Why dental professionals should know about the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease

At the end of August 2019, a client scheduled an immediate visit with her dental practitioner. An agonizing tooth pain had actually woken her the evening prior to. Her symptoms likewise consisted of extreme discomfort in her jaw, holy place, and neck, come with by a prickling on her reduced left lip and left side of her tongue. She likewise experienced the sensation of sweats and cools throughout the evening and a weird experience in her shoulder and left arm.

Despite complete evaluations, neither her dental practitioner neither the endodontist she was described can discover any type of dental problems. A see to a Halifax health center emergency clinic dismissed both a cardiac arrest and a stroke. It was just when an irritated bump with a bull’s eye look showed up on her upper leg a day later on that the individual’s family practitioner had the ability to detect Lyme disease.

The situation is the subject of a paper that Isabel Mello, assistant teacher in the Faculty of Dentistry, released with Halifax endodontist, John Peters, and Faculty of Dentistry assistant teacher Chris Lee in the Journal of Endodontics in June 2020, “Neuropathy mimicking dental pain in a patient diagnosed with Lyme disease.”

“It was shocking to me to know someone—a personal friend of mine—with Lyme disease,” claimsDr Mello, describing her rate of interest in the situation. “It is a serious illness that can present with a variety of symptoms, such as orofacial pain, fever, and chest pain. If there is no obvious tick bite, Lyme disease can go undiagnosed, bringing much suffering to the patient.”

Nova Scotia– an at-risk location for Lyme disease

Lyme disease is brought on by a germs that is spread out by contaminated blacklegged ticks. According to the Nova Scotia federal government’s magazine, “Guidance for Primary Care and Emergency Medicine Providers in the Management of Lyme Disease in Nova Scotia,” the whole district of Nova Scotia is an “at-risk area” forLyme disease The individual had actually been camping in 2 risky locations in Nova Scotia prior to her medical diagnosis, however this is not the kind of concern that would typically be asked throughout a dental visit.

Although tick period formally starts in April, ticks are energetic all year. In truth, if the temperature level is over 4 levels C, ticks will certainly get on the step. Early discovery and therapy are necessary if even more severe problems, such as joint inflammation, nerve system troubles, and carditis, which impacts the heart’s electric system, are to be avoided.

“Pain in the orofacial area is not a rare presentation of Lyme disease,” claimsDr Mello, “Although one of the differential diagnoses the endodontist put forward was trigeminal neuralgia, which is one of the presentations of Lyme disease, a definitive diagnosis of the illness is difficult without a visible bite site or rash.”

Someone with Lyme disease might experience temporomandibular joint discomfort, frustration, and neuralgia. In specific, symptoms of neuropathy in the orofacial location, such as feeling numb, prickling or prickling, and sharp, jabbing, pulsating, or shedding discomfort, might simulate dental discomfort and can trigger people to see their dental practitioners seeking responses.

The require to know

“Any health care provider—including dental practitioners—should be aware of the risk factors for Lyme disease, know about its signs and symptoms, and consider Lyme disease as a differential diagnosis for atypical pain in the orofacial area,” claimsDr Mello.”This is particularly important when there is no obvious tick bite.”

Dr Mello recommends that health and wellness professionals think about asking extra thorough concerns, consisting of about current modifications to a client’s total health and wellness and journeys to risky locations. She likewise suggests that they think about making better references and working together with various other health and wellness professionals.

“A delayed diagnosis is frustrating and worrying for both the patient and health care providers,” claimsDr Mello. “This disease can also be fatal. Dental professionals play an important role in helping to diagnose Lyme disease early.”

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More details:
Isabel Mello et al. Neuropathy Mimicking Dental Pain in a Patient Diagnosed with Lyme Disease, Journal of Endodontics (2020 ). DOI: 10.1016/ j.joen.2020.06.011.