your mind when a patient who hasn't smiled in years finally sees themselves in the mirror after the treatment?
Just happy. Now their psychology and emotion change night and day, and you can see the confidence in them.
I even see the sparkle in their eyes. They're looking at you, really living that moment, enjoying the happiness. It's even funny because when we first met, different people were very shy and almost didn't even look at your face, trying to hide it. Once they feel confident, they even come and start talking to the girls, "Hey, how are you? How is everything?" and they start telling them how it's changed their daily routine. I think that's the main point of this.
What's the clearest example you've seen of how poor oral health impacted someone's overall health?
This part becomes emotional, and I think this is why we are doing this now. We just had a family member loss, and this is when we need to really understand how this is a silent killer. When you have cavities or periodontal disease, this bacteria starts to attack your body, initiating the whole inflammation process, which makes your artery walls thicker.
Once your artery walls thicken, it can cause blockages, which in simple terms can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Sometimes you don't realize it until it's too late. I have a very close family member who recently passed away at a very young age from a heart attack. He had a lot of periodontal issues, and we encouraged that person to come in. I know it's not a comfortable moment to confront family, but I'm calling you right now to take that responsibility and start educating them with love. Encourage them to see any dentist because that single factor can change their lives. When it really hits, it's very tough.
And it's too late. There is nothing you can do. So I'm telling you, when you have a family member, because I have patients who are healthy and come often but don't bring their family members, and sometimes their family members are the ones with the disease. They are aware and even say, "Oh, my husband or my wife has bad breath, bleeding gums," but they think because they are taking care of themselves, they are not exposed to that bacteria. But how are we going to improve them? I know it can be uncomfortable to speak to close family members, but I'm telling you, do it with love, every day, little by little, and make it an easy transition. That will help the person, improve their life, and allow you to enjoy those family relationships more.
In simple terms, if you want to see your grandchildren graduating high school, if you want to see your great-granddaughter, listen to your body. Go to the doctor. Take care of yourself.
What would you say to someone who thinks it's just a cavity? It's not a big deal.
The cavity only gets bigger over time. They don't get smaller. They don't go away. It's better to control it when it's small. When it gets big, you're looking at root canals. Root canals don't last forever. You're looking at extractions, teeth shifting, implants, higher cost, higher pain, more medical treatment. Get the control done when it's small.
And I'm going to tell you something about that. In life, we have so many events, routines, work, always something happening last minute that demands our time. However, we need to understand how to take care of ourselves first to protect the ones we love. Bacteria doesn't understand age, race, money, or if you're busy or have kids. It just keeps going every day, and that slow progression is like filling up a glass with drops of water. There comes a moment when the cup fills up.
That's what happens with cavities. It's not a small thing. It's just a cavity? No, it leads to root canals or bigger infections, then you end up losing the teeth. But this bacteria is still affecting your body. You can't take it back. You got fixed, yes, but the damage that happened is still there. It's like a fire. If you let it progress, it destroys more and extends the damage. The earlier you prevent it, the better, because it's less stressful, less problematic for your body, cheaper, and a better experience overall. You will enjoy coming in because it's preventive, not for damage.
What have you learned about the emotional impact of the healthy smile?
For me, the emotional part is freedom. Sometimes we are so worried about what people think. How do I look? Is this right? But when you feel good because your gums are healthy, you no longer have bad breath, and your teeth look nice, you have the freedom to focus on new goals and projects instead of worrying about something that feels like it's holding you back.
What do you think? For me, a healthy smile means going into technical terms because many patients come in wanting only the front teeth fixed, but they don't have the back teeth to chew. You have muscles that move your jaw. Without back support, you damage the little teeth you have. A healthy smile means harmony, having what you need to chew and smile with. It's not just about the front teeth. Once I explain this to a patient, they understand why it's important to have back teeth.
This is probably the first thing they need to get done before even thinking about the front. They thank me for the explanation and steering them in the right direction.
But I also see the emotional connection, even from my own experience. Let's say you go to dinner with your family, and you're restricted because you don't have those teeth. You're worried about Thanksgiving, thinking, "I can't eat this," fearing it might break your front teeth. Once you gain confidence with back teeth, you're able to chew, and all those worries disappear. You're fully present, enjoying time with your family.
Have you had a patient whose new smile changed their personal or professional life?
