Correlation between medical conditions and dental health

by Lisa Fillers

It is rather easy for the experienced dentist, hygeinist, or dental staff to see the correlation between medical conditions and dental health. Over the years of working in a dental practice they see patient after patient who come in with high blood pressure, diabetes, and other medical problems as well as healthy patients. Healthy patients, in general, have far fewer dental health problems. The longer a patient has had a medical condition, the greater degree of dental health problems they have.

All patients of a dental practice must complete a medical history form. It is required so the dentist and staff can be alerted to the need for premedication prior to dental procedures. During my years in the medical field I saw a great many patients with the same medical condition that also had the same type of dental health issue. Listed below are some commonly seen medical conditions among patients with a lot of dental health issues.

LUNG DISEASE

Lung disease can affect a patient's overall health in multiple ways. Most lung disease patients have been smokers at some time in their life and a large percentage of them were considered heavy smokers. Smokers eventually lose their teeth. Smoking increases the amount of bacteria in a person's mouth by aiding it in growing. Decaying food and bacteria form plaque and plaque causes cavities and gum disease. When gum disease is present in the mouth, any continued smoking makes the gums raw and irritatated. It also increases the swelling of the pockets in the gum around the teeth caused by gum disease. Gum disease causes the gums to recede, exposing portions of the teeth that were not meant to be exposed. It weakens the jaw bone structure, as well, that holds the teeth in place and the patient's teeth can literally fall out of their mouth.

Lung disease, asthma, and other chronic respiratory problems can cause black line teeth in patients who were born to a parent with goiters or a family history of goiters. These patients have a higher than normal amount of iron and other minerals in their body and constantly produce mucous. The mucous carries the minerals into the mouth where they combine with the bacteria in decaying food, forming the dark plaque around the neck of the tooth at the gum line.

Lung disease patients have a supressed immune system and the weakness of their immune system make them more susceptible to all infections. Infection can occur at sites with bleeding gums or any dental trauma causing

a scrape or cut in the mouth.

DIABETES

Diabetes can cause tooth decay, gum disease, infection, delay in healing, fungal infections, salivary gland dysfunction, and impairment of taste. Patients can suffer from any of these dental health problems if their diabetes is not kept well under control. High glucose levels found in the saliva of uncontrolled diabetic patients cause faster deterioation of the teeth and gum disease in diabetic patients with poor dental hygeine. Uncontrolled diabetes also weakens the immune system and makes the patient more susceptible to infection.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

High blood pressure causes constriction of the arteries which can decrease blood flow vital for healthy teeth. Repeated constriction of blood flow to a tooth can cause the pulp of the tooth to die. This results in the need for a crown, or cap, to be placed on the tooth or can result in total loss of the tooth. Medications used to treat high blood pressure cause xerostoma, dry mouth, which causes a higher incidence of tooth decay, gum disease, tooth loss, and halitosis.

Medications for high blood pressure can interact with pain medications prescribed by a dentist. Patients who have fluid retention due to high blood pressure or diabetes may also suffer adverse effects. It is imperative your dentist is told immediately should you develop high blood pressure or diabetes.

HEART DISEASE

Heart disease can lead to gum disease and loss of teeth. This is true of non-smokers as well as smokers.

Heart disease which has caused artificial valves to be placed, heart transplants patients with a valve problem, a history of endocarditis and certain congential heart defects can cause bacterial endocarditis. This is a serious infection which can occur in these patients when they have dental procedures done if they have not been premedicated prior to the procedure. All patients need to be truthful in completing their medical history.

Hardening of the arteries causes the patient to have to take blood thinners such as Warfarin, which is a generic form of Coumadin. Any blood thinner causes the dentist to be extremely cautious during dental procedures due to the patient bleeding more freely.

GERDS

Acid Reflux Disease and other gastrointestinal problems cause a higher rate of tooth decay and tooth loss due to the patient regurgitating acidic bile. The bile not only eats away the esophogus over time, but also eats away the enamel on the patient's teeth. Once the protective enamel is damaged, cavities begin to form and the tooth pulp can eventually die. Any chronic stomach condition can cause severe halitosis.

EPILEPSY

Patients who suffer from Epilepsy or epileptic type seizures are usually prescribed Dilantin, which can cause gingival hyperplasia. This is a drug induced gingival overgrowth. Organ transplant patients on Cyclosporine and high blood pressure patients or any heart patient using calcium channel blockers can also suffer from gingival hyperplasia.

There are other medical conditions which can cause dental health problems but these are the most common seen. In general, any systemic medical condition can be a source of dental health problems itself or through the medication required to treat the condition.

Learn more about this author, Lisa Fillers.