Dental Health is Part of Total Health

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Dental Health is Part of Total Health


We often don’t consider oral health as part of overall health, and that’s a mistake.

Because the diseases of the mouth are tightly linked to overall health, the unmet oral health needs of millions of Americans cannot be neglected.

“Almost one third of the population reports some difficulty in accessing dental care,” Caswell Evans, Jr., an author of the report and associate dean of prevention and public health sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry.

Some people lack dental insurance even though they have private health insurance.  (The CDC reported last year that of the 172 million Americans under age 65 with private health insurance, about 27% don’t have dental coverage.)

Others who lack coverage are retired — Medicare doesn’t cover dental care, with some exceptions when it’s in connection with covered procedures, like a jaw reconstruction. Some are poor; states aren’t required to provide dental coverage to adults under Medicaid. And while kids are covered by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, payment rates are so low many have trouble finding a dentist who will treat them.

This calls for a host of systemic changes intended to improve access to care, including training non-dental health pros such as pediatricians and nurses to play a bigger role in oral care, a reassessment of state practice laws to be sure they promote access to care, establishing CMS-funded state demonstration projects to include essential health benefits in adult Medicaid coverage and increasing Medicaid and CHIP reimbursement rates.

In a statement, the American Dental Association praises the focus on oral health access but reaffirms its opposition to allowing non-dentists to perform functions like extractions. “Everyone deserves a dentist,” the ADA says. State laws vary greatly in what they permit non-dentists to do without supervision — seven states require a dentist to be present when a hygienist applies sealants, the report says. 

More than a decade ago, a U.S. Surgeon General’s report also called for a “national effort to improve oral health among all Americans.”

You may be surprised to learn that more than 120 medical conditions, some of them life-threatening, can be detected in the early stages by a dentist. It is well documented that a high percentage of health conditions can have oral symptoms such as swollen or bleeding gums, ulcers, dry mouth, bad breath, metallic taste and various other changes in the oral cavity.

Scientific American, for example, reports that current research indicates a relationship between oral and overall (systemic) health. “Systemic” refers to the involvement of many organs or systems of the whole body.

Heart Disease

Studies have shown that people with moderate or advanced gum (periodontal) disease are more likely to have cardiovascular disease (CVD) or heart disease than those with healthy gums. 

However, studies have not established that either heart disease or gum disease actually causes the other. This is a difficult task because many of the risk factors for gum disease 
are the same as those for heart disease. Like many conditions, heart disease disproportionately affects males and people of low income status as well as those who smoke, have a poor diet or have diabetes. 


Research has not shown that treatment for one of these diseases will help control the other, but we do know that regular dental checkups, professional cleanings and good oral hygiene practices can improve oral health and that good oral health contributes to good overall health. 

Diabetes

Studies show that people with diabetes are more susceptible to the development of gum 
(periodontal) disease and other oral health problems than those without diabetes. In 
addition, research shows that people with diabetes also have more tooth loss. 

Diabetes can slow the healing process and lower resistance to infections, including oral infections. Although scientific evidence shows that the state of your oral health is connected to diabetes and diabetic complications

What can you do?

Like heart disease, the rules are the same: maintain your teeth and gums and you maintain your health.

Tobacco Use

I really don’t think anyone needs to be informed about how bad tobacco is in every way – it does you no good in any way.  No arguing with me!!

While most people are aware of the impact tobacco use has on their overall health, some might not consider its effects on oral health, including:
 • Increased risk of mouth pain, cavities and gum 
recession (which can lead to tooth loss)
 • Reduced ability to fight infection, including in 
the mouth and gums 
 • Slower healing of gum tissue after oral surgery 
or from injury
 • Increased risk of tooth loss (twice that of 
non-smokers)
 • Increased risk of needing root canal treatment 
(twice that of non-smokers)
 • Increased risk of gum (periodontal) disease 
(50 percent more cases than non-smokers)
 • Reduced effectiveness of gum disease 
treatments
 • Children exposed to tobacco smoke may have 
delays in the formation of their permanent teeth.

What can you do?

If you are a smoker or a parent with a child or teen who you suspect may be using tobacco, you can start by understanding that tobacco dependence is a nicotine addiction disorder with physical, sensory, psychological and behavioral aspects that need to be addressed in order to break the habit. 

To help you kick the habit, your dentist or physician may prescribe a variety of nicotine replacement therapies, such as a transdermal nicotine patch or chewing gum.

Cancer

Your dentist should screen for oral cancer and other cancers of the head and neck, including skin cancer, cancer of the jaw bone and thyroid cancer, during routine checkups. He or she feels for lumps or irregular tissue changes in your neck, head, cheeks and oral cavity, and thoroughly examines the soft tissues in your mouth, specifically looking for any sores or discolored tissues. 

Survival rates greatly increase the earlier oral cancer is discovered and treated. During your next dental visit, ask your dentist to do an oral cancer screening. 

See your dentist immediately if you observe:

• any sore that persists longer than two weeks;
• a swelling, growth or lump anywhere in or 
around the mouth or neck;
• white or red patches in the mouth or on the lips;
• repeated bleeding from the mouth or throat; or
• difficulty swallowing or persistent hoarseness.
What can you do?
Scientists aren’t sure of the exact cause of oral 
cancer. However, the carcinogens in tobacco 
products, alcohol and certain foods, as well 
as excessive exposure to the sun, have been 
found to increase the risk of developing oral 
cancer. Risk factors for oral cancer may also be 
genetically inherited.

What can you do?

While regular dental exams and cleanings are necessary to remove bacteria, plaque and tartar 
and to detect early signs of gum disease, you can play a major role in preventing gum disease:

• Brush for two to three minutes, twice a day, with fluoridated toothpaste. Be sure to brush 
along the gumline.

• Floss daily to remove plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach.
• Eat a healthy diet to provide essential nutrients (vitamins A and C, in particular).
• Avoid cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.
• Carefully follow your physician’s and dentist’s instructions about health care, including using 
prescription medications, such as antibiotics, as directed.

Take control of your oral health

Visiting a dentist regularly can help you maintain your oral health. A dentist’s exam may detect poor nutrition and hygiene, as well as provide clues to your overall well-being. 

It is important for you and your family to provide your dentist with complete medical and dental histories and to inform your dentist of any recent health developments, including the use of over-the-counter medications and diet supplements, even if they seem unrelated to oral health. 

Some health conditions may affect how dental care is provided. You can also educate yourself about the relationship between oral and overall health.

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