First Aid for Dental Emergencies-Part 3

• Abscesses are infections that occur around the root of a tooth or in the space between the teeth and gums. Abscesses are a serious condition that can damage tissue and surrounding teeth, with the infection possibly spreading to other parts of the body if left untreated.
  
  Because of the serious oral health and general health problems that can result from an abscess, call the dental office as soon as possible if you discover a pimple-like swelling on your gum that usually is painful. In the meantime, to ease the pain and draw the pus toward the surface, try rinsing your mouth with a mild salt water solution (1/2 teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of water) several times a day.
• Soft-tissue injuries. Injuries to the soft tissues, which include the tongue, cheeks, gums, and lips, can result in bleeding. To control the bleeding, here's what to do:
1. Rinse your mouth with a mild salt-water solution.
2. Use a moistened piece of gauze or tea bag to apply pressure to the bleeding site. Hold in place for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. To both control bleeding and relieve pain, hold a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek in the affected area for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. If the bleeding doesn't stop, see your dentist right away or go to a hospital emergency room. Continue to apply pressure on the bleeding site with the gauze until you can be seen and treated. 

Chairside Medical Screenings

Screening for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol in the dental office could save the health care system up to 102.6 million each year, according to ADA health policy resources center.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7.8% of the US population has undiagnosed hypertension, 2.7 percent has undiagnosed diabetes and 8.2% has undiagnosed high cholesterol. Leaving conditions undiagnosed and untreated typically leads to more expensive procedures down the road.  If dentists can help catch some of these predisposing  and chronic conditions earlier, we are helping  the individual patient as well as the over all health care system... 

Based on a Gallup survey, chronic diseases cost  the country 153 billion annually in lost productivity.

As many as 27 million visit the dentist but not a physician  in a given year.  This presents  an opportunity for dentists to be part of an integrated health care team working to combat chronic illnesses and improve oral and overall health.

For more information on the mouth- body connection, visit http://www.chinosmiles.com/our-practice/procedures/mouth-body-connection/

"My three decades of dental experience has reaffirmed that 'The Mouth is the Mirror to the Body'" says Dr. Cherukuri, from her Chino, California dental practice. Chronic and  some terminal conditions have been diagnosed in our office through dental exams resulting in timely intervention and lives saved.