Regular Tooth Scaling = Less Heart Disease

Recent study results showed an association between regular tooth scaling and a decreased risk of future cardiovascular events.  Using a nationwide, population-based study and a prospective cohort design, participants aged at least 50 years were selected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.  Authors of the study, published in the American Journal of Medicine, used 10,887 subjects who had received full-mouth or localized tooth scaling and compared them to 10,989 subjects who had not received any tooth scaling.

Tooth Scaling and Heart Disease  

After following the subjects for an average period of seven years, the group that had undergone tooth scaling had a lower incidence of acute myocardial infarction, stroke, and total cardiovascular events.  "Furthermore, when compared with the nonexposed group, increasing frequency of tooth scaling correlated with a higher risk reduction of acute myocardial infarction, stroke, and total cardiovascular events," the authors wrote. 

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

We Treat Oral Cancer Patients

Maxillofacial prosthetics

As Bakersfield's only full time Board Certified Prosthodontist, I have the privilege of working with the area's finest head and neck tumor surgeons.  Many times I have found myself in the operating room with these expert physicians fashioning intraoral appliances for patients undergoing tumor surgery.  This area of treatment is called Maxillofacial Prosthetics.

Oral cancer

Although the prognosis for long term survival is improving for many types of cancers, depression and death by suicide among patients with cancer is a concern.  In a study of 32,487 patients, Yu, etal., reported in the Archives of Otolarygology and Head and Neck Surgery, compared changes in cause of death in four time periods from 1980 to 2007.  They used standard mortality ratios to compare deaths from suicide, cardiovascular disease and pneumonia among patients with oral cancer and oral pharyngeal cancer.  Over the 27 year period, cardiovascular disease related deaths decreased by 45.9% and pneumonia related deaths decreased by 42.9%.  However, suicide deaths increased by 406.2%.  The significant increase in suicide rates are tied to risk factors such as age 55 to 64 years, certain marital status (divorced, separated or never married), advanced tumor stage, treatment with radiotherapy alone and pharyngeal tumor location.  Depression is a treatable condition and suicide is often preventable.  Because of long-standing professional relationships with their patients and the ability for oral cancer screening at dental visits, dentists may be in a position to provide appropriate support and referral for early intervention for patients with oral cancer. 

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309