Stroke Survivors May Not Have Visited the Dentist Regularly

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Researchers have uncovered the fact that many stroke survivors have not had dental examinations within the year’s time before the stroke occurred.

A new study to be presented next week at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) annual meeting and published in the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases has assessed the time frame when a stroke survivor last received dental care; this study had some startling findings suggesting that some stroke survivors had serious gaps of time where they had no dental care whatsoever.

Less than fifty percent of stroke survivors were actually found to have had regular examinations from a qualified dentist in the year prior to their stroke incidents.

This issue, the lack of adequate dental checkups and treatment, is most prevalent in Caucasian men and both African American men and women; whereas women, especially married women or those getting standard care by a doctor for general health issues, are more likely to have seen a dentist the year prior to having a stroke.

These findings are interesting and lead to a deeper understanding of how our oral health affects our general well being.

African Americans have higher stroke risks than the majority of the population, and African American men and women are less likely to see a dentist on a regular basis.

Researchers have already revealed a link between the formation of cavities and the development of periodontitsis to an increased likelihood of having a stroke in the future.

Now studies need to be done to assess whether or not standard checkups at the dentist help reduce one’s chances of having a stroke.

Dentists are still interested in finding out more about the connection between poor oral health and stroke risks and it is believed that more clinical trials will be needed in order to draw clear distinctions about the risks of stroke and the poor oral health connection.

Some of the main questions that still remain include whether or not a patient can improve his or her condition orally and diminish the bodily risk of developing a disease like heart disease, diabetes, or stroke. IN other words, if a person improves their oral health practices, will he or she subsequently minimize the chances of having a stroke or heart issues in the future?