Extending our care to include dental health.
UNIFY Health & Wellness is expanding access to care with a new dental program for the communities we serve throughout Florida.
Appointments
(855) 864-3935, voice only
The mouth is connected to the whole body
Figures below are drawn from current federal and clinical sources and cited beneath each one.
Why your dentist asks about your whole health
A dental visit is rarely only about teeth. What a dentist sees in your mouth often points to what is happening elsewhere in your body.
Heart Health
Chronic gum inflammation has been linked to cardiovascular disease through shared inflammatory pathways.
Diabetes
Gum disease and blood sugar control affect each other, so dental visits are part of managing diabetes well.
Brain Health
Researchers continue to study links between long-term gum infection and cognitive decline, including dementia.
Source: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, American Dental Association. Associations do not necessarily mean one condition causes the other.
What a routine exam can reveal
Oral cancer screening
Routine visual and physical exams by a dentist are one of the main ways early oral and oropharyngeal cancers are found, often before symptoms appear. There is no blood test for these cancers, which makes regular exams important.
Signs of HIV
Oral lesions are among the earliest and most common clinical signs of HIV, and dentists are sometimes the first health professional to notice a weakened immune system. Oral abnormalities alone do not diagnose HIV. A blood test is required to confirm a diagnosis.
Signs of other health conditions
A dental exam can also surface early signs of nutritional deficiencies, acid reflux, autoimmune conditions, and the effects of dry mouth caused by certain medications, which is one reason routine dental care fits into whole-person healthcare.
Trusted resources
Oral-Systemic Health
How oral health connects to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and more.
Visit ada.orgHealthy Mouth, Healthy Body
NIH research on the biological links between the mouth and the rest of the body.
Visit nidcr.nih.govHIV and Oral Health
Clinical guidance on oral manifestations of HIV and dental care for HIV-positive patients.
Visit ada.orgHIV/AIDS and Oral Health
What to know about oral health problems linked with HIV and how they are treated.
Visit nidcr.nih.govOral Cancer Detection
How oral and oropharyngeal cancers are found, diagnosed, and staged.
Visit cancer.orgOral Cavity Cancer Screening
Screening methods and current research on oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers.
Visit cancer.govWant to be notified when dental care opens?
Reach out and our team will keep you updated as the program moves forward.
UNIFY Health & Wellness provides and coordinates integrated medical, behavioral health, dental, and pharmacy care for Floridians who have been left out of the health care system, so that individuals and families can recover, stay healthy, and remain together in their communities.