Embracing the connection between oral and systemic health

Oral health does not exist in a vacuum. It is intimately connected to systematic health. As more research illuminates that connection, dentists have the opportunity to talk to their patients about their whole body health and collaborate with other medical professionals. 

Jaclyn Tomsic, MD, DMD, FACS, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon in private practice in Cleveland, Ohio, and a partner at Better & Better, spoke to Dental Bite about starting those conversations and how she hopes to see more of her colleagues take the lead in talking to the patients and other providers. 

—Interview by Carrie Pallardy, edited by Bianca Prieto

There has been a growing awareness of oral health and whole-body health. How do you see dentists participating in this conversation?

I have an interesting perspective as an oral surgeon—I am both a dentist and a physician. I have always kind of taken a whole body approach to what I do and have always appreciated the importance of it. So I'm very happy to see this newfound push in the entire dental community for a more whole-body approach. I think that is very good progress. 

How can dentists talk about oral and systemic health with their patients? 

For myself, as an oral surgeon, and most dentists or other dental specialists, we all take health histories. That's the first thing that I do. I take a history of what's going on and why they were sent to me. 

We discuss that first, but then I do a deep dive into their medical history because I perform surgery. Any surgery that I perform, it is very important and pertinent for me to understand what else is going on with their medical history and what other medications they're taking.  

I am a patient as well. I go see my dentist for regular checkups and cleanings, and they do the same thing. It really is important to always start that conversation with your patients and encourage it from their end as well.

How have you seen patients respond to this? How much awareness do they have? How curious are they about that connection?

I would say the majority of them are very cooperative and they understand the reasoning. With the advent of all of the technology that we have across health systems across the country, we really do have access to a lot. Patients have access to everything on their phone, their MyCharts and different things. 

Most patients are—once you explain to them why it's important and what we're doing—understanding and very cooperative. They understand that we're doing this for their benefit, for their overall health and to provide them with the best treatment.

How do you hope to see dentists advance oral and whole-body health for their patients? What would you like to see change in your field? 

I would love to see more collaboration between medical and dental professionals to help patients. From day one of my residency, I've always collaborated with all kinds of specialists, but specifically, other medical specialists have always been a very important part of what I do on a daily basis. That does come naturally to me.

I do hope to see other dental professionals, general dentists and specialists also get on that bandwagon. I think there is a growing understanding of how oral health and overall systemic health are very interconnected.

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Dental Bite is curated and written by Carrie Pallardy and edited by Lesley McKenzie.