(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI)
WE KNOW that oral health is important.
And yet, among many people, it is very commonly neglected.
And that is lamentable because while oral diseases can be prevented, they remain very common.
“Oral health is critical, as the teeth and mouth are not only an integral part of the body, but also, they also support and enable essential human functions,” says Dr. Antonia Barranca-Enríquez of the Center for Health Studies and Services, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico.
“That is, oral health has a multidimensional nature, as it includes the physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains that are essential for overall health and well-being,” she says.
Dr. Barranca-Enríquez and Dr. Tania Romo-González of Área de Biología y Salud Integral, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico, have studied oral health and its relationship with the general health.
“The mouth is the psychological seat of the first physiological needs and emotional gratifications, with it we take a taste of the world around us,” says Dr. Romo-González. “Thus, the mouth plays an important role in the feeling of unity and in the constitution of the self.”
They propose an integrative model in which the mouth is the first step for well-being and from this integrative model we build a multidisciplinary approach which could be used in the clinical practice for the promotion of oral care and general health.
Their study posits that oral health professionals is essential for people’s well-being and must be integrated as part of health promotion.
“Dental treatments alone cannot solve this problem, it requires a comprehensive and approach in which the bio-psychological, behavioral, and socio-environmental determinants are included to face this global oral health challenge,” Dr. Barranca-Enríquez explains. “That is, without a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to medical science that includes dental and oral health, our public policies cannot provide the best answers to health promotion, disease prevention, early detection, and treatment.”
The Dental World Federation defines oral health as multifaceted and “involves the ability to smell, touch, taste, chew, swallow, smile, speak, and conveys a variety of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without discomfort, pain, or disease in the craniofacial region.”
Previous studies show that the oral cavity plays an important role as it is essential for health, since there is a close relationship between oral diseases and other systemic diseases such as digestive disorders, strokes, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, metabolic syndromes, adverse events in pregnancy, obesity, Alzheimer’s, rare diseases such as Von Willebrand’s disease, Chediak-Higashi syndrome and more recently with COVID-19.
Although the pathophysiological mechanism has not been fully explained, oral problems could have serious effects on the body through the dissemination of pathogenic bacteria in blood and bones and by causing a pro-inflammatory state in which systemic diseases could develop, the Mexican researchers point out.
In fact, Dr. Barranca-Enríquez says, the mouth can be both a window and a gateway to the body, and systemic conditions and side effects of medical therapies can lead to early manifestations in the mouth.
“Unfortunately, the lack of connection between the mouth and the body makes it difficult to recognize these signs and symptoms,” she says. “On the other hand, there are oral diseases that are not diagnosed in time due to the lack of collaborative approaches, and where the delay can be disastrous, as is the case of oral cancer.”
The researchers lament that even though the importance of the mouth is recognized, in practice it is not included as part of general health, “and oral health care is always neglected.”
In fact, says Dr. Romo-González, “despite being largely preventable, oral diseases are highly prevalent throughout life and have substantial negative effects on individuals, communities, and society, and are considered a global public health problem.”
Over three billion people suffer from chronic and progressive oral diseases, beginning in early childhood and progressing through adolescence and adulthood, she says. These diseases are closely related to socioeconomic status and social determinants.
“For example, increased consumption of free sugars is causing an increase in dental caries, as well as other non-communicable diseases such as obesity and diabetes, Dr. Romo-González says.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com/PN
