Taking Care of Mom Before Surgery
手術の前にお母さんを治療
For the past month, my mother in law has had problems with her knees. She has always had bad knees for someone that young but for the past month, it has even been painful getting out of bed. She has had to keep her right knee bent at an angle as she is unable to straighten it out. She knows that she needs a knee replacement but has been putting it off.
In the past, her doctor had suggested a knee replacement surgery and she had said no. This time, she knows she needs to do it. Before the surgery, she needed a dental letter of clearance.
The mouth has a lot of bacteria and by reducing the amount of bacteria; it can reduce the risk of joint infection after surgery. These deep infections can lead to painful and expensive additional care and treatment. It is recommended that these patients talk to their dentist months before surgery and have a dental plan completed. This often includes: a full mouth exam by a dentist, as well as a cleaning, current x-rays (if no x-rays had been taken in the last year), and treatment of any dental problems.
Problems such as cavities, gum disease, teeth or gum infections, fractured teeth or fillings, loose teeth, and most soft tissue diseases need to be taken care of. Treating these problems can get rid of existing infections and reduces the chances of joint problems in the future.
Luckily for my mother in law, she lives with dentist (me!) and I can easily give her a dental letter of clearance. I know for sure she has no teeth problems. No teeth = no teeth problems. I will still do a careful exam of the rest of her mouth before she schedules for her knee surgery. I want her mouth will be the least of her concerns. I just want her to concentrate on healing up and getting stronger again. Good luck with your upcoming surgery, Mom!
（次回は10月第２週号掲載）
〈Keyword〉
gum disease 歯周病
joint infection 関節炎
fractured teeth 歯牙破折
（「WEEKLY Biz」2013年9月14日号掲載）
〈プロフィル〉Dr. Clara Lee ニューヨーク大学歯学部卒業。ニューヨーク大学ブルックデール病院でチーフレジデンス修了。13年以上に及ぶ臨床経験は一般歯科、コスメティック、インプラントを含む。インビザライン認定医。Waterside Dental Care院長として古山医師と共に、多くの日本人患者さんを治療。Dentistryをこよなく愛している。記事提供：Waterside dental Care（Tel：212-683-6260）
