Why is the Oral-Systemic Link important for patients to understand?
There is a high chance that many of the patients that sat in your chair this week had some form of gum disease. In fact, many of those same patients might also have increased risk for developing or already have—a systemic condition. However, it is very likely your patients don’t know that a link exists between these health factors.
There is an important connection between the health of a patients’ mouth and the health of their body. This is referred to as the oral-systemic connection. Simply put, this means that oral health impacts your overall health, and systemic health (the presence of various diseases and disorders in your body). With the mouth as the “gateway to the body,” things like proper brushing techniques, diet, and regular visits to the dentist can have a direct influence on patients' physical, psychological, and social health. In fact, countless studies have demonstrated a link between poor oral health and systemic disease such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, dementia, rheumatoid arthritis, and even pregnancy complications.
Dental practitioners know that oral and systemic diseases are linked, but many times the patients do not. Therefore, talking to patients about how the whole body is connected and how their oral health can affect their overall health is vital for patient education.
Patients need to understand that the connection exists. Things usually show up in their oral health before they appear in their body. For example, many times, people who have inflammation in the oral cavity are pre-diabetic. This inflammation shows up in the dental chair way ahead of patients having a test for diabetes or understanding that they have a predisposing factor.
The emergence of complete health dentistry has seen an astounding advancement in the dental industry as researchers find a connection between oral and general health. Dentists understand the connection between oral and overall health and work with their teams on the application of modern dentistry with a focus on systemic relief.
Talking about Oral-Systemic health in the hygiene room
A clean mouth will lead to a clean body. When patients are in the office, hygienists are the first health care provider they interact with in the dental chair which is why it is important hygienists engage with patients and discuss how they can take ownership of their overall health.
Dental hygienists play a very important role in the world of oral health. A hygienist performs the preventative care procedures of a patient's teeth, flags trouble spots that could become cavities, reviews how diet can affect the health of the mouth, and much more. Hygienists perform a variety of challenging roles within a dental practice. They are patient advocates and the important connector between dentists and patients. This gives them a unique opportunity to talk about the patients’ medical history and the connection between oral health and overall health.
Brushing, cleaning, and rinsing are the backbone of hygiene education. If patients implemented these three things into their daily lives, many issues could be prevented or resolved, including gingivitis, periodontitis, and decay. Dental hygienists can help reiterate and educate patients on this connection.
At Heartland Dental, there are robust education training opportunities available for hygienists to continually advance their skills. This starts during the onboarding process, where hygienists can learn important information on the oral systemic link and share best practices on how to effectively communicate that to the patient. In addition, Heartland Dental hosts quarterly meetings which connect a broader group of hygienists as they share best practices for increasing efficiency and collaborate on ways to continually improve the patient experience.
Staying on top of the most recent research oral-systemic connection allows dental practitioners and hygienists to feel comfortable having these conversations with patients. As healthcare providers with expertise in oral health, talking to patients about their gum disease, connections to another condition, and what it says about inflammation in the body is part of patient advocacy.
Advice for dental professionals:
Never underestimate the importance of education. Dental professionals are aware of the oral-systemic link. But I believe that patients' access to oral care would improve if they were better educated on the connection between oral and systemic health. Therefore, patients should be informed of the oral-systemic link to improve their oral health.
And at the same time dental professionals should continue to take advantage of educational opportunities to be on the cutting edge of oral systemic healthcare and incorporate these principles into their practice. We have a responsibility to our patients to help improve their overall health literacy.