Dental medicine

Over recent years there has been mounting evidence of the impact that our patients’ mouths can have on their general health. With the growing list of diseases where the mouth may have an impact (including diabetes, atheromatous diseases, lung disease, pregnancy complications, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and erectile dysfunction) it is becoming more essential for dental teams to ensure they have the knowledge to confidently discuss with patients the role of the mouth.

The mechanism of action is believed to be due to chronic inflammation and how this impacts on various organs and cells in the body. There are some conditions where the mechanism may be different, for example in the case of Alzheimer’s it may also be that reduced chewing function can affect blood flow to the brain.

Most dental teams are aware of the links, for example with diabetes or pregnancy complications with oral health, however the evidence is that as a profession we are notoriously bad at informing our patients of them. Not only are we doing a disservice to our patients, but we are undermining the importance of the work that dentists do.