When it comes to maintaining good overall health, dental health plays an important role.
According to the latest report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 50% of all adults aged 30 or older, about 65 million people, have signs of gum disease in the United States. In the same report the CDC indicated that 90% of American adults have had a cavity, and 1 in 4 has untreated cavities.
“There is a systemic connection between oral health and somebody’s overall systemic health. That has been born out of research, especially with emphasis on patients with particular diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes,” explained Dr. James Cally, a dentist in Skillman with more than 30 years of experience. “Those two are the two most prominent ones that have an impact. They can go from mouth to the body or from body to the mouth. Both can feed into each other in a negative way.”
Cally deals with all types of dental health issues, but there are three issues he sees consistently.
“The number one category is tooth decay, the second is periodontal disease which is basically gum disease, the early stages of this is gingivitis an inflammation of the gums, thirdly is dealing with the overall hygiene approach that patients take today. A lot of these issues are better dealt with in a preventative aspect, because people are in a better spot,” he said.
For the issues of tooth decay and gum disease, Cally provides several treatments to combat those problems.
“The first step is diagnosing by a thorough exam, which helps determine the course of action. We discuss the findings with the patients. For tooth decay we do white bonded fillings, porcelain inlays or onlays and other generic restorative procedures,” he said. “When it comes to gum disease or gingivitis again the first step is education. The hygienist is going to explain different ways and tools to help assist them with the problem area. If you can get patients to address the problem area, it doesn’t necessarily spread to the rest of their mouth. Periodontal disease is a progressive disease that will occur if the problem areas are not treated.”
Cally said for periodontal disease he will do scaling and root cleanings. He said a deep cleaning is done with a local anesthetic.
“Subsequently if there are bigger problems they will be seen to get some sort of periodontal surgery to try to correct it,” Cally said.
He said that with gum disease at the gingivitis stage it is a surface inflammation.
“Subsequently the gum disease process will affect the roots of the teeth and the bone that helps hold the teeth in place. The disease process moves past the gums after the gingivitis stage,” Cally said. “Gingivitis is reversible, but when it switches to periodontal disease that is not reversible in the sense of regaining full health of the gums. You can treat the area and get it healthy again, but you may not be able to get back to 100% optimal health.”
He said with getting the gums healthy it does not mean you will continue to have a problem but with periodontal disease you are more susceptible to issues going forward when you have had an area diagnosed.
The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion suggests that a daily routine of brushing with fluoride toothpaste, daily flossing, and professional treatment, is key to good oral health.
Cally said he recommends the same actions as recommended also from the American Dental Association.
“People should try to brush and floss at least twice-a-day. This is also an educational process and children should be taught this habit consistently,” he said. “One problem that occurs is that some families do not have coverage, which means brushing and flossing become extremely important.”
Cally suggested if families do have coverage it is extremely important for them to see a dentist each year.
“Even if you preform a daily routine of brushing flossing and rinsing correctly, people will still have areas in the mouth that are not properly cleaned and where bacteria will build up,” he said. “When you brush and floss you are not removing all of the bacteria building up. I recommend people make two visits a year to see a dentist.”
Cally said over his 30 years of practicing he said he believes there has been improvement in overall hygiene in mouth as whole from the population at large.
“I say that because there are data points that state, that there is a reduction in the amount of people who have these problems. That is due to a combination of education, fluoride treatments, and many tools available for people to help maintain their oral health,” he said. “This has reduced a lot of the problems we have seen in the past. However, it is by no means is eradicated.”
Cally explained that today people are able to keep their teeth longer due to these various improvements.