Your guide to a healthy, happy life

Which path are you on? Choose wisely.

The importance of oral health has been historically underestimated by the medical community. An exploding amount of research in the last few years has shown repeatedly how interconnected your mouth is to your body and how it influences your health. Our doctors are well-trained to uncover hidden dental problems that contribute to your overall health.

Path to Health →

  • Healthy Sleep

    Proper sleep is very important for your overall health. Lack of sleep or poor sleep reduces your immune function and is a driver of inflammation. It impacts your safety, vitality, and longevity.  Snoring is not just an annoyance.  60% of all people who snore have obstructive sleep apnea and experience low levels of oxygen to the brain during sleep.  Even non-obese people can have sleep apnea due to oral muscles that get too relaxed when sleeping.  Restorative sleep is vitally important so the brain can repair itself for optimal cognitive function and total body health.

  • Oral Health

    Oral infections and imbalances are very common. It is estimated that 80% of Americans have gingivitis (chronic inflammation in their gums) and 65% have periodontal disease (gum infection with bone and tissue destruction). We all have bacteria in our mouth. Some are low risk, some high risk for disease.

    • Researchers have found DNA evidence of at least 5 strains of high risk oral bacteria in carotid artery plaque removed during surgery.

    • At least 2 harmful strains of oral bacteria place you at a 3-5 fold increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

    • Any gum bleeding indicates there is an active connection between your mouth and your bloodstream, causing damage to your arteries and distant organs.

  • Healthy Nutrition + Fitness

    The best medicine for staying healthy is an anti-inflammatory diet consisting of natural foods, minimally altered in preparation. Avoiding processed, fried, preserved and refined foods is best. Most Americans are deficient in vitamins due to the modern American diet, mass agriculture resulting in lower quality produce, and poor digestive health. Maintain an active lifestyle with regular movement and muscle building to keep your body free from injury and working its best as we age.

  • Healthy Relationships + Stress Management

    Chronic stress creates a “fight or flight” release of stress hormones that negatively affects heart health, insulin resistance and diabetes. A good support system and stress reduction techniques to manage the highs and lows of life will also help us stay young. Laughter and an attitude of gratitude are great for your health!

  • Active "Young" Genes

    Healthy habits you choose on a daily basis add up to make a real impact on your genetic code and how fast you age. It’s not about a perfect diet or exercise routine, but staying consistent with muscle building and movement is key.

80%

of American adults over 35 have some form of gum disease.

95%

of Americans who have diabetes also have periodontal disease.

Path to Disease →

  • Pre-Diabetes

    There are few chronic disorders more destructive than uncontrolled diabetes. 1 in 3 people have pre-diabetes and 84% do not even know they have it. Pre-diabetic insulin resistance begins 15-20 years prior to diabetes. Having pre-diabetes puts you on a path to full blown diabetes, heart disease and stroke. 95% of Americans who have diabetes also have periodontal disease. The good news is that in most cases it can be reversed with lifestyle changes and proper dental care. Dental wellness is about more than just your teeth. It is key to the prevention and treatment of diabetes.

  • Sleep Apnea/Insomnia

    As the weight of our country rises, so does the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Upper airway problems can also be found in people of a normal weight due to muscles in the airway that become too relaxed. Sleep apnea is when we stop breathing while we sleep. It can be brief or last for several seconds which can cause our oxygen level to drop dramatically. It is estimated that about 43 million Americans suffer from this very treatable condition. Sleep disordered breathing is a root cause of many chronic diseases and most people are unaware that they have it.

  • Inflammation

    An inflammatory response is the body’s natural way of healing from an infection or injury over a short period of time. (For example, the redness, swelling and heat on a cut that is healing comes from the inflammatory response.) However, if the body experiences increased inflammation for an extended period of time or from multiple sources, it can get overwhelmed and cause disease. In order to stay on a path of health, it is important to minimize all sources of inflammation. Inflammation is the driver of all disease.

  • Bleeding Gums

    Don’t ignore any blood in the sink! Blood means that inflammation is present. Infection causes inflammation and blood means there is an avenue for bacteria to enter your bloodstream. These oral bacteria make our arteries unhealthy and significantly contribute to today’s top killers like heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, dementia and Alzheimer’s. They have also been found to cause pre-term labor, stillbirths and some cancers.

  • Active "Old" Genes

    Our youthful genes can be turned on and off by daily habits and lifestyle choices. Toxic environmental exposures to things like tobacco and pollutants can actually alter your DNA, opening the door to cancer and other disease.

 
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“Evergreen uses an oral systemic approach, evaluating each patient closely and taking into account a combination of factors to develop treatment plans. This approach unfortunately has been seen as an alternative approach and not the norm for dentistry. After practicing clinically with Dr. Cochran, I acknowledge how her passionate approach to dental care should and must be the standard of care.”

