How Could I Have Known?
Article by Marvin A. Fier, DDS, FASDA, ABAD, FACD, FIADE
When I became a dentist, I didn’tknow my profession would allow methe privilege of changing so many lives. Today, the connection between dental health and overall health and wellbeing
has become clearer than ever.
On the physical side, one of the earliest signs of diabetes is periodontal (gum & bone) disease. A strong connection is suggested between heart disease, stroke, preterm, low weight babies and gum disease. Poor oral care may also contribute to oral cancer, which kills more people annually than cervical or skin cancer.
Helping a patient with proper treatment
has on several occasions
allowed me to save or
enhance the quality of
his or her life.
In addition to the
physical aspects, the
connection between a
person’s smile and his
or her emotional wellbeing
has also been
well documented.
Yes, mental health
and dental health are
truly connected. It has
been said, “The smile
is the most recognizable signal in the
world. Smiles are such an important
part of communication that we see
them far more clearly than any other
expression. We can pick up a smile
at 300 feet, the length of a football
field.”
Plato said “Beauty is in the eye of
the beholder” (SYMPOSIUM, Plato)
and studies show that attractive individuals
are more likely to be seen as
intelligent, friendly, and successful.
Ask yourself, “What do others see
and think when they meet you?
What do you see when you look in
a mirror?”
How you are perceived in business
and in social situations depends on
the image you project.
That image can be related to your
smile. A poor appearance or lack of
confidence in one’s dental equipment
can mean the difference between failure
and success in business and in
one’s personal life.
When people enter a dental
practice, it is because they desire
to improve their health and their
life with the best that dentistry has
to offer them. In addition to providing
routine dental care, patients
are shown what is possible for
smile improvement.
Why? Because, in so many
instances, the person did not known
what could be done.
I am often invited to teach dentists
throughout the world. Being able to
carry the message of the relationship
between dental health and overall health
and well-being to dentists internationally
has allowed me to impact on the health
of people whom I never meet.
As a dental educator, I always
discuss the psychological importance
of the mouth in the total
health of a person.
From the moment of birth, the
mouth is that special part of the body
through which we are nourished with
food, speech, and emotions.
As we move through life, the
mouth is our means of speaking, of
expressing love, happiness and joy,
anger, or sorrow. What
other part of the body
carries such importance
in the total health of a
human being?
As a dentist, I have
been privileged to build
trust and change lives,
one smile at a time.
I have given many men
and women the smile they
always dreamed about or
re-created the smile they
once had. I have had the
opportunity to help them live a longer
and healthier life through improved
oral health and early diagnosis of serious
medical situations.
I compliment all of these men and
women for taking the steps that
allowed them to be healthier, look and
feel younger, have a greater sense of
well-being, and radiate confidence.
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