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Oral Systemic Health Arlington Tx
Dr. Martinson works with physicians to help find underlying causes of medical conditions. Often patients with gum disease and abscesses teeth will have atypical bloodwork panels. The numbers for like A1C, lipoprotein A and cholesterol levels will be high. After the gum disease and or dental abscesses are treated, she will work with your physician to repeat and check your bloodwork numbers again. Typically after 90-120 days your bloodwork #’s will return to normal levels.
Success Story
Patient was referred to us by his medical doctor, who suspected a dental infection. Upon our examination, we discovered moderate periodontal disease (gum disease), and a tooth abscess. We successfully treated patient for both conditions.
Four months later, after returning to his medical doctor, his lab work was repeated. At which time, it was discovered that not only had he lost 4 lbs., but most of his numbers went from “high Risk” to “Optimal”. Please take a look at his actual lab results.
Periodontal Disease
Most people are not aware that periodontal or Gum Disease has a huge link to heart disease. The reason dentists recommend patients come in for routine exams and cleanings every 6 months is so we can catch gum disease and dental decay EARLY! Very commonly people postpone dental visits for one excuse or another. This can lead to gum disease and extensive deep dental decay. Some studies show that up to 70% of the adult population have untreated gum disease. The state of Texas requires every dentist to check their patients periodontal or gum pockets once a year. Many of our patients have never had their pockets measured.
Normal healthy gums have pocket depths of 1-3 mm. Pocket depths of 4mm or more are a sign of gum disease. Bone loss on your dental x-rays is another sign of gum disease. We will show you your radiographs/ x-rays and whether you have bone loss or not.
The presence of calculus or tartar on your x-rays is another sign of gum disease. We will diagnose what type of gum disease you have, if any, and recommend appropriate conservative treatment options. If you have gum disease we will suggest non-surgical treatment to try to arrest the disease process as early as possible. The goal is always to treat gum disease early and try to prevent the need for periodontal or gum disease surgery. Coming in frequently for periodontal maintenance cleanings is the key to arresting and managing gum disease.
Oral Cancer Screenings
Dr.’s Martinson and Greene do a thorough oral cancer screening as part of every dental examination. You hear about cavities and periodontal disease all the time when it comes to dental care – but what about oral cancer? On average, one American dies from oral cancer every hour, and while heavy tobacco and alcohol consumption are strong indicators for its presence, 25% of cases occur in patients who participate in no risk factors at all. Your health and safety is always a priority for our team, which is why we offer oral cancer screenings as part of our evaluation process. By carefully scanning your mouth for common signs like sores, white or red spots, or thickened skin, we can catch this dangerous condition earlier than ever before and dramatically increase the chances of recovery.
Identification of Dental Abscesses
Did you know that abscessed teeth can lead to severe systemic infections and even death? There is a sad landmark case in 2007 in Maryland. A 12-yr old boy had severe dental decay that went untreated. The tooth abscess turned into a systemic infection that went to his brain. He passed away. His life could have been spared if his infected tooth had simply been removed – a procedure costing just $80. At our office we take a full set of dental x-rays and a 3D x-ray, also called a CBCT x-ray. Together those x-rays show us if any of your teeth are abscessed. We can also see if the abscess has caused a break in the maxillary sinuses leading to a bacterial infection in your sinuses. Physicians we work with like ENT’s (Ear Nose and Throat Doctors) are thrilled that we can actually differentiate a tooth abscess from a sinus infection. Very few general dentistry offices have this 3D technology.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
Dentists are in a great position to see and evaluate your airway! We see your airway or lack of an airway every time we work on you. During your initial dental examination we will examine your airway and discuss possible sleep apnea testing if we think you might have sleep apnea. Do you snore? Have trouble breathing at night? Have trouble sleeping? Have excessive daytime sleepiness? All these can be signs of untreated sleep apnea. This condition also leads to several severe systemic complications, also including death. Identification of sleep apnea is therefore super important! For patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea we make beautiful conservative dental devices, and you may not have to wear that huge bulky “CPAP” machine at all.
We Save Lives And Teeth!
