Oral care isn’t just about having
a nice smile—it’s necessary for
overall good health
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons play a pivotal role in
patients’ lives. At Scott & White Healthcare, they work
collaboratively with general dentists and hospital-based
specialists to restore health.
t’s fair to say that many people
feel anxious about going to the
dentist. It’s also true that they’re
usually glad after they do go. What people
might be surprised to learn is the
importance of a highly specialized dentist’s
expertise to patients with health issues
like diabetes, sleep apnea, cancer, or
heart disease.
“Good dental health contributes to a
person’s general health,” says Division of
Dentistry Chief Lance A. Read, DDS, oral
and maxillofacial surgeon at Scott &
White Healthcare. “At the most basic level,
a person with unhealthy teeth often does
I
not eat properly. If they can’t eat, then they
can’t maintain nutrition and strength.”
His colleague Donald G. Chiles, DDS,
also an oral and maxillofacial surgeon,
says, “I recall a professor in dental school
telling me, ‘Just remember, at the end
of every tooth is attached a patient.’ And
that tooth can certainly affect the rest of
the body.”
Besides performing such common
procedures as removing wisdom teeth,
surgeons in the Division of Dentistry
provide support to medical and surgical
teams throughout the hospital. “We do
everything from simple extractions and
Bridge TO
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THE CATALYST Summer 10 | sw.org