HEALTHY LIVING

Watch your mouth! Dental health gives signs to overall well-being

Susanne Cervenka
@scervenka

MIDDLETOWN – Patricia Bogue matter-of-factly says she's in excellent health for her 85 years. "I eat well, I sleep well and nothing hurts," said Bogue, a Michigan resident visiting family in Holmdel for a year. She certainly wasn't going to let the extended visit keep her from regular dental care. But she was more circumspect about the link between her scrupulous dental care and her overall good health.

"It all goes together, I suppose," she said as she waited for her appointment at Newman Springs Dental Care in Middletown.

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But local dentists say it's more than a supposition: Good dental health is not just about having pearly whites. It also reflects on our overall health.

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"The oral cavity is a mirror to general health, and examination of oral cavity could provide clues to systemic health," said Dr. Mahnaz Fatahzadeh, a professor of oral medicine at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.

Dentists do thorough examinations of both the hard and soft tissue in the mouth as a part of the dental care. And when something is out of place, they can refer patients to primary care doctors or other specialists.

"They are better in tune with something that is out of order," she said.

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With some systemic disease, the first symptoms show up in the mouth first, Fatahzadeh said. Pemphigus vulgaris, a potentially fatal autoimmune condition marked by painful blisters, is one of those conditions.

But if found early with routine dental care, a patient can treat the condition with less medication and avoid some of the impact on their quality of life, she said.

Likewise, those dental exams can help detect abnormalities either in the precancer stage or soon after it becomes cancerous, improving patients treatment, Fatahzadeh said.

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At Newman Springs Dental Care, Dr. Mitchel Friedman uses an advanced oral cancer screening device that uses blue light and tissue's natural fluorescence to detect abnormalities that otherwise might be missed.

"This has uncovered cancerous and precancerous areas that with early detection were biopsied and removed before it spread," he said.

But it doesn't always require high-tech dental care to make a difference in overall health. Friedman said he tests every patient's blood pressure and refers them back to their primary care physician if their blood pressure is high.

Early in his career, roughly 25 years ago, he had a new patient with diabetes and high blood pressure that she was having difficulty controlling. Friedman also diagnosed her as having periodontal disease, commonly known as gum disease.

After treatment for gum disease, the patient again had a a healthy mouth. And her blood pressure and sugar levels stabilized, Friedman said.

"Her physician had no idea about the link and referred patients in the same situation to their dentist for evaluation and treatment," he said.

The link between dental health and overall health issues like cardiovascular disease and diabetes is better known today. But more research is needed to determine if one disease is causing the other or if a person with bad dental health habits also is more likely to have bad overall health habits, Fatahzadeh said.

"We don't know if the nature of the link is causative or coincidence," she said.

Friedman's patient became an "excellent student" of oral health after seeing the link between her mouth and her overall health, but all too often, people fall into bad habits after their oral pain is relieved.

Friedman stressed the importance of flossing, which he said is the most overlooked oral hygiene tool. Flossing removes plaque from between teeth.

He also recommends electronic toothbrushes over manual toothbrushes because they are more effective at removing plaque from surfaces of the mouth.

Mouth rinses also can be used in addition to flossing and brushing. Friedman recommends using a rinse without alcohol, which can dry out the mouth and make it more prone to increased bacteria.

"The mouth is the gateway to the overall health of the body," he said. "A disease free mouth is the key."

Susanne Cervenka: 732-643-4229; scervenka@app.com.