You are well aware of the affects periodontal disease can have on overall health: increased risk for heart attack, stroke, premature or low-weight births, osteoporosis, respiratory diseases, and diabetes complications. But did you know that some dentists are finding medical conditions in their patients before the patients’ doctors? The blood tests (which aren’t usually covered by insurance; no big surprise) that a dentist can order before and after periodontal therapy can find more than 20 medical problems, including diabetes, heart disease, colon cancer, Hodgkin’s, and chronic heartburn.
Use this information to your advantage by referencing it on your Website, in your practice collateral, or in other advertising venues.
Read the article at: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=47009.
Read about “The Mouth Body Connection” at: http://www.perio.org/consumer/mbc.top2.htm. Â