The human body faces numerous health risks that are not immediately identifiable or noticeable. For example, most people are familiar with the dangers of high blood pressure, which generally cannot be felt, but which are nonetheless liable to take fatal forms. Yet few people pause to give thought to the health-threatening conditions that may be lurking inside their own mouths.
A lack of concern for worst-case dental scenarios is understandable, as it may be attributable to lack of information. However, that may be on the verge of changing.
With decades of combined experience and expertise, the renowned Rejuvenation Dentistry® team wants to make the world more aware of the bone disorder known as “cavitations.” As the word itself remains unfamiliar to most people, the need for this is plainly evident.
Significantly, cavitations of the jaw may or may not cause pain. Unfortunately, this raises the possibility of a patient suffering from a very regrettable oral condition for years without even knowing it. And this, in turn, brings us back to the uncomfortable reality that many forms of visual observation, including X-rays, will not necessarily reveal a patient’s cavitations. All of which is made especially troubling by the potential ramifications of suffering from them. The problem is not just dead bone; it is what forms around it. The absence of healthy tissue facilitates the accumulation of bacteria, fungi, and parasites. The area of bone subject to cavitation gives rise to a kind of dental cesspool of unwanted microbial invaders. And as anyone who has ever spoken with a dentist knows all too well, our mouths already harbor enough of those as it is!
Equally troubling is the ease with which jawbone cavitations can occur. Common but nonetheless extensive dental procedures—think root canals and tooth extractions—can cause trauma that gives rise to cavitations. In fact, according to the American College of Rheumatology, most instances follow dental extractions.
Making matters worse, there are links between osteonecrosis—including dental cavitations—and other serious forms of disease. These include: heart disease, autoimmune diseases, HIV infection, sickle cell, pancreatitis, Gaucher’s disease, and others. It is also associated with radiation-based cancer treatment.
Now that you understand the problem, you are likely asking yourself: What can be done to address it?
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