Eumundi Voice - Issue 99, 8 August 2024

HEALTH

Beyond the tooth

Dental Health Week runs from 5-11 August and is the Australian Dental Association's annual oral health campaign.

Dentists play a crucial role in your overall health. After 15 years as a dentist, I have noticed that people think dentistry is only about teeth and gums. While the central part of our job is diagnosing and treating ailments of the oral cavity, we also look for signs of other diseases during your oral exam.

During a dental exam, we will call out several numbers, and use words like buccal, posterior, and lingual – which will seem like we are talking another language which, I guess, to an extent, we are. This part of the exam is all about the teeth.

Then you will notice we start saying things like crenation of the lateral borders of the tongue, or floor of mouth screened and clear. These words indicate that we are now assessing for oral manifestations of systemic disease – we are also looking for cancer. Just 2 months ago one of my colleagues discovered a squamous cell carcinoma in a patient's mouth. This client is now undergoing treatment, which will hopefully be life-saving.

I know this sounds disgusting, but we are also smelling your breath. And no, it's not to see if you brushed your teeth before coming to see us. The smell of a person's breath can give us insight into a person's health. Believe it or not, people who have anorexia, bulimia, or uncontrolled diabetes all have a distinctive fruity smell, which is evident during a dental visit. On noticing this during an examination, your dentist will encourage you to seek medical advice and treatment.

Several body diseases and illnesses show early manifestations in the mouth. Patients presenting with recurrent periodontal (gum) abscesses may be showing early signs of leukaemia or diabetes. Vitamin deficiencies, autoimmune diseases like lupus and Crohn's, and silent reflux can’t be hidden from a dentist's scrutiny. All of these conditions have oral signs. Vitamin deficiencies can also lead to loose teeth – think scurvy and pirates with no teeth. Crohn's disease and silent reflux appear as unusual wear patterns on the backs of the teeth.

In Australia, healthdirect.gov.au recommends seeing your dentist once every 6 months and for children within 6 months of getting their first tooth. So, if you are due or overdue for your dental checkup, remember that we will not only be checking your teeth, but also assessing your overall health.

Regular dental checks and cleans are a very healthy habit to follow. And yes, we will be asking you the last time you flossed. We would love to hear you say, “Every day, doc!” but we understand that, more than likely, your answer will be, "Well, you should remember, doc, because you were the last person to do it.”

Happy Oral Health Week! Remember keep brushing and flossing to ensure you have happy and healthy teeth.

Dr Sarah Rose – Eumundi Dental