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Dentistry
Thomas
Varga, DDS
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Dental
Care & Serious Illnesses
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Executive Summary - US Surgeon General
Heart
Disease: 1
Recommendations by the
American Heart Association:
These recommendations
are especially important for people with:
-
prosthetic heart valves
-
a previous history of endocarditis
-
congenital and acquired heart
defects such as
-
most congenital cardiac malformations
-
damaged heart valves
-
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
(hi"per-TRO'fik kar"de-o-mi-OP'ah-the)
-
(Note: If you previously
took the diet drug "fen/phen," see the " Dietary / Weight-Loss Supplements"
section of this guide.)
As someone with heart disease,
you have three responsibilities. First, establish and maintain a healthy
mouth. Practice good oral hygiene and visit your dentist regularly. Second,
make sure your dentist knows you have a heart problem. Third, carefully
follow your physician's and dentist's instructions when they prescribe
special medications such as antibiotics.
Your dentist will ask
about the nature of your heart problem. He or she will also ask what medications,
if any, you're taking for it. Also be prepared to give your dentist your
physician's name and address and your permission to consult your physician
about your heart problem.
The Council on Dental
Therapeutics of the American Dental Association has approved the American
Heart Association's statement as it relates to dentistry. (More
Information)
Diabetes
and dental care: 2
People with diabetes are more likely
to have periodontal disease than people without diabetes, probably because
diabetics are more susceptible to contracting infections. In fact, periodontal
disease is often considered the sixth complication of diabetes.
Those people who don't have their
diabetes under control are especially at risk. A study in the November
issue of the Journal of Periodontology found that poorly controlled type
2 diabetic patients are more likely to develop periodontal disease than
well-controlled diabetics are.
Research has emerged that suggests
that the relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes goes both
ways - periodontal disease may make it more difficult for people who have
diabetes to control their blood sugar.
Severe periodontal disease can increase
blood sugar, contributing to increased periods of time when the body functions
with a high blood sugar. This puts diabetics at increased risk for diabetic
complications. Thus, diabetics who have periodontal disease should be treated
to eliminate the periodontal infection.
(More
Information)
Respiratory
Diseases: 3
Bacterial respiratory infections
are thought to be acquired through aspiration (inhaling) of fine droplets
from the mouth and throat into the lungs. These droplets contain germs
that can breed and multiply within the lungs to cause damage. Recent research
suggests that bacteria found in the throat, as well as bacteria found in
the mouth, can be drawn into the lower respiratory tract. This can cause
infections or worsen existing lung conditions. People with respiratory
diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, typically suffer
from reduced protective systems, making it difficult to eliminate bacteria
from the lungs.
Scientists have found that bacteria
that grow in the oral cavity can be aspirated into the lung to cause respiratory
diseases such as pneumonia, especially in people with periodontal disease.
This discovery leads researchers to believe that these respiratory bacteria
can travel from the oral cavity into the lungs to cause infection.
(More
Information)
Dental
Care and cancer: 4
All phases of cancer therapy can
be complicated by problems of oral and dental origin. Infections originating
from the carious breakdown of teeth, or the deterioration of periodontal
support for the roots of teeth are potent causes of local and systemic
problems particularly in immuno-compromised patients and irradiated sites.
Inappropriate extraction of teeth following radiation therapy can result
in bone necrosis that may be difficult to manage. Many of these problems
can be limited or eliminated with appropriate pre- and post-therapy dental
management. (More
Information)
Thomas
Varga, DDS:
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