What Can Your Teeth Tell You About Your Health?

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There’s an old saying that looking into the eye is like looking into the window of someone’s soul. You could make the same argument to an extent about someone’s mouth, except instead of looking into the soul, you’d be looking into the functioning of how other crucial parts of the body are performing. Yes, your teeth and your oral health can say a lot about the overall health of the body. This post will take a look at what some common oral conditions are often linked to.

What Your Oral Health Says About Your Overall Health

  • Worn teeth: Worn teeth is often linked to teeth grinding, or bruxism. However, teeth grinding can be linked to even more significant underlying issues. For instance, many people grind their teeth – either knowingly or unknowingly – when they are suffering from anxiety, stress or other emotional or psychological issues.
  • Cracking, eroding teeth: If your teeth are easily cracked or starting to wear, it’s likely a sign of acid reflux. This normally occurs when acid resurfaces from the stomach and wears away at the teeth. Fortunately, medication can usually fix this issue.
  • Gum issues: Whether it’s the gums growing over the teeth, gum disease or periodontal disease, these may all be linked to heart conditions. In some cases, treating the gums can reverse the symptoms in the mouth and within the body. In other situations, however, more significant whole body treatment may be necessary.
  • Dry mouth: Dry mouth may seem like no big deal on the surface, but it can be the first signs of two significant diseases. Yes, dry mouth can actually be indicative of diabetes and/or Sjogren’s syndrome.
  • Mouth sores: If mouth sores are regular within your mouth and they don’t go away in a week at most, it could be a sign of oral cancer. For many patients, oral cancer is detected too late for treatment to be effective. That’s why it’s crucial that if any mouth sores don’t go away in due time you see a dentist to get checked out.
  • Dirty dentures: Dentures need regular cleaning, but if there’s failure in cleaning them properly or the appearance of a crusty material on them, it could be the sign of a dire health complication known as aspiration pneumonia. This occurs when foreign material is breathed in, potentially causing lung inflammation that could lead to death. Thankfully, the remedy for this issue is simple – just clean the dentures correctly.

As you can see, the mouth can tell a dentist a lot about other potential health issues you may be experiencing – that’s why it’s so important to see the dentist at least twice a year for recommended cleanings. For more information, and to schedule an appointment today, contact Caven Dental.

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