I always tell this story. We have several cases, but one was particularly remarkable. A young woman, around 28-30 years old, had lost several teeth and wasn't wearing anything to cover them. She had a bad experience in the past, affecting her personal life. She was very unconfident, shy, and crying on the chair, feeling she lost her identity. We worked on her front teeth, and now we finished the whole case. Seeing her smile, talk, and tell stories about her work was rewarding. Her life transformed. That's what I keep saying: be free. Enjoy the present time with your family and be yourself.
Recently, we've been restoring heavy cases with elderly patients who had no teeth or flopping dentures. Seeing them with secure teeth to chew and smile, they are just flat-out happy.
It changed their life. It's changing life, their confidence, health, and diet.
Even on videos, people in church are afraid to sneeze or cough because their dentures might come off. That's not normal. Even now, they say it's normal as you age to have less movement. But if you exercise and work on yourself, you see results later on. The same goes for your health. That's not normal; it's a myth. You can take action and change it. Choose the right person you trust. Set your plan and goal. The most important part is to see your final vision. How do you want to see yourself?
When you design a smile, what are you truly aiming for?
- Harmony.
- Identity.
Was there ever a case that made you emotional or even brought you to tears as a doctor?
Yes. One time a patient took 30 years to save money to fix his teeth. When he finally saw his new top and bottom arch, he was holding back tears and then started tearing up and hugging me. It choked me up. Another patient wasn't aware of his problems until I showed him. He was finally willing to accept it. He asked for a picture because it showed him something different. No more bad breath, healthy gums, beautiful pink gums. The picture reflected him, not just his teeth.
That's why most people come to get help. I comfort them, make sure we can transform them, show before and after pictures, and ensure it's not just aesthetic but life-changing. It's never too late.
It never is too late. But don't wait. It's going to get worse.
Whatever happened, we won't judge. We're here to help you. We'll guide you through the process. Don't feel like we're judging. At Complete Dental Works, we're not here to judge. We're guiding you to feel comfortable and enjoy the results.
One case where the patient did front teeth only, a year and a half later, a tooth drifted. We did some implants and changed the crown at no charge.
But we won't judge. We're just guiding you.
What does it mean to you guys to restore someone's ability to eat, laugh, and speak without pain?
That's in line with our mission. It's what we're here for.
Yes. It's to change lives by improving health and smiles, helping people live longer, happier, and more confidently.
Why do you believe oral health is an investment in life?
Oral health is an investment for two main reasons. First, being healthy gives you better quality and longevity in life, allowing you to do more activities. Second, in terms of your career, projecting confidence can be important. I broke my front teeth in an accident and was fixated on fixing one tooth. Once I smiled confidently, it was important for my image as a dentist. Being confident in how you look allows you to focus on the moment, your presentation, or your client. It's an investment with returns in health and business.
After so many years of transforming smiles, what still motivates you to keep doing it every day?
It goes back to my mission: helping people live longer, happier, and more confidently. Sometimes you forget until something like losing a family member reminds you of your responsibility to change lives through treatment, conversation, or education. That's my purpose, driving me every day.
I just like what I do; I love dentistry.
I feel like what I'm doing is constructive to society. We're not being disruptive. We're helping people, doing something better.
And when you see new content in the year, I calculated how many patients we see. Between both offices, it's about 6,000-7,000 people a year. Changing lives. Sometimes you forget that meaning, but seeing that change, I realized it's a big win.
It's encouraging for the next year.
I can't forget the staff because, without them, we're nothing.
Yes. It's a whole team, a whole preparation.
It's not just one thing. From the person who picks up the phone to scheduling appointments, dental assistants preparing cases, the production team, doctors, labs, guiding you through the psychological role in the chair, we can't do it without the whole team. Even treatment plan coordinators educate you, ensuring you fully understand and share our vision. Every smile we restore is a story of someone else's life. Every patient who eats, laughs, and speaks again without fear reminds us why we do what we do. After what happened in my family, I learned we can't take health or time for granted. We must educate, prevent, and act early.
Absolutely. A healthy smile doesn't just change your face. It changes how you live your life.
Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Smile. Remember, taking care of your mouth means taking care of your body, your mind, and your future. Educate your family. Don't wait for symptoms. Prevention starts with awareness.