Great Smiles
Your Dentist as Doctor
By Caron Nelson Glickman      [Close]
  Recently, I had a fairly new patient become surprised and a bit put off that we were checking his blood pressure before his routine cleaning.  He had never had this done at a dental office before.  Really?  I thought all dentists did this—at least at the initial visit, to establish a baseline blood pressure.  In case of emergency, and we need to know what “normal” is for patients.

Dentists are “doctors” too.  We study many of the same things that medical students do.  In fact, when I was in dental school, my classmates and I took at least one course with medical students.  We were trained to conduct an initial comprehensive dental exam that included taking vital signs (blood pressure, pulse and respiration), performing a cranial nerve test, and examining patients’ ears and nose.  When was the last time your dentist looked in your ears?  Even if your dentist doesn’t do these things, you can be sure that she or he knows how.

I think it’s good when a doctor is aware of their patient as a “whole” person, and can notice anything that might be a sign of a problem, even if the problem is not considered to be in their discipline.  The fact of the matter is, many patients will put off seeing their physician for a regular physical, but they don’t miss their semi-annual dental cleaning, because their teeth start to feel grungy.  What a great opportunity for your dentist to take a general “look around”, notice your general appearance (posture, gait, tone of your complexion), take note of any unusual lesions that are visible on your skin.  Your eyes and tongue can tell us about systemic diseases and nutritional deficiencies.

So, if your dentist checks your vital signs, or if your physician looks at your teeth, feel confident that your doctor is looking out for your well being.  And if you are or become my patient—don’t worry, I won’t ask to look in your ears.

Keep smiling!

 

Caron Nelson Glickman, Caron Glickman DDSDDS has been helping her patients achieve and maintain healthy smiles in Duvall since 1992.

          For more information, contact 425-788-1551.

          Caron Nelson Glickman,DDS
          26425 NE Allen Street, #102 • Duvall
          425-788-1551 • caronnelson@comcast.net
          www.great-smile.com