Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Its #oralhealthmonth and HSN would like to recognize the efforts and extraordinary care that Dr. Saunders, Medical Director for the Department of Dental Oncology at HSN, and her dedicated team of #HSNHEROES provide to thousands of patients every year.
As the only hospital dentist in Northeastern Ontario, Dr. Saunders works with Dr. Peter Villa, Chief of Dental Surgery at HSN, to see patients requiring dental care as part of their hospital admission or in preparation for life-saving surgery.
“Hospital dentistry is important, and you cannot relate it to your most recent visit to your community dentist. The patients we see have conditions that would be considered life-threatening, and care can only be provided in a hospital setting. At HSN, we work collaboratively with our medical and surgical colleagues to provide critical support predominately for trauma, psychiatric, cancer, cardiac, and stem cell transplant programs,” says Dr. Saunders.
Throughout the pandemic, Dr. Saunders and her research team have recorded an increased incidence of hospital admissions for life-threatening infections caused by tooth infections. The increase is over 250% from the previous five years. “I don’t think most people realize that you can damage your heart, develop brain abscess or joint infection from an infected tooth,” says Saunders.
Under the guidance of Dr. Saunders, care provided at HSN includes the Oral Medicine Program, the Oral Maxillofacial Rehabilitation Program, the Dental Oncology Program, and the Clinical Tobacco Intervention Program. In addition to these globally recognized programs, Dr. Saunders is also a clinical researcher and Co-Lead for the Cancer Solutions Program at HSNRI/HSN.