In this interview, Dr. Rob Lipkowitz shares about his upcoming event: Free Dental Screenings for 1st Responders. The event will take place on Thursday, October 20th.
During the event, the Lipkowitz Dental Associates team will be giving back to a group that has given so much.
Tell us about Free Dental Screenings for 1st Responders.
We have been so impressed by the response of first responders during the pandemic and I personally know many of them who have been neglecting themselves. My team and I are excited to provide free dental screenings to this group. We hope we can get them back on track with their health, because they are always putting the needs of others before their own!
What does a free dental screening consist of?
Well, first of all, I’m going to invite the first responders into the office and we’ll get to know them a little bit. And then, once they’re in the chair, I’m going to do an oral cancer screening. We’ll take some x-rays to rule out any problems with their gums, the bone, and tooth decay. Then I’m going to give them an overall understanding of the condition of the health of their mouth.
And how can a dental screening improve a patient’s overall health?
What I’m concerned about most are problems that have arisen during the time they haven’t been to the dentist. Just by knowing that they have issues, they can begin to take care of them. Most importantly, people are generally not aware of the prevalence and warning signs of oral cancer. Simply conducting an oral cancer screening really improves the chances that a positive diagnosis can be treated early.
If you find an area of concern, how do you explain that to a patient?
I always try to explain dental health in ways that my patient can understand. When discussing an area of concern, I will sit down with the patient and describe the problem while answering their questions to the best of my ability. Often I will take pictures using a special camera in my office so that they will have a visual aid as well.
Do you have any examples of how a dental screening has improved the health of one of your patients?
Absolutely. Dental health, your oral health, is often a reflection of your general health. One of the things we see in dentistry all the time is when people have really unhealthy gums, they can also have problems like diabetes or heart disease. I’ve had many patients come into the practice, and over time made their gums healthy again while reducing the risk for problems like cardiovascular disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease, by lowering levels of inflammation and bacteria in the body.
Additionally, several times I’ve had to send patients (who were smokers) to an oral surgeon for evaluation. During screenings, I noticed something that didn’t look right in their mouth, which turned out to be oral cancer. In all of these instances, the patients were treated early and recovered fully, which is an amazing outcome.
So essentially, a dental screening can save a life?
It absolutely can, in more ways than one. My team and I are so excited to have some opportunity to give back to the first responder community who has given so much to us. We’re really looking forward to seeing you.
If you are a first responder, or you know and love a first responder, please share this with them. We’d love to have them attend the free dental screening with Doctor Rob Lipkowitz and his team, complete with Bite Wing X-Rays. Sign up for the free dental screening for first responders on October 20th here!
