Your dentist might be the first person to spot early signs of heart disease, and it might show up long before your cardiologist sees anything on a scan.   In this episode, Dr. Regina Druz sits down with her colleague, dentist Dr. Maria Sokolina, to talk about the oral systemic connection and why oral health should never be treated as separate from the rest of the body. They unpack how gum disease, gingivitis, and periodontal disease (often caused by bacteria like Bacteroides gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum) can quietly fuel inflammation that affects cardiovascular health, brain function, and even longevity. What might your gums be telling you about your risk for stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, or atrial fibrillation? Could that headache, dry mouth, or grinding habit be pointing toward sleep apnea or an airway issue?   Dr. Sokolina explains how signs like mouth breathing, snoring, bony growths, and tongue position often reflect bigger concerns like high blood pressure, cortisol imbalances, or gut dysfunction. She shares how tools like myofunctional therapy, oral appliances, and simple techniques, like her water test, can help uncover breathing patterns that impact heart health and nervous system regulation. She also touches on the role of saliva tests, acid reflux, LPR, GERD, and the early oral indicators of diseases like oral cancer.   This episode offers a different lens on dentistry, one that sees the mouth as a vital piece of the whole health puzzle. Dr. Druz and Dr. Sokolina also reflect on women’s health, hormone shifts in menopause, and the importance of understanding how inflammation, the vagus nerve, and the parasympathetic nervous system all fit together. Could your next dental exam reveal more than just cavities? Are the symptoms showing up in your mouth actually pointing to deeper issues with your heart, your brain, or your gut? And how might things shift if your dentist and doctor were working as a team? Dr. Druz and Dr. Sokolina’s discussion invites you to look closer and think differently about where health really begins.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Welcome and Introduction to Dr. Maria Sokolina 03:12 Gum Disease as a Marker for Heart Risk 08:40 Oral Bacteria and Systemic Disease 13:24 Sleep Apnea Clues Dentists Can Catch 20:45 Mouth Breathing, Nasal Dysfunction, and Heart Health 28:56 The Three-Minute Water Test for Nasal Breathing 38:15 Amyloid Plaque and the Mouth-Brain Connection 46:02 Treating Root Causes with Oral Appliances and Therapy 54:10 The Overlooked Connection Between Oral Health and Hormones   Links Schedule a Discovery Call: https://go.holisticheartcenters.com/apply Access Courses and Events: https://holisticheartcenters.info/hearthealth Get Heartwell Toolkits: https://shop.holisticheartcenters.com/ Schedule a Business Meeting:https://calendly.com/heartcenters  🎉 NEW! Interact with Own Your Heart Health Podcast — on NotebookLM: https://holisticheartcenters.info/notebook   Connect with Dr. Maria Sokolina: Myofunctional therapy and Sleep Quality Self-Assessment and Video Guide: https://drmariasokolina.com/myofunctional-therapy-and-sleep-quality-self-assessment/ Forbes articles: https://drmariasokolina.com/articles/   Connect with Dr. Regina Druz: Website: http://holisticheartcenters.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reginadruzmd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.reginadruz  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holisticheartcenters  Twitter: https://x.com/heartCenters  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@holisticheartcenters Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm