Medical Personnel Can Save More Lives by Screening for Oral Signs of Disease

Most of us may not view the dentists and dental hygienists as lifesavers, but Dr. Gwen Cohen-Brown differs in her view. She is an assistant professor of dental hygiene at New York City College of Technology.

Dr. Gwen is on a mission to routinely conduct periodontal evaluations and oral cancer and vital sign screenings as well as how to recognize the clinical signs of such systemic diseases as HIV/AIDS. She also persuades her students, hygienists, physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and hospital HIV/AIDS counselors to follow the same.

"Dental health providers can be the first line of care when it comes to oral health," she says. “The mouth is the portal to the body and a reflection of general health. We as health providers need to be able to recognize things like a yeast infection that doesn’t go away or specific tumors and be able to bring up such subjects with our patients.”

Statistics bear out her concern. According to the American Dental Association, only about seven percent of dentists offer the mouth and neck exams they should.

Dr. Cohen-Brown, who became a dentist in the mid-1980s when the AIDS crisis reached epidemic proportions and saw many patients with HIV/AIDS, makes this point when she speaks at hospitals, prisons, clinics, health care conferences, training programs and rehab, medical and mental health centers in the tri-state area, which she does as often as time permits. She also offers in-person health care provider continuing education on HIV-related topics through Cicatelli Associates.