By Dr. David M. Blende
Oral Health and Heart Disease and Stroke
While the exact relationship is still unknown, many researchers believe that when oral bacteria enter the bloodstream, they cause inflammation and subsequent plaque buildup in the blood vessels that can lead to inflammation of the heart. This increases risk for heart disease and bacterial endocarditis. The inflammatory response is also thought to increase risk of blood clots in the heart and brain, which may cause heart attacks, strokes, or even death. Oral Health and Diabetes
If blood sugar levels are high in your body, they are high in your mouth as well, providing food for oral bacteria. Diabetes increases your risk of gum disease, cavities, tooth loss, and dry mouth. Diabetes lowers your resistance to infection, which makes managing gum disease difficult. Further complicating matters, gum disease also makes it more difficult for people who have diabetes to control their blood sugar.
Oral Health and Other Medical Conditions
Many other conditions have early symptoms that may be seen in your mouth before you experience symptoms elsewhere in your body, including Sjogren’s syndrome, certain cancers, HIV/AIDS, eating disorders, osteoporosis, syphilis, gonorrhea, and substance abuse. People with weakened immune systems and those in skilled nursing facilities or hospitals are at greater risk of death due to an oral infection that enters their bloodstream. Elderly people with gum disease or oral infections are at greater risk for pneumonia, the leading cause of death attributable to infection in patients 65 and older. Women who wish to become pregnant should know that gum disease has been linked to low-birth-weight and premature births. People with disabilities and complex health conditions are at greater risk for oral diseases that will further complicate their health conditions.
Oral Health and Quality of Life
In addition to the direct health effects described above, oral health has a major impact on quality of life issues. Poor oral health can lead to pain, interrupted sleep, and missed activities. More than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental-related illness, and employed adults lose more than 164 million hours of work each year due to dental disease or dental visits.*
Oral diseases can impact a person’s ability to bite, chew, and swallow foods, which may limit food selection and result in inadequate nutrition. They may make speech problematic and contribute to negative social interactions, leading to poor selfimage, self-esteem, and even depression.
Oral Health and People with Special Needs
Although oral health needs and concerns are the same for everyone, people with special needs are even more likely to encounter these problems as their health conditions are already complex. And because people with disabilities are often unable to cooperate with dentistry, either physically or mentally, they face additional challenges with access to care.
Special needs dentists typically concentrate on those populations of patients who are poorly served by traditional dentistry— adults and children with disabilities, people with dental phobias or medical conditions, and seniors. In addition to their specialized training, a special needs dentist often offers treatment rooms that accommodate patients who use wheelchairs, acknowledging the accessibility and positioning issues that confront many of their patients when trying to access a typical dentist’s office.
When seeking a special needs dentist, be sure to ask them about their experience with issues that are relevant for your loved one, such as existing medical conditions, complex dental conditions (problems with tooth eruption, malocclusion, developmental defects, grinding, etc.), medications that may cause dry mouth, neuromuscular problems that affect the mouth (gagging, swallowing), uncontrolled body movements, seizures, cardiac disorders, gastroesophogeal reflux, compromised immune system, latex allergies, mental capabilities, behavior problems, communication techniques, visual impairments, hearing loss, food pouching, mouth breathing, tongue thrusting, and risk for aspiration. Additional considerations should be made for people who are afraid of the dentist, as one in seven Americans are.
Most patients with special needs will require sedation in order to receive treatment. Options range from nitrous oxide, to oral sedatives (pills), to I.V. sedation to general anesthesia. Most general dentists are only able to offer limited treatments or limited sedation; however, it is important for patients and caretakers to investigate options and not to settle for the minimum level of care. A special needs dentist is more likely to be experienced in providing treatment that utilizes a variety of sedation techniques.
Click here to read part three.
Dr. David M. Blende is a leading San Francisco dentist. The Blende Dental Group has been working with special needs patients for over 20 years. To learn more or to schedule an appointment with a special needs dentist, call 1-800-575-3375.
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