All too often we here at West LA Dental care find ourselves treating patients who don’t fully comprehend how integral a part of overall care their oral healthcare really is. If you had a broken wrist or a strange, irritating rash or had suffered from days of nausea, you wouldn’t shrug and hope those afflictions just got better on their own, would you? Of course not! Leaving a wound or skin condition or internal issue untreated only makes it get worse.

Well ignoring a persistent toothache or jaw pain or numbness or any other unusual condition in your mouth can be just as irresponsible as leaving another part of your body untended. If you have never heard the phrase “Good overall health starts with good oral health,” then let your friendly West Los Angeles dentists here be the first to drive that one home, because it is one old saying that couldn’t be much more true!

Your mouth is good for more than talking, smiling, and eating: it is also one of your body’s first lines of defense against potentially harmful things trying to enter your system. Good, healthy saliva flow along with proper chewing by strong, healthy teeth breaks down foods for easier digestion. This process also starts to break down any harmful bacteria that could be coming along for the ride!

But beyond helping to keep your body safe from potential “invaders” and helping you get the nutrients you need, you need to make sure to come and see your dentist in West LA for another reason: the mouth is not only an important part of your body in and of itself, but it is also a crucial place for diagnosing other maladies that could be taking place in your body. An experienced oral healthcare professional can learn much about the state of your overall physical wellbeing by conducting a thorough oral examination. Even serious diseases that seem totally unrelated to the mouth, such as certain cancers, can give clues to their presence in your mouth.

At West LA Dental Care we treat each and every oral examination we conduct as a chance to examine our patient’s overall health through the window of oral health. If you go to a random Santa Monica dental office or find some Los Angeles dentist based off their ads for this or that cosmetic treatment, chances are good that you will get a quick checkup, a quick cleaning, and be billed and sent on your way. We feel that our dental patients should see us not just as hygienists or providers of cleaning and cosmetic services, but as part of a team committed to their long-term, even lifelong health. We want you to see your dentist for more than just those twice annual cleanings or when you have a cavity; we encourage you to visit your dentist the same way you would visit your internist for a physical. The best time for your West LA Dental Care professional to make sure your in great shape, after all, is when you feel like you and your mouth are in great shape!