There is much talk in recent times of the connection between oral health and systemic health. I found this article interesting. In the first paragraph, after listening to a dentist speak on this connection, the doctor realises something that has always been in my own mind when finding myself in a situation where I need to refer a patient off for a second opinion on something I have discovered in the mouth…that doctors often look straight past the mouth to the throat, they are generally not trained to examine patients’ mouths.
On more than one occasion when discussing with a patient some pathology that I would like someone else to take a look at, the patient has piped up and said “I’ll go and show my doctor”. My response has always been “I think it’s better if you see a dentist”
The collaboration between these two guys is a great thing. The oral health/systemic health connection is another dentist/doctor link in the health care team. The resulting article from this doctor/dentist relationship “Oral Lesions You Can’t Afford to Miss,” is a great resource for dental professionals and great continuing education for medical practitioners.
Article: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/a-doctor-and-dentist-walk-into-a-classroom/