Nearly 20 million Americans who see a dentist at least once a year don't see a doctor or other general health care provider, which suggests that dentists could screen these people for systemic health disorders, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, a new study says.
New York University investigators analyzed data from more than 31,200 adults who took part in the 2008 U.S. National Health Interview Survey.
Eighty-five percent of the adults and 93 percent of the children had health insurance. This suggests that many of those who did not see a general health care provider may have had access to general care, but chose not to seek it, the researchers said.
They said their findings suggest that dentists could play an important role in identifying health problems that might otherwise go undetected in a large segment of the population.
"For these and other individuals, dental professionals are in a key position to assess and detect oral signs and symptoms of systemic health disorders that may otherwise go unnoticed, and to refer patients for follow-up care," Dr. Shiela Strauss, an associate professor of nursing at the New York University College of Nursing
Source: Healthday.com
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