At The Dental Anesthesia Center, we provide gentle, safe, and relaxing dental care.
It is known that oral health can have an affect on your general health and that it is connected to the other functions of your body. Poor oral health might contribute to numerous diseases and conditions, like digestive issues, bone erosion, extended infections, and possibly cardiovascular disease. But your oral health can also be influenced by other conditions in your body.
How can anemia impact oral health and oral health treatments?
What Is Anemia?
Anemia is a condition that directly affects your body’s blood cell numbers. A low number of blood cells is the main indicator that you have anemia, and it leads to various symptoms in your body. One of the most common symptoms of anemia is having pale gums. This symptom also shows how oral health is directly impacted by this condition.
Blood cells transport oxygen and nutrients to every cell of your body, so having a low level of blood cells will deprive your body of the necessary vitamins, minerals and from the needed amount of oxygen.
There are many types of anemia, the most common ones being: iron deficiency, sickle cell anemia, and vitamin deficiency anemia. Getting the right diagnosis is important for choosing the best treatment and for understanding its impact better.
How Does Anemia Affect Your Oral Health?
When your gums and teeth don’t get the nutrients they need through the blood, they are much more susceptible to disease. Patients with anemia can get cavities, gum disease, ulcers, infections and even problems with the tongue, like soreness or pain.
Iron deficiency anemia can have pica as a side-effect. Pica is an eating disorder in which patients tend to eat things that lack nutrients: chips, paper, cardboard, etc. This not only makes them ingest items with no nutritional value, but it can also damage the teeth.
Sickle cell anemia leads to different types of problems: glossy, sore tongue, demineralization in the tooth enamel, delayed tooth eruption.
Vitamin deficiency anemia shows symptoms like gum disease, mouth ulcers and a reduced feeling of taste.
There are many other associated symptoms that may show up in your oral health, and proper diagnosis is important in solving the underlying issues. Be sure to see your general practitioner if you suspect having anemia.
St. Louis Sedation Dentistry
At The Dental Anesthesia Center, we provide gentle, safe, and relaxing dental care. During your consultation, Dr. Hoffmann, Dr. Thoms, or Dr. Behl will decide which level of sedation is best for you based upon your medical history and current physical health.