By Brian Prudent, DMD, MyoTech Integrative Health Center
I am writing this series of articles from two points of view. One is as an integrative dentist with many years experience, and the other a modern dad, husband, and “a typical product of the 21st Century.” I have followed my own advice and I, as well as my family, have derived enormous benefits from making the simple changes I will be discussing in this series. I have learned to evaluate the person attached to the teeth, not just the teeth attached to the person.
In the last two hundred years, mankind has made remarkable strides in healthcare and the treatment of various diseases and ailments. Modern medicine has given us new ways to do surgery and new medicines to help with symptoms, improving the quality of life. Along the way, I believe that we have also lost the ability to see “the forest through the trees.” We have started to treat symptoms, rather than the problem causing the symptoms. A pill for allergies, a pill for diabetes, a pill for stomach acid, a pill for cholesterol, surgeries and inhalers to improve airway and breathing, and so on. We have become so specialized in our treatment that many cannot step back and look at the whole picture.
So, has anyone really asked the question “what is causing all of these problems?” Many of these problems did not even exist, never mind occur, at the astronomical numbers that we now have before the industrial revolution and modern times. Why is that? We don’t have the same lives as our ancestors from the past. Our ancestors didn’t have McDonald’s and calorie-packed processed foods with substances that our bodies don’t even recognize as food and can’t even digest. Automobiles, soda pop, cell phones, video games, environmental pollution, and I could go on and on… Many modern inventions have made things more convenient and easier, but they have also made us sedentary and unhealthy.
I remember as a kid singing the song about “the leg bone’s connected to the hip bone, the hip bone’s connected to the backbone,” etc. Things that happen to our bodies affect our whole system, not just one part. Why in the last two hundred years have obesity, diabetes, heart disease, dental cavities, and even crooked teeth increased exponentially? What are we doing to our bodies to cause this? The main reasons that I have personally been guilty of are improper breathing, poor diet, and a sedentary lifestyle.
I have always been fascinated by our body’s ability to heal itself. You cut yourself, and in a few weeks, it has healed. This concept that if you treat the problem causing the symptoms, your body will heal itself and a majority, if not all, of the symptoms will disappear is inherent in all of us. Let’s address the problem and not the symptoms. Many times, the solution to the problem is simple, but simple is not necessarily easy.
Let’s explore the cause of crooked teeth because there is not a gene for crooked teeth. The main causes are as simple as what we eat, how we breathe, and where we place our tongue when we are breathing and at rest. Our mouth is for eating, and our nose is for breathing. We should not breathe through our mouths. What if I told you that if you breathe through your nose and place the tongue in the roof of your mouth, many symptoms of crooked teeth, asthma, allergies, jaw pain, swollen tonsils and adenoids, sleep disordered breathing, and even high blood pressure, will be alleviated and may even disappear? The body can heal itself and form will follow function.
Our integrative approach involves the following modalities:
- ALF orthodontics
- Breathing retraining techniques
- Myofunctional therapy
- Nutritional guidance
- Myofascial release
A team consisting of various professionals:
- Integrative Dentist
- D.O., and/ or Chiropractor
- Physical Therapist
- Speech Language Pathologist
- Nutritionist
- Breathing Behavior Analyst
All work together to achieve optimal results.
Next month I will educate you on the ALF appliance; stay tuned!
For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact MyoTech Integrative Health Center at 309-764-0008. Located at 1828 Avenue of the Cities, Moline. Visit us at www.myotechdental.com.