The oral cavity is the intersection of medicine and dentistry. It is the window into the general health of a patient. Hundreds of diseases and medications impact the oral cavity, and pathologic conditions in the mouth have a greater systemic impact than many providers appreciate.
It is unclear whether there is true causality or just an association between periodontal disease and certain other systemic conditions, including atherosclerotic vascular disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes, pregnancy-related complications, osteoporosis, and kidney disease.
Diabetes has a true bidirectional relationship with periodontal disease, and there is strong evidence that treating one condition positively impacts the other. Dentists, family physicians, and all primary care providers must increase their collaboration and communication to maximize the benefit to the patients. Oral hygiene is preventative care. This means you can stop oral health problems — such as cavities, gum disease, bad breath halitosis and other issues — before they start by taking good care of your teeth and gums.
Oral health is also linked to whole-body health. For example, if an infection is present in your mouth, your bloodstream can carry the bacteria to other areas of your body, leading to other health concerns like heart disease and stroke. Keeping your teeth and gums healthy is an important part of long-lasting overall health. The oral cavity has been described as “the window to general health.” According to Seymour, statements such as “You cannot have good general health without good oral health” and “The mouth is part of the body”. The oral cavity is also the intersection of dentistry and medicine, semi-independent professions that share the same common goal of improving the health and quality of life of patients.
Overall, dental hygiene plays an important role not only in preserving your oral health, but also preserving your overall health. Regular dental hygiene practices control bacterial populations in order to prevent oral health concerns, as well as the spread of infection to other parts of the body. For this reason, it is essential to;
- Brush twice a day
- Floss once a day
- Visit your local dental office at least once every six months.
The KAHER’s VK Institute of dental sciences provides various dental facilities for the patients with all dental problems. The gums problems are resolved by the Department of periodontics with basic treatments to advanced procedures.
Primary prevention of disease is the best approach but often difficult to achieve. From a primary care standpoint, it is vital that physicians and dentists increase collaboration and share information that can impact the patient’s health. Most patients with these chronic conditions probably do not think that a problem in their mouth can affect their heart or bones. Modifying any coexisting condition may be enough to prevent a significant, possibly life-threatening medical outcome.
Dr. Shweta Hugar
Dr. Neelamma Shetti
Dept. of Periodontics
KAHER’s KLE V K Institute of Dental Sciences
Belagavi.
