FDS wants dentists more involved in detecting some diseases

The Faculty of Dental Surgery has published it Position statement on oral health and general health in which it recommends that dentists should be more involved in identifying some health conditions as there are recognised associations between diabetes and oral diseases, and gum disease and cardiovascular diseases.
Within the publication the FDS also recommends, amongst other things, that: national and local public health campaigns should always utilise dentists in the delivery of health and lifestyle advice; initiatives to diagnose diabetes and cardiovascular disease should engage dentists and oral health professionals wherever possible; healthcare professionals should cover the links between oral health and general health as part of their initial training and CPD.
Professor Michael Escudier, dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, said: “Good oral health is essential for our overall wellbeing. Dentists and other members of the oral healthcare team always inspect a patient’s mouth in the course of treatment. This provides them with an opportunity to monitor, on an ongoing basis, how their patient’s health is changing. While checking a patient’s oral health, they can look for relevant signs of other conditions. Chronic gum disease can be an indicator of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. They (dentists and dental professionals) can offer advice on what dietary and lifestyle changes patients could make to improve their overall health. This can also help to prevent conditions such as obesity and oral cancer.”