Case Study: Dental Work Improves Overall Health
“The medical crisis is in our mouths,” says Dr. Lisa Marie Samaha, who was recently interviewed for an article in The Health Journal. “In the past 34 years, I’ve watched people come into my office—they’re not just sick dentally, they’re sick physically. Through proper evaluation and collaboration with their medical teams, we can literally transform their lives.”
In the article, Dr. Samaha tells the story of one of her patients, whose life was drastically changed by improving her oral health:
Samaha has numerous patient case studies from those who had dental work done and found their overall health improved as a result. Take Ellyn Tilburg, a retired Newport News teacher. She was supposed to have abdominal surgery last summer, but a day before surgery, she saw Samaha, who advised her against the procedure because of serious infections in her mouth.
Because Tilburg’s blood was already carrying a significant level of infection from dental disease, Samaha’s concern was that surgery could cause the infection to spread. The surgeon agreed to cancel surgery, and Tilburg instead got work done on her mouth. To her surprise, after dental treatment, her whole body began feeling stronger.
Over five months, she lost 25 pounds. Her looks changed—clearly evident in before and after photos.
“People have remarked that my eyes look different, my skin tone looks different,” says Tilburg, who is 65. “I have an increase in energy. For the first time, my body is well, and it’s getting better and better.”