Impaired oral health is associated with serious diseases

Francisco Cabrera Panasco President of the College of Dentists of Las Palmas / ..C7

On March 20, "World Oral Health Day" is celebrated and Francisco Cabrera Panasco, president of the Las Palmas College of Dentists and the Canarian Dental Foundation, explains the importance of oral health for the population and warns about the dangers of the online market for dental products

What is the importance of Dentistry for prevention and health?

More and more scientific studies show that the general health of the population is closely related to oral conditions and diseases. Periodontal diseases, for example, are very common, and their development increases the risk of suffering from frequent chronic diseases, with the significant burden that this entails for public health.

Periodontal disease must be treated to prevent it from getting worse and ending up causing the release of bacteria, toxins and inflammatory elements into the blood that can affect different organs and cause frequent pathologies, such as stroke, dementia or migraine, whose prevalence among population is large. Also, the relationship between poor oral health and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes decompensation, premature birth, different types of cancer and mental illnesses has been demonstrated.

Oral health is just as important as other health specialties for the population, and its exclusion from the public system has generated great abuse by speculators. Hence, dentists claim the inclusion of Dentistry in the National Health System.

What are the free dental check-ups that the clinics offer periodically?

The College of Dentists of Las Palmas regularly collaborates with the Fundación Canaria Dental in the development of campaigns that promote prevention, education and awareness in oral health. The activities and workshops that we usually carry out have been limited by the preventive measures imposed by the pandemic. However, we have reinforced our objectives with free check-up campaigns, aimed at specific population groups, in which numerous dental clinics in the province participate, demonstrating a great commitment to prevention and oral health: in recent months, the clinics Dental clinics have treated the elderly and pregnant women, have collaborated in the early detection of oral cancer and, a few days ago, they have completed their free check-ups for adolescents and young people.

Many of these initiatives, which we promote annually in our province, are organized by the General Council of Dentists of Spain. All of them are intended to diagnose oral pathologies that can affect development and quality of life, so it is important that citizens take advantage of them.

Dentists denounce the dangers of the new online dental market, what are they?

Oral health cannot be based on commercial interests that put the health of citizens at risk. The College of Dentists of Las Palmas defends safe, ethical and quality dentistry, based on scientific evidence, and has the duty to warn about the dangers of direct sale of health products to consumers on the Internet, due to the threat that this poses . These online sales companies are manufacturers or distributors, although they can be advertised as dental clinics. We are especially concerned about the rise in online sales of orthodontic dental aligners and teeth whitening kits. We are talking about dental treatments that require a previous study, a personalized treatment plan and strict follow-up by the dentist.

Patients who buy online and directly use dental aligners may suffer serious damage, such as those related to occlusion and the involvement of the temporomandibular joint. In the same way, performing teeth whitening without a prior clinical examination and without medical supervision can cause inflammation of the gums, deterioration of the enamel, dental sensitivity and even tooth loss.

In Spain there is no control over the advertising of health products that currently proliferates through web pages, advice from influencers, social networks or advertisements in the press and television. Hence, recently, the General Councils of Dentists, Pharmacists, Physicians and Veterinarians have signed a joint manifesto requesting the Public Administration the urgent development of the regulation of health advertising in Spain.

How to take care of oral health on a daily basis?

To maintain good oral health, we must follow proper oral hygiene; lead healthy eating and lifestyle habits, avoiding risk factors such as alcohol and tobacco consumption; go to the dental check-up every six months; collaborate with oral treatments, and make an appointment with the dentist in the case of detecting anomalies in the mouth to prevent them from getting worse.

Smokers and vapers should be aware that tobacco promotes periodontal disease, compromises the effectiveness of oral treatments and predisposes to oral cancer. In the same way, the chemical and toxic compounds that are produced by heating and the aromas contained in the liquids of electronic cigarettes, release carcinogens. It is not uncommon to detect suspicious lesions in dental examinations, and the oral biopsy performed by the dentist can be key to the patient's survival against oral cancer.

Periodic check-ups are also important for children's health: they allow it to be controlled and measures based on their risk of caries to be established. They also serve to detect occlusion problems and to be able to correct early the progression of dentofacial anomalies with simple techniques that will avoid complex treatments in the future. It is important that children between the ages of 6 and 14 take advantage of the opportunity they have to have their free dental check-ups at the clinics attached to the Children's Dental Care Program (PADICAN) in the province. Parents can find them at
www.coelp.es, request an appointment at the clinic of your choice and go with your health card. In addition, they will be able to benefit from special treatments, such as root canals and reconstructions, when they need it.