Additionally, periodontal disease during pregnancy increases the risk that mothers will give birth to premature, underweight babies, which is a tremendous long-term burden for the individuals involved and society in general. An important aspect of our dental education is devoted to understanding that a patient's medical condition, and any pharmacological regimen involved, can greatly influence our treatment plans. To date, we have not seen a strong emphasis on the reciprocal nature of the relationship between diseased tissues. A good example of this is diabetes. Recent literature articles have reported enlightening, important, and compelling scientific findings regarding the interconnectedness of disease processes.
Oral health is truly a subset of general health.
Detailed medical health histories are an important tool we can use to help assess the potential impact of a patient's oral health on his or her medical conditions, and vice versa. The treating dentist should consider developing more in-depth medical history questionnaires and engage in ongoing communication with a patient's physician in certain situations. To the extent that we are more successful in assisting patients to attain better oral health, we will truly improve their entire health status. This question is the result of a misunderstanding among patients, dentists, and third-party carriers. He or she decides how much money to spend on premiums and for which procedures.