Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Save your life, see a dentist now By Henrylito D. Tacio Health 101
JONATHAN has been smoking since he was a teenager. The 24-year-old office clerk quit smoking only recently when his gums did not stop bleeding after brushing his teeth. After a month, he noticed a tooth in upper left portion began to loosen.
Jonathan talked with one of his friends, who recommended that he should see a dentist. "The tooth bothers me every time I eat," he told the dentist, who extracted the affected tooth. Five days later, however, he returned to the clinic and complained of a pain in the socket, which should have healed already.
The dentist attempted to debride the non-healing socket. That will solve your problem, the dentist assured him. But the socket still failed to show signs of healing even three weeks after the tooth extraction.
Jonathan returned to the clinic again and it was at this point that the patient was referred to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. "Can you get rid of the pain I am suffering now?" he asked the dentist.
Chew, the dental surgeon recommended some tissues for biopsy. He explained of the need to investigate the other parts of his skeletal and lungs as a tooth problem could have an implication on the other parts of the body.
The biopsy revealed that the patient was suffering from Langerhans cell histiocytosis, a rare spectrum of disorders characterized by proliferation and accumulation of a white blood cell in the various tissues and organs of the body. A chest radiograph revealed significant lesions in the lungs of the patient, which caused some parts of the lungs to collapse.
Jonathan did not show any signs of the disease despite the collapsed lung. Had it not been for the non-healing socket, he would have never been diagnosed of having the disease.
Jonathan's case is not isolated. Across Asia, people don't equate oral health with their overall health. They fail to recognize that some mouth infections can be treacherous. They have eaten through the skin in people's necks, choked off airways, migrated to the heart, burrowed into brains and, yes, even killed people.
Everyone is vulnerable, because bacteria that routinely lurk in the mouth cause tooth decay and gum disease. The problem: Most people don't know they have these infections. They often cause no pain and few symptoms, but can lead to far worse. Gum disease may also heighten the risk for heart disease, diabetes, pneumonia and premature birth, according to recent clinical trials. But the good news is that with good old regular brushing and flossing, you may prevent all that. And by seeing your dentist often, you can nip most problems in the bud.
Compared with other medical problems, oral health issues in the region are often regarded as trivial. "People don't go to dentists for checkup because they do not consider oral diseases as debilitating or life-threatening," points out Dr Zosima Reyes, chairperson of the Department of Dentistry and Oral Medicine at the St. Luke's Medical Center in Manila.
"Early detection of symptoms and early treatment may prevent the progress of the disease and its complication, and hopefully, save the life of the person," explains Dr Perla Cruz-Triviño, chair of the dental medicine department of Manila Doctors Hospital.
"You never know what your dentist may tell you on your next visit," adds Dr Eugene Tang Kok Weng, immediate past president of Singapore Dental Association and general dental practitioner with Drs Tang and Associates.
