Let’s start with something important.
Dr. Ivy Yu is a general dentist in Burnaby.
At My Smile Health Centre, we provide the family dental care you would expect from your dentist: regular examinations, cleanings, fillings, crowns, bridges, cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, emergency dental care and more.
So yes, you can come to us because you need your teeth cleaned.
But sometimes, there is more to the story.
You might be grinding your teeth every night. Your jaw may constantly feel tight or sore. Your partner may be complaining about your snoring. Or perhaps your child sleeps with their mouth open, snores, wakes up tired and has difficulty concentrating during the day.
What do any of these things have to do with dentistry?
Potentially, quite a lot.
And that brings us to Dr. Yu’s philosophy of Whole-Health Dentistry.
Today’s Dentistry Isn’t Just About Teeth
For a long time, dentistry was largely viewed as the business of teeth.
Got a cavity? Fix it.
Lost a tooth? Replace it.
Crooked teeth? Straighten them.
Those things still matter. Very much.
But our understanding of oral health has expanded. Your mouth is not an independent little department that operates separately from the rest of your body.
Your teeth, gums, tongue, jaw joints, muscles and airway are all part of you.
Whole-Health Dentistry simply means keeping that bigger picture in mind.
It means treating the dental problem in front of us while also asking whether there is something else we should be paying attention to and what is the root cause of the problem?
Your Mouth and Your Overall Health
We now know that oral health and general health can be connected in numerous ways.
Inflammation and disease in the mouth may have implications beyond the mouth. Jaw position and oral structures can influence breathing. Grinding and clenching can affect the teeth, muscles and jaw joints. Changes in the tissues of the mouth can sometimes provide early warning signs that deserve further investigation.
This doesn’t mean your dentist can – or should – try to solve every health problem.
Far from it.
It means your dentist may notice something that deserves a closer look, a conversation or, when appropriate, involvement from another healthcare provider.
For Dr. Yu, that is an important part of caring for the person rather than simply caring for their teeth.
An Airway-Centred Approach
One area Dr. Yu pays particular attention to is the airway.
Breathing is something most of us never think about.
Until it isn’t working quite the way it should.
The structures of the mouth and jaws can sometimes play a role in breathing and sleep. That is why Dr. Yu considers airway health when examining both adults and children.
Airway Issues in Children
Does your child regularly breathe through their mouth?
Do they snore, grind their teeth or sleep restlessly? Do they wake up tired despite spending plenty of time in bed?
Children who are not breathing comfortably during sleep may experience symptoms that parents don’t immediately associate with the mouth or airway.
Dr. Yu can assess oral development, jaw growth, tongue position and other factors that may be contributing to airway concerns. When appropriate, she can discuss possible treatment approaches or recommend involvement from other healthcare professionals.
Sometimes the teeth are only part of what we need to look at.
Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Snoring is another good example.
It is easy to laugh about snoring – particularly when you’re not the person trying to sleep beside it.
But persistent snoring can sometimes be associated with an obstructed airway and sleep-disordered breathing.
Dentists can have a role in recognizing oral and structural factors that may contribute to airway problems. In appropriate cases, dental treatment may form part of the overall approach to managing sleep-related breathing issues.
Sleep apnea is a medical condition and requires appropriate medical diagnosis. Dr. Yu’s role is to work within dentistry while recognizing when collaboration with your physician or another healthcare provider is important.
TMJ, Clenching and Grinding
Your jaw does a remarkable amount of work.
Talking. Chewing. Yawning. Smiling.
And for some of us, apparently, spending the entire night clenching our teeth as though we’re trying to crack walnuts.
Jaw discomfort, headaches, facial muscle tension, tooth wear, grinding and clenching can sometimes involve the temporomandibular joints – commonly called the TMJ.
Rather than looking only at a worn tooth, Dr. Yu considers the way the teeth, bite, muscles, jaw joints and nervous system are functioning together.
The goal is to understand what may be contributing to the problem before deciding what should happen next.
Oral Cancer Screening
Whole-Health Dentistry also means paying attention to things patients may never notice themselves.
That includes changes in the soft tissues of the mouth.
Oral cancer screening can be incorporated into routine dental examinations to look for unusual changes involving the tongue, gums, cheeks, lips and other areas of the mouth.
Most changes are not cancer.
But noticing something unusual and investigating it earlier and appropriately can matter.
It is another reason your regular dental examination is about much more than checking for cavities.
So, Is My Smile Health Centre Still a Family Dental Practice?
Absolutely.
If you are looking for a general dentist in Burnaby for your family’s regular dental needs, you are in the right place.
Come for your examinations. Come for your cleanings. Come because you chipped a tooth, need a filling, want to improve your smile or simply want to keep your teeth healthy.
But know that when you sit in Dr. Ivy Yu’s chair, she will also be looking at the bigger picture.
How is your jaw functioning?
How are you breathing?
How are you sleeping?
Is there something happening in your mouth that deserves more attention?
That is what Whole-Health Dentistry means at My Smile Health Centre.
Not making dentistry into something it isn’t.
Simply recognizing that your mouth is part of your whole body – and treating it that way.
If you have a dental concern, an unexplained problem involving your jaw, breathing or sleep, or simply need a general dentist for your family, contact My Smile Health Centre in Burnaby.
Come for the dentistry you expect.
And discover what else Dr. Ivy Yu may be able to help you with.
