I had the pleasure of watching Root Cause, a documentary based on a man’s experience with chronic illness, tonight. The short film tells a story of a man and his search for answers to his lethargy, heart palpitations and overall lack of well being intertwined with interviews from physicians who have seen the havoc of dental care has had on their patients.
While this documentary addressed endodontic infections (root canal treatment) and prevention they did not have a conversation with the audience regarding the need to test for periodontal (gum) disease and periodontal bacteria. This, too, can create an environment full of pathogens that can effect cardiovascular issues, the control of diabetes, poor pregnancy outcomes, cancers and the main character’s primary concern, erectile dysfunction.
This film verifies that a dental-medical collaboration needs to be created between the two professions. It is also a message to the public that dentistry and medicine need to co-exist to ultimately help patients live a long and quality filled life free of chronic inflammation and to create an environment in which the professionals have the ability to make an impact and live by their Hippocratic Oath.
