Health Conditions a Dentist Might Find That Have Nothing to Do With Your Teeth

By American心Association News HealthDay Reporter

A visit to the dentist's office could provide a glimpse into yourheart和brain health.

More than an estimated 100 diseases can show symptoms in the mouth. For instance, periodontal disease, which results from infections and inflammation of the gums and bone that support and surround theteeth, is more common and may be more severe in people withdiabetes.

Other times, prescriptiondrugsmay affect the mouth. For instance, somedrugsused to treathypertensioncan cause swollen, inflamed gums.

"We see a lot of systemic diseases with oral signs and symptoms," said Dr. Jennifer Perkins, executive director of clinical education at the University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry.

Dentists might be able to pick up on red flags about a patient's overall health before they even start poking around in the mouth. Perkins teaches in several courses that focus on evaluating and following up on patients' medical health histories.

"Through that process, we sometimes come across important medical findings," she said. Students who work with faculty at UCSF find symptoms or concerns in patients every day that might need a consult or referral to a health care professional. The following are some examples.

Hypertension

A person's官网地址bwinmay be taken before a cleaning or a dental procedure that requires a local anesthetic, Perkins said. Most dental offices ask first-time visitors to fill out medical history forms that are updated periodically, much like at the doctor's office.

"Every contact that a patient makes with the health care system is another opportunity forprevention, andhypertensionis a classic example of a condition where this may make all the difference," said Dr. Dhruv Satish Kazi, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Many dental clinics will check官网地址bwin, he said, "and can therefore identify patients who need to be connected with care."

Dentist offices, he added, can serve as a touchpoint for other services, especially for residents of lower-income or rural areas that may not have as many health care professionals.

For people already diagnosed withhigh blood pressure, somehypertensiondrugs can causedry mouth. When the salivary glands don't produce enough saliva to keep the mouth wet,tooth decayaccelerates, since saliva protects against decay. In those cases, Perkins said, dentists work with the patient's health care professional to manage side effects.

Diabetes

Untreateddiabetescan lead to serious medical problems, includingcardiovascular disease. In some patients, Perkins said high average bloodsugarcan lead to disruptions in the oral microbiome – the vast collection of friendly bacteria,viruses和other microbes that live in the mouth. That could meangum disease, bone loss and losingteeth, she said.

"We do see this phenomenon where people who perceive themselves to be healthy may not go to the doctor," Perkins said. "Because (undiagnosed)diabetes和hypertensioncan present without clear symptoms, we may just happen to see them first. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for us to see."

HIV

Perkins has treated people later diagnosed withHIVafter finding lesions in their mouth that would not appear in someone with a functioning immune system. The risk ofcardiovascular diseasefor people living withHIVis about 1.5 to two times greater than for people without the virus, according to an American Heart Association scientific statement about cardiovascular disease andHIV.

QUESTION

What causes tooth decay?See Answer

COVID

Perkins said the UCSF School of Dentistry has tested patients forCOVID-19before dental procedures since shortly after the pandemic began in 2020 to protect students, staff and other patients from infection. Her clinic only recently shifted to not requiring testing before procedures for people who are fully vaccinated and boosted.

研究显示冠状病毒可以伤害heart and brain. And conditions such asHIV,diabetes和possiblyhigh blood pressureare among those that can lead to severe illness fromCOVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention.

Although dentists can pick up on various health conditions, Kazi cautioned against thinking dentists are a one-stop shop for health.

"It's magical thinking that our dental colleagues have the bandwidth to talk at length aboutheart disease, just like our cardiology colleagues don't have the time to talk aboutdental healthmore broadly," Kazi said. "But there are enough synergies for the two to connect and improve cardiovascular screening and care."

American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If you have questions or comments about this story, please email[email protected]

By Genaro C. Armas, American Heart Association News

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