Mouth and Body — There is a Connection

A dental appointment should be full of patient education, and it should entail information not only on the current status of your oral health, but how to improve upon it and prevent future problems from arising. A pertinent part of patient education should be how important oral health is when it comes to your overall health. There is a direct correlation between your mouth and body, which is known as the oral-systemic link. To ensure your dentist is treating the whole you, a thorough medical history should be reviewed at each visit. Knowing the existing medical conditions and medications each patient is taking is paramount to understanding their mouth and how to treatment plan specifically for them. 

One medical condition of concern from an oral health standpoint is type II diabetes. Patients with diabetes are known to be slow to heal, and therefore have longer recovery times from procedures like extractions, root canals, and scaling and root planing for periodontal disease. There has been a direct link found between periodontal disease and diabetes. Periodontal disease has also been linked to heart disease, heart attacks, stroke, lung disease, osteoporosis and some cancers (specifically kidney, pancreatic and cancers of the blood). Not having periodontal disease treated only increases your risk for these health problems. 

Medications for systemic disease can also affect oral health. Many medications are known to cause dry mouth, which can lead to rampant decay. Blood thinners (like Eliquis and Coumadin) can cause severe bleeding after extractions, implant placement or periodontal therapy/surgery. Bisphosphonates, or drugs that slow bone loss, can cause a severe reaction in the lower jaw after a tooth extraction. Some medications, like Dilantin for seizures, can cause gingival overgrowth, which can make oral hygiene difficult. These are just a few examples of systemic medications that can have implications and effects on oral health and dental treatment. 

Lastly, your dentist should also be doing a routine oral cancer screening at your new patient appointment and each follow up 6 month exam at your cleaning appointments. The lips, tongue, cheeks, roof of your mouth, gum tissue and throat should all be screened for irregular lumps, bumps and changes in color. Early detection is key in fighting against oral cancer. It may appear as a primary site, but oral cancer may also arise as a malignancy site for another cancer you may not know you already have.  

Hopefully your dental providers have already stressed how your oral health affects your overall health and vice versa. Having a routine dental appointment is one of the best things you can do for your entire body. 

Call our office today to schedule an appointment and find out more about how your mouth may be affecting the rest of your body.