The majority of people see the hygienist as a person to clean their teeth or give them a "scrape & polish". So with this sort of profile, what is the point of sending patients to see these "glorified" toothbrushers?
Those of us who have supported the role of the hygienist have long been explaining the benefits of fighting gum disease, thus preventing premature tooth loss, fresher breath and a better smile; but it now seems we have also been, albeit inadvertently, increasing our patients chances of a healthier life.
Over the last few years plenty of evidence has been emerging linking the health of our gums to our overall health. For example, pregnant ladies with uncontrolled gum disease are 7-8 times more likely to have premature births. But it doesn't stop there; toxins released by gum cells due to inflammation from gum disease have been proven to enter our blood stream and potentially cause inflammatory changes to parts of our body.
Diabetics with gum disease find it harder to control their blood sugar levels, elimination of this inflammation directly improves diabetic control, reducing the progression of the disease.
Moreover, bacteria can attach to platelets in our blood causing them to clump together and possibly lodge inside blood vessels potentially reducing blood flow to vital organs such as the heart and brain. Thus people with long standing gum disease have been shown to be more susceptible to life threatening heart attacks and strokes.
At Absolute Dental we have always screened our patients to identify patients with gum (periodontal) disease to enable us to provide appropriate treatment. Whilst it is even more critical to address gum disease in these patients, we also need to promote the benefit of simple conservative therapies performed by our hygienists to prevent gum disease in the first place, thus reducing the likelihood of ever suffering from these life changing events
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