Evidence grows of links between oral health and overall health
Beck adds, “Such findings are fueling a push for dentists to play a greater role in patients’ overall health. Some 20 million Americans — including 6 percent of children and 9 percent of adults — saw a dentist but not a doctor in 2008, according to a study in the American Journal of Public Health this month.”
Beck urges her readers not to be fooled by shiny white teeth. “In fact, many dentists worry that people who whiten their teeth may have a false sense of complacency, since their teeth can still be harboring tooth decay and serious gum disease,” she writs. “Even people who have no cavities can still have inflamed and infected gums.” She quotes Mark Wolff, an associate dean at the New York University College of Dentistry: “Whiteness and the health of your teeth are totally unrelated.” (Read more)