Oral Health Is the Foundation of Overall Wellness

Among dentists, it is common knowledge that a healthy mouth supports a healthy body. Maintaining a balanced oral microbiome, just like preserving the balance of gut bacteria, plays a key role in immune function. Yet this connection is still not well understood by the general public.

Some people do know there are many bacteria in the mouth but assume, “Once they reach the stomach, strong gastric acid will take care of them.” It is true that stomach acid is powerful. But during meals, acidity decreases and approaches neutral. That means oral bacteria can slip past the stomach and into the intestines more easily than many think.

The public’s growing recognition of immune health has led to greater interest in gut health, which is encouraging. But without first managing the bacteria in the mouth, true full-body wellness is impossible.

Daily maintenance is the key. Many still believe the dentist is a place to go only when something hurts. But preventive dentistry—care before trouble starts—is what protects oral health and whole-body health.

A Clinic Equipped to Complete Every Stage of Care

One of our strengths is being able to handle nearly all aspects of dental care in one place. Wisdom tooth extractions, especially complex ones, are often referred to large regional hospitals. And if a patient wants straighter teeth but their primary dentist does not offer orthodontics, they must go elsewhere. That creates unnecessary complications.

Here, we provide comprehensive services—including general dentistry, orthodontics, cosmetic treatments, and implants—maintaining only equipment that genuinely benefits patients as technology evolves.

We also assign each patient to a specific dental hygienist. This deepens our understanding of their lifestyle and goals and allows us to deliver care that truly satisfies. It also boosts motivation and pride among the staff—a win for everyone.

Lifelong Health Begins in Infancy

Children’s oral health weighs heavily on my mind. When I was young, preventive dentistry was not widespread, and cavities were common. Continuous efforts to promote daily brushing greatly reduced tooth decay. But now we are seeing more issues with facial and jaw development.

A major reason is that fewer children are breastfed, and many chew far less than previous generations. This shift may also contribute to increased mouth breathing and allergies.

For infants, breastfeeding is real exertion. A baby must grip the nipple firmly and work the muscles around the jaw to draw milk. Those daily movements not only supply nutrition but strengthen muscles and promote proper skeletal development.

I understand many parents want to breastfeed longer but cannot due to work demands. Still, ideally, if the baby desires, breastfeeding for one or even two years supports long-term health.

We share these insights with families at our clinic. Separately, we are preparing school-based maintenance programs for elementary students to help them protect their oral health during critical growth years and learn that they're responsible for their own wellbeing.

Detecting Pre-Disease Through Dental Care

Health rises and falls with many factors. Even the strongest person can be harmed by poor diet, excessive drinking, or smoking. With age and accumulated habits, people may reach a point where they are neither fully healthy nor clinically ill—a state known in Japan as “mibyo,” or pre-disease.
Dentistry is the only medical field, I believe, that can reliably detect this pre-disease state.

As I’ve said, oral health is directly linked to systemic health. When oral functions—chewing, swallowing, speaking—or sensory abilities decline, when saliva production drops, the body’s overall function deteriorates as well. But if we improve oral function during the pre-disease phase, the entire body can recover and people can live longer, healthier lives.

The concept of “frailty,” referring to a condition in which the body becomes prone to functional decline, is gaining recognition as a health concern. Preventing frailty starts with addressing “oral frailty.”

Preparing for an Aging Society Through Home Care

Japan’s population will continue to age rapidly. That makes home-based dental care increasingly critical. When long-time patients lose strength or mobility and can no longer visit the clinic, I want to prevent that break in care.

We serve a wide range of patients—from toddlers just getting their first teeth to seniors over 100. And I want to continue caring for patients across their entire lifespan. But time and staffing limitations make this difficult.

Still, we cannot delay action with excuses about shortages. We must find ways to overcome the hurdles.

As a community-based dental clinic, providing the best possible care to every patient and extending their healthy years remains my mission.