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Importance of Dental Checkups and Screening for patients with Heart disease, Diabetes, Pregnancy, Stroke or Nervous System related problems, Bone or Joint Issues like Arthritis and Kidney disorders

Heart Disease of Cardiovascular disease

• People with Heart related issues need to maintain their dental health specially post operations or surgery.
• Gum disease or periodontal problems are common with heart related ailments.
• Bad oral health or dental health can cause bacterial infections in your blood which in turn may impact the health of your heart by affecting the valves.
• Ignoring dental health and oral hygiene can cause heart or cardiac diseases like myocardial infarction, infective endocarditis etc.
• Bacteria which form in the mouth and the oral cavity can enter the blood & cause plaque buildup in the arteries.
• Dental checkups can identify early signs of dental problems and reduce risks of cardiac problems. Early detection and prevention of oral and dental issues can improve the overall health of the society.

Reference

• Will taking care of my teeth help prevent heart disease?
• Having Heart Surgery? Why Good Dental Health Matters?

Diabetes

Diabetic patients have a higher risk of losing their teeth as compared to those without diabetes. There are several ways in which diabetes affects dental health and oral hygiene.

One of the most common problems that people with diabetes face is the development of gum disease or periodontitis.

• Gum diseases or periodontal infections are very common in diabetic people. If these infections are not treated in time and if the infection increases then it may spread to the bone holding the teeth. This problem becomes more serious because infections take a lot of time to heal for patients who have diabetic conditions.
• Dry Mouth or Xerostomia is also very common in diabetic patients and this further accelerates gum disease.
• Many adults with diabetes have poor awareness of oral care and health complications.
• Training and advice for both healthcare professionals and patients concerning the importance of good oral health in patients with diabetes is needed.
• The role of dentists in diabetes screening and support requires further investigation
• Treating gum disease may be able to help lower your blood sugar over time.
• Regular dental visits are important to prevent problems. Follow your diabetes care schedule. Keep regular dental visits for professional cleanings, X-rays, and check-ups.
• High blood sugar levels may affect the time the gums take to heal. For example, if you have a tooth removed, and it is taking an unusually long time to heal.

Dental hygiene, diabetes, and heart problems

• Diabetes can lead to excess cholesterol building up in the bloodstream, raising the risk of heart disease.
• Several studies have shown that people with gum disease may have a higher risk of heart disease.

Reference

• Diabetes and Oral Health
• Screening for diabetes mellitus in dental practices
• Oral health awareness in adult patients with diabetes

Pregnancy

• Research indicates a very strong correlation between complications in pregnancy like premature birth to be associated with dental health problems developed during pregnancy.
• Pregnancy is a time when the human body is subjected to physiological changes that are large and sudden to support and formulate maturity in the baby.

• Every woman should be very cognizant of dental problems possible during pregnancy and should take all necessary precautions to prevent dental issues. This is in the interest of both the mother and the child to be born.
• Dental Hygiene must be maintained and preventive check-ups with a dentist will help to check problems in early stages.
• Dental consultation and checkups are anyways low during the pregnancy period due to curbs on mobility but one must be careful.
• Pregnant women should get regular dental check-ups and dental health counselling as a part of the healthcare routine.

Reference

• Oral Health During Pregnancy
• Oral care in pregnancy
• Pregnancy and Oral Health

Kidney

• People with kidney problems should also be very careful with their dental health and oral hygiene. A regular dental checkup for a person on dialysis is very essential.

• CKD and erratic GFR in cases with absence of CKD are vulnerable to oral lesions. Due to the high frequency and prevalence of oral lesions in CKD patients, it is essential that patients with renal problems and conditions must get a regular dental checkup. The lesions associated with CKD patients must be managed well to ensure good health of the patient.

• Decaying teeth and periodontal issues can cause infections which can be very damaging for people with serious or complicated renal conditions or kidney diseases. Gum health or periodontal health should be given high importance by people with kidney related health issues.

• Studies in departments of periodontology have associated the prevalence of kidney diseases as very high correlation with gum disease and oral and dental problems.

• People with Weak immunity and health get oral infections and complications very easily. Renal or Kidney disease patients have a weak immunity and hence they are very vulnerable to oral and dental problems. Kidney transplant patients are also at very high risk for dental and oral health problems and issues.

Reference

• How Does Oral Health Affect People with Kidney Disease?
• DENTAL CARE
• Systemic Consequences of Poor Oral Health in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients
• Dialysis And Dental Health: What You Need To Know
• Is there association between chronic kidney disease and dental caries

Brain stroke

Dental health maintenance and oral care is very important after an incident of stroke. It is very common for stroke patients to ignore oral and dental health. Research indicates that good overall dental health is correlated to reduced risk of aspiration pneumonia and other issues and serious sequela.

There is a lot of work that needs to be done by healthcare professionals managing stroke patients for increasing awareness for dental health amongst stroke patients. It is important that dental and oral care is integrated in the overall health management procedures for stroke patients.

Reference

• Oral care after stroke: Where are we now?
• Guideline for oral health care of Stroke Survivors
• Patient perceptions of oral health care following stroke

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Studies indicate that the bacteria that cause gum disease or periodontal problems can also be the cause for autoimmune inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. There is ongoing research to find out more about the relationship between oral and dental diseases with RA.

There is good evidence to suggest that individuals with moderate to severe periodontal disease are at higher risk of suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and vice versa

While studies will continue, early signals in the study have suggested that people with periodontal disease are at an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis and the converse is also suggested to be true.

There is incidence of increase in loss of periodontal attachment and alveolar bone in cases where patients have ERA and hence it does indicate that patients must be informed about a high risk of dental and periodontal diseases.

Reference:

• Association among rheumatoid arthritis, oral hygiene, and periodontitis
• Oral status in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis

Lung Diseases

Periodontal disease and problems worsen the chronic inflammation in respiratory diseases like health issues related to the lungs like pneumonia, asthma and COPD. The primary entry point for bacteria to enter the lungs is from the oral cavity.

Aspiration pneumonia is a common problem in geriatric patients with bad or compromised oral and dental health. People with periodontal disease, dental decay, compromised oral care and hygiene are at a very high risk of aspiration pneumonia.

Source:

• Dental Health and Lung Disease
• Lung function and oral health in adolescents
• Periodontal health status and lung function in two Norwegian cohorts