Kansas City Drug Abuse: Dentists – Reasons to See Them

Dentists are oral health care practitioners who are instrumental in helping you to keep your teeth and gums as healthy as they can be. In order to keep your teeth for life you need to do your part at home and in your day-to-day life but you also must trust your teeth to professionals who train to know everything there is to know about dental maintenance.

Some people think that going to see the doctor is important for their health but that seeing dentists is of lesser importance. This is not the case. Being consistent and committed to a dental care plan is an essential element of living a healthy lifestyle. Let us look at some reasons why you should make it a priority to see your dental professional as often as possible.

Your teeth are not the only thing your dentists and dental hygienists looks inside your mouth for. While the look of your teeth matter to him so do other things. There are plenty of diseases that will not show up on your teeth but will make themselves known in your mouth and can come with their own unique warning signs that dental practitioners are on the lookout for. These include everything from a variety of cancers to osteoporosis to TMJ to sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s). If you abuse drugs or alcohol then you won’t be able to keep this from your oral health professional because your mouth will tell the tale.

When you look at your teeth in the mirror what you see is the surface of your teeth known as the enamel. However there is so much more to your teeth. There are nerves, roots, fibrous tissues and arteries to be found beneath your gums. All of these parts are alive and play an integral role in the health and well-being of each and every one of your teeth. There are infections and diseases that can start in this invisible area in your mouth that need attention from an oral health practitioner to remain as healthy as can be. When you have an x-ray of your mouth the dental practitioner is not just looking at the condition of your teeth but also your gums and underlying tissues, as well as the condition of your jaw. This is why neglecting your appointments is never in your best interests.

Here is something you may not be aware. If you are pregnant than tooth decay that is not detected or treated can cause problems for your unborn child. In fact premature birth is a potential complication caused by the decaying of a tooth. Dentists are preventative practitioners who can do their part to help you to prevent a cavity from happening. However if you do develop problems with a tooth have it seen to right away.

A baby born premature can experience developmental problems and an array of health concerns. An infant born too many weeks early has a lesser chance of surviving. For these reasons the condition of your mouth is not just about you but your unborn baby. Schedule regular check-ups with your dentist. When you need to have work done have it done without delay.

HOMELESS WOMAN’S DEATH IN POLICE CUSTODY STIRS ANGER IN ST LOUIS – KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Anna Brown was homeless and had so much pain in her legs that she couldn’t walk. When Brown, 29, refused to leave the emergency room at St. Mary’s Health Center in Richmond Heights, Mo., a suburb near inner St. Louis, the police thought she was on drugs and arrested her for trespassing. She’d already been examined, and a doctor said she was healthy enough to go to jail. The police carried her into a jail cell by her arms and ankles, her body slackened. There were a couple of beds in the cell, but they left her on the concrete floor. A couple of officers stood by the door as she writhed and moaned, and then they walked away. “They thought she was a drug seeker,” an officer said later. She had stopped moving within 15 minutes and was pronounced dead a short time later. She’d had blood clots in her legs and lungs, an autopsy found, and no drugs in her system. Family members are now considering a lawsuit in the 6-month-old case, whose details were brought to light by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in an investigation published Sunday that included video of Brown at the emergency room, in the police car and dying in her jail cell. She leaves behind two children and a raft of anger and confusion. “She was not a drug dealer or a hooker or doing other things that she could’ve ended up dead for,” said sister Krystle Brown, according the Post-Dispatch. “People assume things because of the way they talk or the way they live or the things they do. My sister is not …

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