FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 2000
CONTACT:Jann Ingmire[email protected]
Fred Peterson[email protected]
McCormick Place Convention Center (Rm. 115)Chicago, Illinois312/791-6625 or312/440-2806 (ADA)
Inside Out: Oral Signs of Medical Problems
CHICAGO -- Skin is skin whether it's inside your mouth or outside on your body, says Michael A. Siegel, D.D.S., M.S., an associate professor in both oral medicine and dermatology at the University of Baltimore, Maryland. "Dermatology: In My Mouth?" is the title of Dr. Siegel's presentation, Saturday, October 14, 2000, at the 141st Annual Session of the American Dental Association (ADA) in McCormick Place Convention Center, Chicago.
"When I see someone who has a rash in his/her mouth, the very first question I ask the patient is, 'Do you have a skin rash?'," Dr. Siegel explains. "Chances are that the rash in their mouth is exactly the same rash that they have on their skin. I can refer them to a dermatologist and in consultation with the specialist, we can come up with a diagnosis and treatment to help the patient."
Dr.Siegel, a member of the ADA's Council on Scientific Affairs, says many diseases have oral manifestations, which is why it's important for patients to provide the dentist with a complete medical history, including what prescription and over-the-counter drugs they're taking. "The mouth is connected to the rest of the body. Any medication a person takes may well affect his/her mouth, as well," he says.
"For example, a common cause of canker sores in the mouth is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen," according to Dr. Siegel. "These drugs are known to cause stomach ulcers and they can also cause oral ulcers."
The dentist has to consider what else is happening to the patient that might be affecting the person's mouth. There are many systemic causes for oral conditions. Fever blisters, which are very common on the lips, gums and roof of the mouth, actually derive from a non-dental cause," Dr. Siegel says. "Fever blisters are caused by a herpes virus. Studies show that approximately 90% of Americans who have been tested have been exposed to the herpes virus, but not everyone gets fever blisters, and scientists are trying to figure out why. They do know that sometimes too much sunlight, or illness may result in a break-out of fever blisters, which are very contagious, especially when the fluid filled blisters are present."
Dr. Siegel says dentists should be observant if they have a patient who's being treated for sun-damaged skin. "The most common pre-malignant skin lesions show up on the prominent parts of the face, such as right above the eyebrows or on the lower lip.
The sun shines down and so the lower lip is one of the most common sites for skin cancer."
Dentists also look for cancer in the mouth. "Anything that can happen on the outside on skin, can pretty much happen on the inside," Dr. Siegel says. Dentists routinely look for oral cancer during regular check-ups. Dr. Siegel reminds people with dentures, who may not go to the dentist as often as they should, to visit the dentist at least once a year to make sure the inside of their mouth is healthy.
For more information about the American Dental Association's (ADA) position on this and other health issues, visit the ADA Web site at www.ada.org.
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