Atlanta Injury Lawyers BlogDental Procedures Can Exacerbate Certain Medical Conditions
Atlanta dental malpractice attorneys know that persons with certain medical conditions are not eligible for dental procedures. A dental procedure likely contributed to the declining mental health of popular British TV actor Peter Falk, eventually leading to his death. Falk died in June at the age of eighty-three from Alzheimer’s disease.
He had lived with the disease for years, but was mentally lucid enough to continue to work. His condition took a turn for the worse in 2007 after he underwent a series of dental procedures. According to family, within weeks, his condition worsened rapidly, and he slipped into dementia. He no longer recognized people or objects, and required full-time care. His family had to apply for legal guardianship because his condition had become so poor. Then in 2001, he underwent hip replacement surgery, contributing to a further decline in his condition.
His family struggled to understand the sudden onset of dementia symptoms, and did not make the connection between his dental procedure and the onset of dementia. However, the results of new studies published in the Journal Urology revealed that surgical procedures can exacerbate the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and exacerbate the disease in those who already have it.
The body produces inflammatory proteins when it is recovering from a procedure like a dental surgery. Ironically, the very proteins that are meant to help the patient recover from the dental procedure or any other surgery can actually kill brain cells at a high speed. These proteins can aggravate Alzheimer’s disease.
In the United States, about 35.4 million people currently suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. In Georgia, in 2010, there were 7,400 people aged between sixty-five and seventy-four, and 60,000 people aged between thirty-five and eighty-four suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The research points to the need for a proper evaluation by dentists before any procedure on an Alzheimer’s disease patient.
Robert J. Fleming has been handling wrongful death cases, dental malpractice, bus accidents, car accident cases and premises injury cases for individuals and families who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of another for more than 20 years. He practices in and around the Atlanta, Georgia area including handling lawsuits in Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Gwinnett, Cobb and other counties and nearby cities including Alpharetta, Austell, Avondale Estates, Chamblee, College Park, Conyers, Duluth, Decatur, Doraville, Hapeville, Johns Creek, Jonesboro, Lawrenceville, Norcross, Peachtree City, Riverdale, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Stone Mountain, and Smyrna. If you have been seriously injured by suspected dental malpractice and would like discuss your case, contact Robert J. Fleming directly on (404) 525-5150 or contact us online.
