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Did you doctor ever recommend a dental cleaning to help with you high blood pressure or diabetes? Probably not.
The connection between high blood pressure or diabetes and gum (periodontal) disease is only now coming to light. Recent studies have been awakening an interest in both the medical and dental professions for helping patients with diabetes, atherosclerosis, lung and kidney disease. The link seems to be between the bacterial infection present in untreated gum disease and the blood stream. When these bacterial irritate the blood vessels in the mouth, an inflammatory process is established which can spread through the body. The bacteria leak into the bloodstream and establish colonies in the blood vessel of the heart. The body tries to protect itself and thickens the walls of these arteries, called hardening.
The same infection can lodge in the kidneys and the lungs causing abscesses. A recent Lancet article linked gum disease to a “small but significant” risk for oral cancer, pancreatic, kidney and blood cancers in men.
Observational studies by the American Academy of Family Physicians found a positive connection between pre-term birth and periodontal disease.
What we know – When you have regular periodontal care you can expect:
- Lower blood pressure, and less medication needed
- Diabetic blood sugar levels easier to control with less or no medication
- Less risk for stroke and Alzheimer’s
- Fewer heart attacks.
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Risk factors for oral cancer are changing. Classic risk factors of smoking and alcohol still point to increased incidence, but now human papillomavirus is rising to prominence as cause of oral cancer. We have known for quite some time that 98% of cervical cancers were caused by HPV. The same behaviors that spread HPV can also infect the mouth.
The cancer can be found in the throat as well causing difficulty swallowing, sore throat, ear pain and swellings in the neck. Dr. Brian Nussbaum, an ENT at Washington University, estimates that 70% of his throat cancer patients have tumors caused by HPV. The first connection between HPV and cervical cancer was reported in the 1970’s, but it wasn’t until 2000 that the link between HPV and oral cancer was described.
Few dentists and even fewer medical doctors are equipped with the Vizialite system of early oral cancer screening. The system will detect stage I and II lesions. The usual “look see” type of examination detects more advanced lesions, stage III and IV. A vaccine, Guardasil, is clinically effective and widely available. While this cancer has an excellent 3 year survival rate, almost 90%, to vaccinate teens and young adults is an excellent idea. The vaccine is commonly administered by family physicians.
Advanced techniques like these are what make us the best Albuquerque Family Dentist
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Panoramic radiography is a unique extraoral (outside the mouth) technique that allows the dentist to view all teeth and their related structures, from one jaw joint to the other. It is used for general screening for structural problems, like a broken jaw, as well as infections, and developmental problems and tumors. Is in limited in its ability to diagnose cavities and gum disease. This type of survey is recommended once every five years.
5 Tips for Best Results with Panoramic Radiography:
- Remove all jewelry, including lip and tongue bars
- Follow instructions of the dental professional adjusting the machine.
- Stand or sit very still as the machine moves around you. The image takes 18 seconds to complete.
- Place tongue in palate
- Bite on orientation device throughout procedure keeping head straight
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Thirty years ago when I started my practice, family dentistry meant the same as general dentistry. People expected the family dentist to be a jack-of all trades, providing a wide menu of services like orthodontics, root canals, extraction and dentures. Dentists were expected to treat patients of all ages from early childhood through the elderly.
During the past 20 years there has been an expansion of knowledge and technology. We now know that a single practitioner cannot master the wide range of techniques necessary to deliver functional, durable dentistry. Techniques are more sophisticated and complex. For example, in 1977 an extraction simply meant removing the tooth. Now, bone preservation must be considered with every tooth that is removed as well as the subsequent replacement, like a dental implant. The site must be managed from the time before the tooth is removed until the after the final restoration is placed, sometimes a year later.
For this and many similar reasons, family dentistry requires a team of specialists. The group is selected to provide consistency and longevity over the life of the patient. The family dentist is now serving in a roll as a coordinator of service as well a primary care giver.
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About Oral Cancer
Most people are surprised to learn that one American dies every hour from oral cancer; a death rate that has remained virtually unchanged for more than 40 years. In fact, recent statistics published by the American Cancer Society indicate that while the incidence and death rates for cancers overall has decreased, the incidence of oral cancer has increased by 5.5% and the death rate has increased by 1.5%
Oral cancer is far too often discovered in late stage development, the primary reason for the consistently high death rate. Oral cancer treatment often results in disfiguring effects on patients, and can seriously compromise their quality of life. Early detection and diagnosis can make a tremendous difference in life expectancy; oral cancer is 90% curable when found in its early stages. Unfortunately, 70% of oral cancers are diagnosed in the late stages, III and IV, leading to a five-year survival rate of 57%.
THE DEADLY STATISTICS – from Zila, Inc.
* Every hour of every day, one American dies of oral cancer.
* The mortality rate associated with oral cancer has not improved significantly in the last 40 years.
* The death rate in the United States for oral cancer is higher than that of cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, cancer of the brain, liver, testes, kidney, or ovary.
* More than 30,000 Americans will receive an oral cancer diagnosis this year. In five years, only 57% will still be alive.
* 27% of oral cancer victims do not use tobacco or alcohol and have no other lifestyle risk factors.
The cancer examination performed during routine dental cleanings cannot detect oral cancer in early stages. This may be why the death rates are so high.
New Hope
The Vizilite screening examination can detect oral cancer much sooner than previous methods. It is performed annually or bi-annually and is usually covered by medical insurance.
Call to set up an appointment today!
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