Oral health and chronic disease — The connection is real

Oral health is essential to general health and well-being. Poor dental health can cause oral cancer, gum disease, tooth loss, bad breath, and dental decay. It can also lead to:

• Heart disease — Those with gum disease are two-times more likely to have or develop heart disease.¹
• Strokes and clots — Those with gum disease have an increased susceptibility of having a stroke and/or developing blood clots.¹
• Respiratory disease — Harmful bacteria from the mouth can serve as an agent for pneumonia and bronchitis.²
• Kidney disease — Harmful bacteria from poor oral hygiene can weaken kidneys.³
• Pancreas — Research suggests a significant association between gum disease and pancreatic cancer.⁴
• Diabetes — Gum disease disrupts the control of blood sugar. Gum disease can be more severe and take longer to heal for someone with diabetes.⁵
• Mental illness — There is an explicit link between mental health and oral health, including tooth loss due to gum disease and tooth decay. Those with mental illness often experience dental phobia, tooth erosion from eating disorders, and dry mouth from medications. This can be a reciprocal relationship.⁶
• Poor pregnancy outcomes — Nearly 65% to 75% of pregnant women have gingivitis (from changing hormones during pregnancy). If not treated, this can lead to poor pregnancy outcomes for mother and baby, including preterm birth and low birth weight.⁷

What you can do:

• Make it regular practice to ask your patients if they go to the dentist.
• Perform an oral inspection at every visit.
• Have dental provider resources readily available; our participating dental provider for Medicaid Managed Care and Child Health Plus members is Liberty Dental.*
• Help your patients consider the consequences of poor oral health (especially since the COVID-19 pandemic) by encouraging preventive dental visits at least once a year.
• Recognize social and cultural disparities that can contribute to poor oral health.
• Provide fluoride varnish for children in the primary care setting.⁸ This application is reimbursable to physicians and nurse practitioners with proper CPT^® coding.

If you have questions, visit the Contact Us section at the bottom of our provider website (for up-to-date contact information or call Provider Services at 800-450-8753.