Non-Oral Diseases That Dentists Can Often Detect

Posted on: March 18, 2015 | Blog

You depend on your primary physician to detect and monitor health conditions, and you go to that doctor when you become sick with the flu or need some other form of medical care. While you may put off going to the dentist because you don’t believe the appointment is as urgent as the flu, the dentist can also detect health problems that occur beyond your mouth, sometimes sooner than your primary physician does. This is because health conditions and diseases can create changes in your mouth, which is reasonable cause for contacting dentists in Las Vegas for an annual checkup.

Dentists can detect non-oral diseases too

Heart Disease

Studies show that there is a link between periodontal disease and heart disease, such as stroke and heart attack. These two conditions have some of the same risk factors, such as a history of heart conditions in the family. If you develop heart problems, you could have an infection around your molars, particularly around your wisdom teeth. This is because oral bacteria and the plaque it produces may appear as plaque in your arteries.

Diabetes

You may be aware that more than 1 million people become diagnosed diabetics every year, and you might know how to change your lifestyle to prevent its development. What you might not know, however, is that your dentist could be the first to notice the signs of diabetes onset, or prediabetes. Borderline diabetics and diabetics who have yet to be diagnosed are four times as likely to develop periodontal disease. Researchers have found that testing the blood that appears from routine dental cleanings may be as accurate as normal blood sample testing from the finger when checking sugar levels.

Leukemia

Cancer is a serious health problem that is best treated in the early stages, which requires early detection. Your dentist might be able to detect leukemia first if your gums become spongy and inflamed and turn fiery red in appearance. These signs indicate that youR body could be producing too many white blood cells, but this is not a diagnosis and requires further testing.