KIESHA WERLITZ, RDH, MS
Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee Health Science Center
College of Dentistry

 
 

Browse our Bookshelf

For a deeper dive, we encourage you to explore these resources to understand the mouth/body connection and learn ways to be truly healthy. Medications manage symptoms, but true prevention addresses the root causes of disease. Most chronic diseases are both reversible and preventable. Here are some tools to help:

 
 

Beat the Heart Attack Gene: The Revolutionary Plan to Prevent Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes

Bradley Bale, MD and Amy Doneen, ARNP

In Beat the Heart Attack Gene, world-renowned cardiovascular specialists Bradley Bale, MD and Amy Doneen, ARNP, present a new model for understanding and preventing heart disease. They explain the three different genetic types of cholesterol profiles and tailor treatments for each type, using their cutting-edge Bale/Doneen Method, a simple, comprehensive prevention plan that detects cardiovascular disease (CVD) at early stages. Beat the Heart Attack Gene includes easy quizzes and self-tests that show how to determine cholesterol genotype as well as advice for how to apply that knowledge through nutritional and lifestyle changes. For heart attack and stroke survivors, the Bale/Doneen Method also helps prevent recurrences by identifying and treating what's triggering the patient's disease—a crucial step that many cardiologists neglect.

With their proven method utilized by healthcare professionals worldwide, Bale and Doneen empower readers by alerting them to potential health threats, and then offer personalized, evidence-based strategies so they can live healthy, active lives without fear of heart attack or stroke.

 

Gasp!: Airway Health - The Hidden Path To Wellness

Dr. Michael Gelb and Dr. Howard Hindin

The Airway Centric® Model prevents Airway-Centered Disorders, Sleep-Disordered Breathing to maintain mental and physical health. Learn how to recognize and correct Airway-Centered Disorders, Sleep-Disordered Breathing. Gasp is about our airway, breathing and sleep. Problems can start at birth. Many premature babies are mouth breathers. A poorly structured and functioning airway leads to mouth breathing, snoring and sleep apnea; it can interfere with restorative sleep and ultimately damage the part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex, which controls executive function skills, attentiveness, anxiety and depression. Learn how to restore an ideal airway with early intervention, and where to go for help. Learn how once the airway is established with breastfeeding, allergy treatment, and other methods, neurocognitive and neurobehavioral problems are greatly improved—often without any medication.

 

The Inflammation Syndrome: Your Nutrition Plan for Great Health, Weight Loss, and Pain-Free Living

Jack Challem

Completely revised and updated-Jack Challem's powerful plan to safely prevent and overcome inflammatory disorders

Inflammation is what happens when our body's own defenses turn on us-and it is a huge and growing problem. Written by the author of the groundbreaking Syndrome X, this essential updated edition of The Inflammation Syndrome draws on cutting-edge research conducted around the world to provide a revolutionary approach to healing inflammation-related problems through an easy-to-follow nutrition and supplement program.

  • Includes new recommendations for individualized diet and supplement plans

  • Presents fourteen steps for restoring dietary balance, plus recipes and menu plans

  • Reveals the powerful role inflammation plays in a wide variety of common health conditions–from simple aches and pains to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, and athletic injuries

  • Features dramatic case histories and the latest information on dosage recommendations for anti-inflammation supplements such as fish oils, vitamins, and herbs

  • Other books by Jack Challem: Syndrome X, The Food-Mood Solution, Feed Your Genes Right, and Stop Prediabetes Now

Read The Inflammation Syndrome and learn just how easy it can be to take charge of your diet and health.

 

Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain for Life

David Perlmutter

The bestselling author of Grain Brain uncovers the powerful role of gut bacteria in determining your brain's destiny.

Debilitating brain disorders are on the rise-from children diagnosed with autism and ADHD to adults developing dementia at younger ages than ever before. But a medical revolution is underway that can solve this problem: Astonishing new research is revealing that the health of your brain is, to an extraordinary degree, dictated by the state of your microbiome - the vast population of organisms that live in your body and outnumber your own cells ten to one. What's taking place in your intestines today is determining your risk for any number of brain-related conditions.

In Brain Maker, Dr. Perlmutter explains the potent interplay between intestinal microbes and the brain, describing how the microbiome develops from birth and evolves based on lifestyle choices, how it can become "sick," and how nurturing gut health through a few easy strategies can alter your brain's destiny for the better. With simple dietary recommendations and a highly practical program of six steps to improving gut ecology, Brain Maker opens the door to unprecedented brain health potential.

 

Heal Your Oral Microbiome

Cass Nelson-Dooley, M.S.

It’s a popular theory that good health starts in your gut. But think about it: your mouth is the gateway to your gut. The good and bad bacteria in your mouth are directly linked to the bacteria in your digestive system. The oral microbiome can also affect illnesses and diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, certain cancers, and more. That’s why maintaining a balanced oral microbiome is one of the most important things you can do to set a solid foundation for your overall health.

Heal Your Oral Microbiome is the first book out there to focus exclusively on the oral microbiome. In these pages, you’ll learn how your mouth paves the way for full-body health, as well as how to identify common habits and practices that could be negatively impacting your unique microbiome. You’ll also discover important steps you can take to heal and balance your mouth’s microbes to boost your immune system, fight a variety of illnesses and create a solid foundation for your overall well-being.