Health Secrets: Six Ways Your Mouth is the Key to Good Health

Your mouth can say many things about your health without saying a single word. Oral health is an important indicator of a person’s overall state of health. Are you wondering what kind of hidden story your teeth tell? Discover how the information provided can help you unearth the hidden health problems lurking inside your body. Read all about the six common ways our mouths reveal our health secrets.

 

Flat Teeth Tell a Tale of Stress

Are your teeth dull, flat, and slightly chipped? You might be taking your mental frustrations out on your teeth while you sleep. Grinding your teeth during the night is a clue that your body is reacting to stressful situations. Stress can cause sickness in many parts of the body. It can also lead to premature death. Your dentist will be able to alert you to the fact that you’re grinding your teeth so that you can begin to take steps towards stress reduction in your life.

 

Translucent Enamel Translates to Stomach Problems

Is the enamel on your teeth disintegrating? According to a Los Angeles cosmetic dentist, “Your teeth might appear translucent, or very light when enamel wears down.” Enamel deterioration can also cause signs of crumbling and cracking in your teeth. Enamel issues hold big indications for your health because the deterioration is usually caused by stomach acid reaching your mouth. Excess amounts of stomach acid points to acid reflux disease, cancers of the esophagus, and other stomach ailments.

 

Mouth Sores Should Be Taken Seriously

You might just assume the sores inside your mouth are a result of hot foods or accidental biting. Your dentist knows to look for alternative causes. Small mouth sores can actually be a sign of certain cancers. It is important to have your mouth inspected by a dentist regularly so that signs of oral cancer don’t go unnoticed. Many people assume that they do not have to worry about oral cancer if they do not smoke. This is a false and deadly assumption. The entire population is at risk for cancers of all kinds. Mouth sores also reveal more than just the possibility of cancer. Sores are a sign of certain vitamin deficiencies.

 

Your Dentist Knows How to Detect Diabetes

Many people are shocked to learn that symptoms of diabetes often show up in their mouths first. Dentists are often the first people to recognize diabetes because they are able to observe a lack of saliva in the mouths of their patients. A dehydrated mouth is one of the key symptoms of diabetes. Mouth infections are also a signal of diabetes because the disease reduces the human body’s ability to fight simple infections.

 

Tooth Decay Reveals Osteoporosis

Weak teeth are often a sign of weak bones. Many people who experience tooth loss are unknowingly experiencing bone loss at the same time. A dentist will be able to inform you if your teeth are showing signs of osteoporosis. You will be able to take this information to your primary care doctor and begin taking necessary steps to stave off further bone loss.

 

Anemia and Gums

Do you know the exact color that healthy gums should be? A dentist certainly does. Gums that are too pale might be a cause for worry. Pale gums are a sign of iron deficiency and anemia. The lack of color in gums is a result of a lack of hemoglobin in red blood cells. There is a good chance that the rest of your internal organs are experiencing a lack of oxygen.

 

You will get more than clean teeth and a fresh mouth the next time you visit a Pasadena dentist. You will also get insight on the overall health of your body. Become an empowered patient by making regular visits to the dentist a part of your life.