 Dr. Mahvash Navazesh |
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ORAL HEALTH AND SYSTEMIC HEALTH INTRINSICALLY LINKED February marks both American Heart Month and National Children's Dental Health Month -- an appropriate coincidence, since the two have a lot more in common than many people initially think. "When you look at the teeth, the gingiva and the surrounding tissues in the mouth, you can find out information about structures not close to the mouth," says Mahvash Navazesh, Associate Professor and Chair of the Division of Diagnostic Sciences and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Student Life with the School of Dentistry. "It can give the practitioner a wealth of information." The relationship between oral and general health has been increasingly recognized in the recent years. Poor oral health has been associated with low birth weight pre-term babies and heart, lung and kidney diseases. Dental caries is considered today as an infectious disease that can be transmitted from an infected mother to her babies. The mouth acts as a mirror that can reflect the condition of the rest of the body, sometimes even before other physical symptoms of a disease crop up in other regions of the body, Navazesh says. An imbalance in mouth microorganism populations can be a sign of blood sugar problems and thus an early hallmark of diabetes. Mouth sores and periodontal disease can indicate an immune system illness such as HIV and AIDS. Other kinds of tissue discoloration or lesions can indicate oral cancer, which can spread easily. The infection and inflammation associated with oral diseases can affect the quality of an individual's life and, in the absence of appropriate care, may lead to permanent damage of vital organs, Navazesh says. With oral health being an important indicator of overall health, oral screenings are a great way to raise awareness of health in general, she adds. "When you evaluate oral conditions, it can promote general health and prevent diseases not just in the mouth," she says. On Thursday, February 14, School of Dentistry faculty and student volunteers will provide free screenings for members of the University community and neighborhood residents. This is "a way to show love and serve others on Valentine's Day," Navazesh says. Screenings will be conducted in the Dental Hygiene Clinic on the first floor of the Norris Dental Science Center from 8:30-11:30 am. Navazesh encourages all members of the surrounding community, as well as USC students who may be going without oral care, to take advantage of the screenings and learn more about the connections between oral health and wellness in general. "We can prevent many bad health conditions when people are more aware of and take more ownership of their health," she says.
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