Keeping Your Dentist Up To Date
Your dentist needs to know about your past or current illnesses and medication use.
Some general health conditions and medications can affect your oral health, and your oral health can affect some general health conditions.
Health History
Dentists may ask you about your overall health, including conditions like these1:
▪heart or blood conditions
▪cancer
▪eating disorders
▪infectious diseases
Dentists also ask about your overall health because some of these conditions can affect your mouth. For example, eating disorders can affect the gums and teeth, especially if the patient is vomiting often. The acid in vomit can wear down the hard outer layer of enamel on teeth.
Some health conditions may be affected by oral health. Diabetes is a good example. Several oral diseases tend to be more common in people who have diabetes, like the following:
▪gum disease
▪dry mouth
▪fungal infection called thrush
Furthermore, people with type 2 diabetes who have gum disease may have more difficulty controlling their blood sugar levels.
Then there are conditions that occur at the same time but do not really seem to affect one another. For some conditions, it is more likely that they share the same risk factor. For example, research suggests that some people who have the heart condition atherosclerosis also tend to have gum disease. The researchers cannot say whether one condition causes the other, but they know that both conditions share risk factors. For example, smoking increases the risk of both atherosclerosis and gum disease. This is another reason why dentists might ask about your behaviors and habits.
Many dental offices might also check your pulse, temperature, breathing rate, and blood pressure at the start of a visit to see if these vital signs are okay before treatment begins.
Summary
It is important to fill your dentist in on your general health and any medications you are taking, including those that are prescribed by your physician and those you buy off the store shelf. Sometimes your general health or medications can affect your oral health and vice versa. Providing your dentist with an up-to-date and complete health and medication history can help your dentist care for you.