Health implications of having a mouth full of rotting teeth?

gingin_2

I bumped into someone earlier, hadn't seen them for a little while. I knew their teeth were bad but this time every tooth was rotten, all were stumpy and misshapen, some were missing. I would say not a single tooth was salvageable.

I ask because I am concerned about them. Health wise they have had serious illnesses but they have a strong need to try to be as well as possible and take care of themselves as the sole living parent to a child whom I care about very much.

Based on their previous illnesses I am pretty sure they must be under hospital care. Would a doctor bring up the state of someone's teeth if it was of concern to them but not related to the illness? It's obvious they won't see a dentist by themselves. What is the worst scenario of being in this situation?

brook2jack

Unfortunately doctors are not oral health experts and very often people who have severe health problems due to tooth problems are not diagnosed properly. Often doctors may not notice or think oral health important. Or they may have mentioned it but can't force your friend to attend a dentist.

When people have certain treatments or medications, health conditions it is critical that eg any teeth are extracted before they start treatment, however all too often people find their way to the dentists after they have had eg bisphosphonate treatment and their treatment is then very difficult.


The health problems related to teeth are many but cheifly you would ask how did they get in this state in the first place... eating disorder, drug abuse, medications, depression coupled with very poor diet etc

Someone in this state has to be considered as a whole and their health problems are unlikely to be confined to their mouth. Very often they will need support to address their other health issues that their oral state may be the only visible sign of.

Depression and anxiety may also be a big part of their illness and this needs addressing. I am sure they are all too aware of how their teeth look but perhaps need a caring friend to support them into doing something about it.

McKneff

P'raps they are just frightend of going to the dentist.

Unfortunately it happens.

londonsurrey

Think of it as a giant open sore, continuously allowing all kinds of infection in, and the myriad of repercussions from that.

gingin_2

londonsurrey wrote: »

Think of it as a giant open sore, continuously allowing all kinds of infection in, and the myriad of repercussions from that.

They've already had organ failure and a transplant, so it really is worrying.

brook2jack

With a transplant they are on immunosupressant drugs for life. All outstanding dental treatment should have been done before because a dental infection is potentially life threatening in this situation and compromises the transplant.

Many immunosupressant drugs also affect the gums making them very swollen .

Your friend needs help urgently and probably not in a general practice dentist but in a hospital or community setting as their medical history may very well complicate things badly.

margaretclare

brook2jack wrote: »

With a transplant they are on immunosupressant drugs for life. All outstanding dental treatment should have been done before because a dental infection is potentially life threatening in this situation and compromises the transplant.

Many immunosupressant drugs also affect the gums making them very swollen .

Your friend needs help urgently and probably not in a general practice dentist but in a hospital or community setting as their medical history may very well complicate things badly.

When my late first husband was about to have coronary bypass surgery in the mid-1970s when this type of surgery was fairly new in the UK, he had to have some dental work done, teeth removed etc, and this was done in hospital before any heart surgery could be contemplated. Having bad teeth was 'a focus of infection' which would become blood-borne and therefore be carried by the blood to a new operation site.

I can't understand why this person has got to this stage with, as has been described, a 'mouthful of rotting teeth'. The risk of blood-borne infection resulting in lethal septicaemia must be so great, he/she is lucky to be alive and is playing Russian roulette with his/her very survival.

gingin_2

The transplant was not recent but they have had other illnesses since.

My hope was that one of those doctors might mention something, you cannot miss that it is a problem.