Dunes Dental Services

Alina Muntean

Many patients don’t realize the extent of their dental diseases until there is a problem interfering with their quality of life. But can this be done any other way, so that you as a patient don’t have to wait until a problem  arise? Yes ,it can be done!

By having a methodical and comprehensive analysis of your oral condition, utilizing the Kois system of health assessment and health management of your entire mouth, to identify all the factors that can contribute to the apparition of disease.

How good is good enough for you as a patient? Are you satisfied with just going into a dental office, being treated as a number, getting out ,not having pain or maybe a little, and life is good? McDonald’s system works in many places, satisfy the hunger, or the pain…..But is that what you should expect , is that good enough for you?

That's how I see it:

First , you should walk into a dental office and be GREETED by a receptionist. That first impression should tell you how important you are as a person or as a number, and also how the rest of your journey will be. Many offices don’t realize that the receptionist destroys their practice!

Second, do you have a comprehensive, detailed exam before work is done in your mouth? And does the dentist looks over the health history that you spent ½ hour to fill in, or is just another paper that is there because it needs to be? That should also tell you that an overall health of your mouth is looked up in correlation with your body, oral cancer, periodontal disease, cavities……,since there are so many interrelations between the mouth and the heart, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn disease….

Third, did you understand what is going on in your mouth and why treatment may be recommended? You should expect that and have all your answers before you leave….

Fourth,was a financial statement handed to you before the work starts? Do you leave the dental office having in mind a clear plan and solutions to your dental problems? How much confidence do you have in that dental office? Can you say: “Yes ,if I go further with my treatment in this office, I will get the best I can get?

We as dental professionals and you as patients have to realize that we must not allow ourselves to feel comfortable with mediocrity, to be continuously treated as a number, but to have a new standard where “good enough” is not good enough anymore. We must maintain a focus on excellence !

Tags: rheumathoid artritis | Crohn disease | periodontal disease | comprehensive dental exams | dental disease

Alina Muntean

What is gum disease? Periodontal disease (gum disease) appears to be genetically determined inflammation induced dysregulation of bone metabolism affecting  15% to 40% of the population.

 The germs responsible for gum disease are found in everybody's mouth. It is up to the immune system response if you get the disease and the process is destructive or you don't get the disease and the protective shield is up.

How the destructive process works: the immune system responds to the bad germs by sending some enzymes to attack bacteria but they attack the gums and bones around the teeth too, because they cannot tell the difference between good and bad. Result in time: deep pockets are going to form between the gum and the tooth  accumulating more bacteria and exacerbate the problem. Now, rheumatoid arthritis has the same symptoms as gum disease: pain, swelling, tenderness; if left untreated, leads to bone loss. A recent study found the presence of gum bacteria in the joint's fluid of individuals affected by rheumatoid arthritis. More so, antibodies to the same bacterial species are found in both places. Also, both conditions are characterized by chronic inflammation, in a soft tissue site near the bone. 

Once you have been diagnosed with gum disease, eliminating inflammation is the key to successful treatment. 

Many people already know that there is a strong correlation between gum disease, heart disease, and low birth weight. Now another one with rheumatoid arthritis.

Does that tell everybody that the same blood that flows through every organ of our body passes through the mouth too, including gums and teeth and carries the bad bacteria everywhere?

If you have a healthy immune system, good genetics, and don't smoke, the bacteria is going to be killed. If you are the less luckier one, seems like the bacteria can spread everywhere.

So go see your dentist, make sure you are checked for gum disease, know your risk factors, and avoid them. (You cannot choose your relatives, right?) 

Tags: gum disease | rheumatiod arthritis | periodontal disease | oral health | immune system