A healthy smile leads to healthy living | Local News

ROANOKE RAPIDS — Health is essential to the overall function of the body, including oral health, which can affect how we live.

Since the dawn of humanity, evidence of oral care has been unearthed and documented for thousands of years, indicating that our ancestors recognized its importance. From prehistoric drilled teeth to ancient Egyptian texts describing treatments for toothaches and gum disease, dentistry evolved into a specialized practice over time. In 1728, French surgeon Pierre Fauchard published “The Surgeon Dentist,” considered the first comprehensive scientific book on dentistry. Innovations in the field, such as dental drills, anesthesia and dental schools, emerged in the 1800s, and dentistry became a regulated medical field in the 20th century.

Today, people can achieve effective oral hygiene at home and even visit a dentist for regular checkups or serious problems.

Dr. Thomas E. Fleming, who has been in dentistry since 2000 and has owned a practice in Roanoke Rapids since 2002, and established an office in 2005, said the field has become a bit more fast-paced. Fleming said he was always interested in dentistry and committed to the idea one day when he was with his cousin, who is a prosthodontist.

“We were actually supposed to be working on cars, but I got there a day early,” he said. “I went in to work with him, and I saw how he could work with his hands to help people out and make a difference. And I thought that was pretty neat. So I got home, applied to dental school, and got in.”

Fleming explained that technology has allowed dentists to make crowns for teeth in-house, options for orthodontic treatment such as removable aligners to straighten teeth, compared to metal braces, and digital imagery using a CAT scan in the office.

“It’s just that technology has kind of creeped into us,” he said. “So it’s made it a little bit quicker, easier, and helps to explain to patients when you can physically see what’s going on.”

However, when it comes to oral health, Fleming noted that it is connected to the overall health of the body in various ways.

“That’s the funny thing — a lot of times, general medicine tends to forget about us,” he said. “But oral health, there are certain medical conditions — heart disease, diabetes, certain respiratory illnesses and premature birth have all been tied to oral health and oral hygiene. It’s really the first step, I would think, in someone’s health care. And besides, forget all that stuff, who doesn’t like to eat?”

Fleming said most of the time, the world perceives people by their smile, which can affect our mood and mentality.

“I’ve had patients that are either missing a tooth, or might have had decay, and they don’t smile, and people think they’re grumpy, and they just never get to meet a person because that first initial reaction, there’s no smile or anything,” he said. “And so people just get the wrong perception. I guess it’s overall, your general body health, plus your oral health and your mental health, all that kind of wraps in together.”

Elizabeth Story, a registered dental hygienist who has been working with Fleming for 21 years, said she wanted to get into health care, but found that nursing was not for her. Story said she felt pursuing dental hygiene would still allow her to help people by providing a health care service in a different way.

“My job is the prevention and treatment of the oral cavity, and that entails basic cleaning to periodontal therapy,” she said. “And a big part of what my job consists of is patient education.”

And when it comes to oral care, Story said it plays a major role in one’s overall health.

“Your oral cavity is the gateway to the rest of your body,” she said. “And what I mean by that is, there are so many systemic diseases that can manifest in the mouth, as well as bacteria that are in our mouth can cause diseases.”

Story gave an example that the bacterial plaque found in the mouth is the same type that clogs arteries, causing cardiovascular disease.

“So by keeping your oral hygiene and your oral health in a good condition, you’re, in turn, preventing cardiovascular diseases long term,” she said.

Story said some patients have periodontal disease, which is the stage after gingivitis. While gingivitis is reversible, she said that it will lead to periodontitis if left untreated. Story said that at the periodontitis stage, not only is soft tissue involved, but the actual bone that holds the teeth in place is affected as well, leading to bone loss and severe stages of tooth loss.

“And a lot of that is behavioral, habitual, things that patients do — smoking definitely contributes to periodontal disease,” she said. “Patients who have diabetes are at higher risk of getting periodontal disease — gum disease, because of their lower ability to fight off infection and heal well. So they are definitely at a higher risk than some patients.”

Story said that most of the time, basic good home care practices are sufficient, but visiting the dentist is crucial.

“Even if you brush and floss regularly, like you’re supposed to, you can’t clean your teeth like a dental hygienist can,” she said. “There are things in there that floss and a toothbrush alone won’t get all of. Over time, tartar builds up, and you can’t remove it at home. That’s where we come into play. So, prolonged duration in between visits, the tartar buildup that gets on the teeth, also contributes to periodontal disease — gum disease.”

Dr. Fleming said most adults are well educated on how to take care of their teeth, but he has noticed that many children are lacking in that area. He said a lot of children have what he calls “Yellow Drink Disease,” which is caused by yellow colored drinks.

“But overall, everything seems to be pretty good in the oral IQ health of the patients. Everyone’s pretty much getting a picture,” Fleming said. “And then as we age, our teeth wear out. And so that’s kind of just normal. I tell everybody if we all live long enough, we’re going to be Jesus the way we came into this world, naked and toothless. And that’s kind of difficult because my patients are like, ‘I lost a tooth,’ and I’m like, ‘You’re 84. It’s OK. It’s been there 80-some years.’ ”

Everything that is in the mouth is observed, he said, including oral cancer.

“I’m constantly looking for oral cancer, looking for polyps, looking for things that shouldn’t be there,” Fleming said. “And just as an overall healthcare provider, I see my patients at least twice a year. So when they come in, I’m looking at ears, noses — I’m not a dermatologist, but I kind of know what certain skin cancers look like, and so multiple times I have flagged patients, ‘Why don’t you go to your dermatologist because I think you need to check him out for that ear.’ And lo and behold, it’s turned out to be cancer before.”

In other topics, fluoride is often debated in broader health discussions, with some questioning whether it is beneficial or toxic. Within the dental field, Story said misinformation has circulated about its use. She explained that there are two different types of fluoride: systemic fluoride, which is ingested, and topical fluoride application on the teeth. Story said fluoride is good to prevent cavities and sensitivity, and can even strengthen the enamel.

“Systemic fluoride is a danger, just like anything else that is dangerous, and you can you can drink too much water, and that can be hazardous to your health,” she said. “If you drink and ingest high levels of fluoride, it can cause some systemic issues. However, in the realm of dentistry, fluoride toothpaste, fluoride mouthwashes, and fluoride applications provided at your dental office are only used topically, so there’s no ingestion risk of toxicity. So that is highly recommended in the dental world to receive fluoride.”

Story said nobody should ingest fluoride toothpaste, including children who are prone to swallowing.

“Until a child knows how to spit, infants and toddlers do not use fluoride toothpaste because they tend to just eat everything,” she said. “So, in that case, and spitting is, you need to know how to do that before you use fluoride.”

Overall, oral health care is essential to one’s well-being, and Dr. Fleming recommends making regular visits to the dentist.

“But I guess the simple thing is, do you like to smile? Do you like to talk to people, and do you like to eat?” he asked. “It’s that simple. And you should just go see the dentist.”

Thomas E. Fleming D.D.S., P.A. is located at 1312 Gregory Drive in Roanoke Rapids.