DENTAL CARE

Q: I forget you were off today, but I wanted to thank you for everything! It’s been a pleasure working with you! A:

Who said what? That was my question. I saw a patient recently who pointed to his front tooth that was ready to fall out. He decided that it was time to deal with tooth and the other teeth in his mouth that were failing. His occupation involved sales, and cosmetic appearance was a crucial factor in his business success. He proceeded to tell me that he spent considerable time in the hospital with lung issues. Over the counter pills were not sufficient to resolve his sick lungs. The initial regimen of hospital antibiotics did not work either. The hospital recruited a specialist in infectious diseases to sort out the problem. After many questions and tests, this doctor finally asked our patient the state of his oral health. He responded that it was dismal. At this time, the physician stated that his mouth and infected teeth, in particular, were the cause of his non-healing lungs. My patient was very confused. After all, what does the mouth have to do with the lungs?

We tend to think of our teeth as something that is outside our bodies. Just think about it. We have a primary care physician to treat every aspect of our body with one major exception. The family doctor does not address our teeth. Our teeth need a different person for that. So,it is quite natural to think that our teeth are not part of the rest of our body.

Nothing can be further from the tooth. The teeth sit in a base composed of gums and bone. These tissues anchor our teeth to our bodies. When something goes wrong with a tooth, it spreads to the base. An infected tooth spreads to the gums and causes an infection. Once the disease is in the gums, spreading to the rest of the body via the bloodstream is very easy. The bacteria from the oral infection will lodge in some distant organ. In our case, it was the lungs and resulted in a hospital stay.

Our health and cosmetic solution for our patient was the removal of all of the offending teeth. In his case, this was a life-saving move. They were beyond the point of treating the infection in the mouth. It was too late for that. I was able to place teeth in his mouth immediately and thereby solve the cosmetic issue. There was no way for him to be without any teeth for any length of time.

We need to take oral health and disease very seriously. It can kill you. If you have been putting off that required dental care, call Megan and set up a time for a consultation. There is never a charge talk to you and explore some ideas together. I look forward to seeing you. Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD is an Ohio licensed general dentist and is on the staff of Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine. The Healthy Smile 34586 Lakeshore Boulevard (¼ mile west of Route 91 on Lakeshore Blvd) Eastlake, Ohio 44095 440-951-7856 Severance Medical Arts, Suite 603 5 Severance Center Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 216-371-2333 www.jeffreygrossdds.com