During these two weeks we discussed women’s issues and how they impact the care we deliver. I found this topic to be of particular interest as being a woman myself, I had not previously thought of women as being a unique population on their own. I had always considered that men and women were separate, but as far as oral health considerations, it didn’t really occur to me that women would have their own separate needs.
Included in the discussion over the two weeks were topics such as heart disease as a main risk factor to women, female cancers, osteoporosis, eating disorders, abuse and women’s life cycles such as puberty, pregnancy and menopause.
We watched an emotional video “dying to be thin” on eating disorders that typically affect women and I personally was shocked at the things I saw. Dancers who were overly concerned the image and the pressure from casting directors that made them feel the way they did. Eating disorders do affect an alarmingly large population of women (14 out of 100,000); and if dentists and dental hygienists are those most likely to notice the condition first it is important that we are prepared to discuss it.
Eating disorders discussed included bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. An article provided by the instructor provides a great overview of these diseases and the link to the oral cavity. http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v186/n3/full/4800036a.html
In class the topic of how and who to speak to if and when a young person presents with the typical signs of an eating disorder, the discussion mostly surrounded whether or not to tell the parents of that child. We discussed how if that person was able to make informed consent then they would be able to tell you not to tell their parents. The more I thought about this topic, I thought about what my obligation to report would be, I didn’t bring it up in class as I didn’t think of it until later, but often these types of diseases accompany a psychological disorder as well and I wondered if C.A.S. should be informed of the eating disorder in a young person.
We also covered such topics as pregnancy and menopause. There were a lot of care considerations concerning the pregnant client, such as proper positioning for a woman in the third trimester, and the need for meticulous oral care during the course of their pregnancy. It was helpful to discuss how to communicate the need for certain procedures, such as radiographs as it is a common myth that radiographs are harmful to pregnant women, it is important to have the knowledge to back up what you are saying and it is helpful when explaining to have the exact numbers i.e what the max limit of radiation for a pregnant woman is vs. how much they would be getting from a dental radiograph. It was also interesting and helpful to discuss the oral manifestations we should expect to see with a client who is pregnant.
Some other great links that can help express some of the topics covered in these two weeks are:
http://www.perio.org/consumer/prematurity-studies.htm
http://www.perio.org/consumer/women.htm
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/dentalwork.html
http://www.healthunit.org/dental/pregnancy_oral/gum_disease.htm
