Dental health matters.
The recent death of Vadim Anatoliyevich Kondratyuk, a young father of two from California, is a tragic reminder of the unequivocal importance of oral health.
Vadim, a 26-year-old truck driver, died this past week in a Utah hospital from complications due to an infected tooth. Although the infection was eventually treated by a dentist on a previous week when he experienced sudden pain in his mouth, given his fatal outcome, it appears that the infection was treated too little too late. Adding to severity of Vadim’s case was that he had been recently diagnosed with diabetes. This condition likely put him at greater risk of serious gum disease and infections in the mouth and could have even compromised his immune system, causing his body’s disease defense mechanisms to be impaired.
Death from an infected tooth: It still happens!
Two hundred years ago, dental abscesses were a leading cause of death. Fortunately, today, thanks to modern medicine and dental care, death from tooth infections are rare. That said, every year there are cases like Vadim’s where people do not receive appropriate, adequate, timely, or, in some cases, any dental care for a serious tooth infection to the point of fatality.
According to a report published by the PEW Charitable Trust, there were over 800,000 visits to American ERs in 2009 prompted by preventable dental conditions. The death of Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old boy in Maryland whose untreated dental issues lead to a fatal brain infection, and that of Kyle Willis, a 24-year-old father who could not afford the procedure or medications needed to treat his tooth infection, causing fatal swelling of his brain, are also sobering reminders that oral health is extremely important.
The connection between oral health and systemic conditions is now widely recognized by both medical and dental practitioners. An oral infection begins by being localized in the mouth. However, if the infection – which could take the form of tooth decay or gum disease, also known as periodontitis -- is not treated, it can become more serious, developing into an abscess, an infection that occurs between tooth and gum or bone around the teeth. If the abscess, in turn, is not treated in time, the infection could grow further, causing the bacteria to enter the body, and spread within the head and neck via the blood stream in the gums or bone. The inflammation and bacteria associated with dental and periodontal disease have been linked to six out of the seven leading causes of death in the United States, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, and Alzheimer's disease. In certain cases, like Vadim’s, it can lead to tragic, untimely death.
The eyes may be a window to your soul, but the mouth is a gateway to your entire body
A patient’s mouth can reveal a lot about their general health. Clues that point to early signs and symptoms of numerous pathologies including diabetes, HIV/AIDS, nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and sleep disorders can be picked up during an oral exam by your dentist. Certain lesions in the mouth, for instance, may be early signs of viral diseases caused by HPV and HIV/AIDS. In fact, according to the Academy of General Dentistry, 90% of all systemic diseases – pathologies that affect a number or entire systems of organs and tissues, such as lupus or sickle cell anemia, as opposed to those that are restricted to one part of the body – have symptoms that are detectable in the mouth.
Certain painkillers, antidepressants, and other medications can even affect oral health, and these affects are sure to reveal themselves in the mouth. A patient taking antidepressants to treat depression or chronic pain, for instance, may exhibit the effects of reduced saliva flow, chipping or broken teeth or worn teeth surfaces leading to tooth decay.
Good habits can prevent tragedy
By engaging in regular practices that promote your oral health, you are making an investment in your overall health – both now and in the future. Attaining adequate oral hygiene is not as onerous as it is sometimes portrayed. Brushing twice a day with toothpaste that contains fluoride, daily flossing, eating a well-balanced diet that is low in sugar and visiting your dentist at least twice a year is a good regimen to promote your oral health.
For those who are at a higher risk of dental infection, such as patients who have diabetes or heart disease or those who take certain medications – antidepressants, antihistamines, and diuretics, for instance -- that suppress the flow of saliva, it is very important to check in with your dentist more frequently. If you experience pain anywhere in your mouth that lasts an unusual amount of time, however, it is critical that you have a dental professional assess and treat your symptoms.
So be sure to take care of your teeth consistently – your life could depend on it. As one of my Attending’s from my fellowship years (which were a very, very long time ago!) used to say, “be true to your teeth, or they will be false to you.”