Medical Reasons for Visiting Your Ft. Lauderdale Periodontist

Patients who visit our offices in Ft. Lauderdale or Deerfield Beach are generally seeing our staff because of issues with their gums and teeth. They need help “fixing their smile.

What we generally find is that over and above the issues they are seeing us for, there are also underlying medical conditions that impact their care. For example, there are links between dental hygiene and heart attacks, strokes and other medical conditions. By discussing these conditions with your periodontist, they can outline the best treatment options for you.

For example…(from WebMD)

According to the American Academy of Periodontology, people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to have coronary artery disease (also called heart disease). And one study found that the presence of common problems in the mouth, including gum disease (gingivitis), cavities, and missing teeth, were as good at predicting heart disease as cholesterol levels.

It is very important to see your local periodontist if you have existing medical conditions. Their evaluation can help detect periodontal disease and help you better understand the link between your dental care and other ongoing medical issues.

You should also visit the periodontist regularly if:

• Your dentist suggests so
• You have diabetes
• You have heart disease
• You have a respiratory disease
• You have osteoporosis
• You suffer from malnutrition
• You smoke or use tobacco

These medical issues have all been linked to periodontal disease. The more research that is done in our field, the more it shows how proper oral care can positively impact these conditions (and, how these conditions affect your oral care).

Speak with a Ft. Lauderdale area Periodontist Today

If you have questions for a periodontist – what we do, how we can help your smile, how we treat gum disease or what services we provide for ‘fixing smiles’ – please contact our offices. We’d be happy to talk more with you!

Deerfield Beach office: (954) 427-5700