Dental check up more than just a cleaning!!

Did you know that several medical conditions  present signs in the mouth that make detection and an early diagnosis possible!

Some months back, a patient came into the office with abscessed teeth around root canals that were done in our office several years ago. Unable to find any deficiencies in the root canal, he was referred to the endodontist (root canal specialist) for a consultation. Dr. Endodontist recommended that he see a medical doctor as soon as possible. He suspected an underlying medical condition, perhaps uncontrolled diabetes.  Our patient was quickly seen by his Physician and sure enough- he was diagnosed with severe uncontrolled diabetes.

There were also a couple of instances in my early practice years where a patient was profusely bleeding after routine deep cleaning procedures. An emergency blood work up revealed leukemia.

Recent research has confirmed the presence of genetic markers in the saliva for early detection of pancreatic cancer. There is a lot more to a dental check up than "just getting your teeth cleaned" THE MOUTH IS THE MIRROR TO YOUR BODY"