The Oral-Systemic Link: Connecting Your Practice

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• There is a correlation between diseases of the oral cavity and chronic systemic diseases
• If improvements in oral health could have any benefit in reducing chronic disease, there would be a major impact in both the financial and human costs of these conditions
• Educating your patients’ physicians about the oral-system link can allow for increased communication, referrals, and treatment success

The concept that oral health may be the “key missing piece to overall health” has received increasing attention by stakeholders in healthcare. As our dental practices move toward a new model, as consultative health partners to our patients, we have the opportunity to implement exciting new programs to communicate these health correlations to and motivate our patients.

To assist in the mission of educating others, this eBook summarizes available data on the oral–systemic link. This research provides evidence to support the correlation between diseases of the oral cavity and chronic systemic diseases. 

About the Author

Jamie Toop, DDS, graduated from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry in 2010. She now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she is the owner dentist of Rocksprings Dental Group, a practice supported by Pacific Dental Services®. She is a faculty member of the PDS Institute® as a subject matter expert for Oral Systemic Health.