Updating your Health History May Help Save Your Teeth
Posted on January 27th, 2018
Keeping your health history updated with Dr. McCormick, Dr. Meunier, and Dr. Adams may help save your teeth. Although you may think of general health and dental health as two completely unrelated categories, they are much more connected than the average person suspects. Just as the information you share with your general practitioner assists them in keeping you healthy, your Fuquay Varina dentists depend on your input for optimum dental health.
When it comes to your overall health, your dentist also needs to see the big picture so they can assist you with keeping your teeth vital. Most Fuquay-Varina residents might not think to inform their dentist about their general physical health, but would be surprised at the potential impact that information can have on their oral care. The Fuquay Family Dentistry team likes to go above and beyond for our Fuquay-Varina patients, but we depend on your participation to make sure you get the quality dental care you deserve. Here are a few reasons why.
Diabetes and Dental Health
750,000 Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year. However, few diabetes sufferers realize the full extent of the disorder’s effect on your teeth. If you have diabetes, you are much more likely to develop:
TMD/TMJ
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD/TMJ) results from improper workings of your jaw joint. Unfortunately, the symptoms of TMJ are so diverse that most people would never think to tell Dr. McCormick, Dr. Meunier, and Dr. Adams about them. However, we at Fuquay Family Dentistry can treat your TMD. Here are a few common symptoms signs of TMJ:
- Abnormally sensitive teeth
- Painful chewing
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Neck pain and/or stiffness
- Earaches
- Ringing in the ears
- Face pain
- Jaw aches
- Popping, clicking, or grinding of the jaw
- Frequent dislocation or locking of the jaw
- Difficulty or pain in opening the mouth wide
Physical impairments to brushing/flossing
If you have recently injured your hands, fingers, arms, shoulders, or suffer from any type of arthritis or physical disability, you may not be able to brush and floss as well as you should. There are ways to help Fuquay-Varina residents improve their dental health beyond brushing and flossing, but please inform Dr. McCormick, Dr. Meunier, and Dr. Adams about any physical impairments so they may advise you about the oral hygiene treatment that would provide you with the most benefit.
Side Effects and Dental Health
Did you know that more than 600 over-the-counter and prescription medications cause dry mouth or harm teeth in other ways? It is estimated that 40% of the population takes at least one medication that can cause potential harm to their teeth. Provide your dental team with a complete detailed list of your medications at every dental visit.
Dental health and general health go hand in hand, so the next time you visit Fuquay Family Dentistry and our team ask how you are – TELL US! If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call us today!
Sources
http://www.diabetes.org/
http://drc.hhs.gov/report/pdfs/section15-systematic.pdf
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Teeth_and_drug_use
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/oral-side-effects-of-medications
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/05/000529093840.htm
