Integrative dentistry: your patient's mouth tells their story

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In this training, Dr. Marina García Fuster, a professional trained in Clinical Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), Biological Dentistry, and Clinical Posturology, presents a comprehensive vision of oral health, emphasizing that the mouth is a mirror of systemic health and not just a local science. Her goal is to transform dental practice into a tool for prevention and global health, teaching professionals how to "read the patient's mouth" in order to diagnose and refer with criteria.

Key highlights

 

The PNI triad in the mouth

Oral health reflects the state of the body's main axes. Alterations in the mouth are often the expression of a systemic imbalance.

  • Nervous system: Hyperactivation due to stress translates into bruxism (teeth grinding) and tension in the masseter muscles, causing headaches or neck pain.

  • Immune system: Oral dysbiosis (such as cavities) is a microbial imbalance that frequently coexists with intestinal dysbiosis (e.g., Helicobacter). Autoimmunities activate inflammatory responses (TH17) that are reflected in the mouth.

  • Endocrine system: Dysregulations such as insulin resistance or hypothyroidism affect healing and bone metabolism. A person with insulin resistance will have poorer healing after an extraction or the placement of an implant.

Breathing: the new medicine

Breathing is key to regeneration and systemic balance, being the first step in any integrative approach.

  • Oral breathing and stress: Breathing through the mouth (oral breathing) activates the alert/survival system (fight/flight), raising heart rate and blood pressure.

  • Cause of bruxism: Nocturnal oral breathing is the primary cause of the nervous system hyperactivation that leads to bruxism.

  • Nasal re-education: Breathing should be nasal 99% of the time to promote regeneration.

Posturology and occlusion

The position of the teeth (occlusion) is a "sensor" that affects the verticality of gravity and global posture.

  • Impact of treatments: A dental treatment that alters the bite (e.g., a filling, orthodontics) can shift the center of gravity and cause problems in the knee, lower back, or neck.

  • Cause of crowding: Dental crowding often originates from a low tongue position and lack of stimulation to the palate (due to lack of chewing and oral breathing), which leads to a small maxilla.

  • Functional rehabilitation: The idea is to reprogram neuromuscular patterns (breathing well, chewing on both sides) so that treatments last naturally.

Essential cofactors for oral therapy

High-quality supplementation is a necessary pillar to ensure the body's repair:

  • Magnesium: Fundamental for bone mineralization and quality of rest, which is essential for repair.

  • Vitamin D with K2: Indispensable for fixing calcium in the bone and improving the prognosis in cases of periodontitis and implants.

  • Omega-3: A potent anti-inflammatory to improve microcirculation and optimize the integration of grafts.

  • Collagen: Provides amino acids necessary for the regeneration of bone and soft tissues.

Important conclusions

  • Treatment must be comprehensive: Any dental intervention will modulate the immune and endocrine systems; it is vital that the patient has the resources to heal.

  • Simple diagnosis: The mouth is a simple diagnostic tool that allows us to see how cellular metabolism behaves.

  • Knowing how to refer: It is crucial that all health professionals know how to detect these signs (e.g., a deviated jaw or recurring bleeding) to refer with criteria and achieve comprehensive well-being.

  • The mission: "Oral health does not begin in the mouth, but in the mind of the professional who decides to look beyond it."