Hi, my name is Myles Dakin and welcome to my new regular column where I explore teeth, oral health and how they are inextricably linked to overall health.
As a dentist and prosthodontist practising in South Cambridge, I have seen first-hand how seemingly simple dental problems can actually have complex systemic health factors behind them.
I graduated from Guy’s Hospital (now King’s College London) and worked in oral and maxillofacial surgery in the UK for three and a half years before moving to San Antonio, Texas, USA for further specialist training and research.
Upon returning home, I held teaching positions at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals in London, while also practising in private practice on Harley Street. I eventually returned to Cambridge to open my own dental practice, which has been based in Melbourne’s Technology Park for 20 years, and has now relocated to the picturesque village of Sliplow, where I continue to provide excellent dental services to adults and children in the local community.
I live in Cambridge with my wife (who is an artist), two cats and two dogs. I also own a local allotment and run a private research institute dedicated to studying the biological mechanisms underlying antibiotic resistance, inflammatory responses, and impaired wound healing.
In my clinical practice, I deal with a wide range of dental issues from routine care to difficult cases, and I am particularly good at providing simple and effective alternatives for patients who wish to avoid implant surgery.
Unfortunately, I often encounter patients who suffer from long-term dental problems, but despite multiple treatments, the root cause has not been discovered. This is often because oral problems are not isolated, but closely related to overall health.
In the next few columns, I will focus on how inflammatory oral diseases such as periodontitis affect the cardiovascular, metabolic, immune and other systems, and share some practical, easy-to-follow daily suggestions to help everyone protect their oral health and thus improve their overall health.
Stay tuned, I will take you into the neglected link between oral and systemic health.