Dr. Rita Daghlian believes in providing your child with the best possible care so that they can enjoy a lifetime of healthy smiles. Preventive care is key to your child’s oral health. By taking this functional approach, our pediatric dentist and team can ensure that your child’s treatment plan is not only tailored to their unique needs and will help prevent dental problems from developing, but will also promote better overall health and wellness.
What Is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine, or functional dentistry, is also referred to as holistic or whole-body dentistry. It emphasizes:
- Finding the root cause of issues
- Providing you (and your child) with education about preventing dental problems
- Correcting any dental problems which do develop with treatments that offer both immediate and long-term benefits to your child’s oral health
A Holistic Approach To Dental Care
Conventional dentistry focuses more on treating conditions in the mouth “as needed,” and includes a strong emphasis on brushing, flossing and visiting the dentist at least twice a year for routine preventive care. And while all of these preventive measures are important to helping your child maintain a healthy mouth and smile, a holistic approach goes a step further to consider the connection between your child’s oral and overall health.
As a functional dentist, Dr. Daghlian understands how your child’s oral health impacts their systemic health and takes proactive steps when providing care. This includes considering your child’s nutrition, sleeping, breathing and lifestyle habits when designing their treatment plans. She will work closely with you and your child to provide education on preventive care and create individualized treatment plans.
How Whole-Body Care Benefits Your Child
There are many ways in which a functional approach to dental care benefits your child. Benefits of this type of care include:
- An emphasis on education – by helping you understand what is happening in your child’s mouth and learn the best ways to care for their mouth and smile at home, our pediatric dentist and team can help you prevent dental problems from developing, giving your child better immediate and long-term oral health. We also provide education for your child so that they can learn excellent oral habits.
- Finding and treating the root causes of problems – some oral health issues may be connected to other health issues. We will evaluate your child’s diet, sleeping, breathing and other lifestyle factors to find and treat the exact cause of those problems.
- A whole-body approach – this focus on the connection between oral and overall health gives insights into maintaining a healthier quality of life. Functional care goes beyond just maintaining your child’s smile to promote the best possible results for their long-term wellbeing.
- Biocompatible materials for a healthier mouth and smile – every child is different, and the materials our pediatric dentist may use in treatment reflects this. What may be most appropriate for one child may not be the right choice for another. We use biocompatible materials that work with your child’s body to ensure excellent results as well as give them a beautiful smile. We are careful to avoid the use of fluoride in your child’s treatment, as well as metal, silver, mercury or other contaminant materials.
- The use of advanced technology – technology combined with experience helps ensure your child’s comfort and gives them the most minimally invasive and effective treatment possible.
- Nonsurgical solutions – No one enjoys surgery, and this is especially true for children. A functional approach to your child’s care means that we always look at nonsurgical methods of treatment first to resolve any problems. Dr. Daghlian will not recommend a treatment unless your child needs it, and surgical procedures are always the last resort. No complete sedation options, or “heavy” dentistry, will be used in your child’s care.
Myofunctional Therapy
One of the solutions Dr. Daghlian may recommend for your child is myofunctional therapy. Myofunctional therapy helps correct the function of your child’s tongue and facial muscles, improving their ability to perform daily actions such as breathing, chewing and swallowing. This allows them to enjoy a healthier lifestyle and better overall oral function.
Myofunctional therapy involves a series of simple, comfortable exercises. These exercises will be carefully selected and customized to your child’s individual needs. This can help your child to:
- Breath properly through their nose
- Chew and swallow correctly
- Create a lip seal
- Help oral and skeletal growth and development
- Achieve a healthy and properly aligned facial structure
Give Us A Call Today!
We invite you to call Daghlian Pediatric Dentistry & Sokolowski Orthodontics today to schedule an appointment and find out more about functional medicine in Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, California. We are committed to helping your child receive all the benefits of a healthy mouth and body.