As a child you may have learned an African American spiritual song from the 1800s called “Dem Bones.” Even if you never learned it yourself, you’d probably recognize the familiar refrain, “the hip bone’s connected to the backbone, Backbone connected to the shoulder bone, Shoulder bone connected to the neck bone, Neck bone connected to the head bone.” Anatomical eccentricities aside, the song often serves to help children begin to understand how parts of our bodies are connected. You may accept that the hip bone’s connected to the thigh bone, but what about gum tissue’s connected to heart disease, or the sore jaw’s connected to the heart attack? These may seem farfetched or silly, but recent studies show we might want to pay more attention to our mouths to detect and prevent numerous systemic diseases. Regular dental health exams from Distinguished Dental – Sheri McIntosh DDS may be one of the best ways to diagnose and treat chronic illness. Call to schedule your next checkup with Dr. Sheri McIntosh at our Keller, TX family dental practice.
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