How can we help you be WHO you want to be?
We are an interdisciplinary, integrated care company combining medical, dental, psychological, and alternative health systems into a change agent for well being and whole health optimization. We provide personalized, proactive care to empower, equip, and encourage individuals to take charge of their health, well-being, and to adopt healthy living practices that deter or defer preventable health conditions. We believe in partnerships and practices that focus on self-empowerment, self-healing, and self-care.
Fueling Your Body
The obesity rate in the United States has jumped by 12 percent in the last two decades. At over 40% obesity (over BMI of 30) in 2018, American adults put themselves are higher risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers -all of which are leading causes of death. Other known risks for the obese are nerve damage, and stroke. Obesity if the second leading cause of PREVENTABLE death (behind tobacco use). BMI over 40 has doubled with women significantly more likely to be severely obese and at an even higher risk for coronary heart disease and end-stage renal disease. Obesity is the result of several factors: overeating, lack of physical activity, poor diet choices, genetics, metabolism, and culture.
Food is medicine and we need food to satiate REAL hunger, not relieve boredom. We eat for energy -not the accumulation of inflammation from processed foods. Changing nutritional habits are critical to reduce or prevent inflammation in the body.
Diabetes and obesity are highly correlated with increased risk for diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Obesity must be addressed. Just 5-10% weight loss may improve long-term health and OSA. We recommend habit-formation theory as the basis for treatment. Eating and activity are behaviors and are often called “habits”. Changing habits and developing insight into your own issues with food can be maintained over time.
Photobiomodulation
The ARRC LED is a global leader in the US based manufacturing of Full Body LED Light Therapy Beds. LED Light Therapy at the right dose is not only noninvasive but the side effects can be both positive and surprising. One might be using a bed for weight loss and find that their skin-tone gets better and their pain releases. Many acknowledge that augmentation with LED Light Therapy is helping people feel better, improve performance, sharpen cognitive function, reduce pain and augment whole body health and wellness.
Aging, might be defined as the accumulation of mitochondrial dysfunction over time. Think of it like a 4 cylinder motor in a car with 250,000 miles. The motor is wearing out. The fuel lines, fuel injectors, fuel pump and spark plugs that convert gasoline into energy clog and the motor stops functioning.
Mitochondrial dysfunction is thought to be caused by environmental, stress and food based toxicity that blocks production of ATP. This loss of energy starves the cells, increasing the rate of cell death (aptosis). The cellular damage cascades down into the tissues, organs and systems of the body.
As the motors that power the cells become damaged and die, so do the tissues organs and systems. Mobility is damaged as the muscle cells begin to lose their function and resilience and connective tissues weaken. Eventually chronic inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction show up as disease. Skin-tone may be the first sign of aging. PBM’s energetic triggering has been shown to both thicken and tighten the skin and thus reduce wrinkles. It is shown in numerous studies to both accelerate healing of neuromuscular injuries and actually increase neuromuscular performance in elite athletes. It helps both the unhealthy and the super fit, which means it probably helps the average person who isn’t measuring athletic performance. They may not see the reduction in pain, break a personal record, but deep in the cells, the increased circulation, detoxification and improvement in energy is rebuilding the cellular matrix of that person.
Reducing whole-body inflammation with whole body Photobiomodulation, could prove in research to help prevent the onset of inflammatory diseases like diabetes, arthritis, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke, sleep disorders, heart disease and cancer.
Laser Treatment for Sleep
The procedure we use in our office to reduce snoring and tighten the soft palate is called NightLase. Dr. Smith has a high success rate in producing a positive change in sleep patterns. Research has shown that NightLase can reduce snoring and provides an effective, non-invasive way to lessen the effects of snoring.
Nightlase tightens collagen, increases connectivity of the neurological system controlling throat musculature, and relaxes fascia in head, neck, and mouth. Fotona’s NightLase® therapy is a non-invasive, patient-friendly laser treatment for increasing the quality of a patient’s sleep. NightLase reduces the effects of sleep apnea and decreases the amplitude of snoring by means of a gentle, laser induced tightening effect caused by the contraction of collagen in the oral mucosa tissue.
Patients find NightLase to be a highly comfortable and satisfying solution. NightLase and myofunctional therapy may allow no oral appliance device to be worn during sleep and involves no chemical treatment. It’s a gentle and easy way for our patients to regain a good night's rest.
Myofunctional Therapy
Oropharyngeal and tongue exercises have been found to improve sleep apnea, tongue thrust, tethered oral tissue, upper airway resistance syndrome, and snoring. In fact myofunctional therapy also improves CPAP use and respiration, in general, during sleep. Myofunctional therapy requires commitment and dedication from our patients. After an examination with Dr. Smith you will be started on a daily exercise regimen. These exercises will include exercises for your tongue and oral facial muscles. These exercises will need to be performed at least three times per day to be effective. Week by week the exercises will be changed and modified to reach optimal strength to reduce snoring, improve posture, improve the airway or prepare for a tongue tie release.
Tethered Oral Tissue
For more information on tethered tissues please refer to:
Posture
Poor posture reduces your quality of life! Your posture impacts the size of your airway, the position of your tongue, and the effect that the weight of your head has on how you feel and how you walk. We can help open the airway during sleep, but if you do not commit to improving your posture, the appliance is less effective because the way you do or do not support your body in an upright position while standing effects the size of your airway capacity. Posture also impact the growth of your face!
ALF
Proper oral facial function, correct orientation of the teeth, posture and the swallow have a much larger role in overall health than people had previously assumed. This is because of the new information about the interaction of the nervous system related to the jaw. Breathing at night (& sleep apnea) seem to be strongly related to oral facial function.
ALF (Advanced Lightwire Functionals) is a non-traditional orthodontic treatment method that uses principles of cranial osteopathy. Dr. Smith has been trained in this method of palatal expansion by Darick Nordstrom, DDS, the inventor of ALF. The ALF dental appliance was created by Darick Nordstrom in 1985. ALF Therapy is a principle based therapy founded upon on the laws of nature. He continues to innovate and support ALF Therapy providers dedicated to seeking higher learning like Dr. Smith.
ALF is not just a wire. It is not about just structure, airway or osteopathy. ALF Therapy is an opportunity for improved function and an increased quality of life. It is a principle based therapy based on years of development that cannot be imitated by those without the experience or knowledge to share it with others.
For more information on ALF please refer to:
Personal Development
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