You might often hear the words “your oral health is important for your overall health”. If this were true, then we would be able to point to signs in which these two were connected. Well, truth is: we are able to point to signs. Your dentist can determine a decent amount of information on your overall health just by looking into your mouth during a dental examination.
A great analogy is given by the President of the American Academy of Periodontists, Dr. Stuart Froum: “if the eye is the window to the soul, then the mouth is the window to the body.”
5 Signs Revealed By Looking Into Your Mouth During Dental Examinations
- You may be depressed – antidepressants (i.e. Zoloft, etc.) are commonly known to cause dry mouth in many. Dry mouth may stem from other issues, but a mouth that is noticeably dry may point to the fact that you are on antidepressants. Your Irvine dentist could suggest ways for you to re-hydrate your mouth.
- You may be pregnant – small red growths on the gums point to pregnancy. In fact, they are often referred to as pregnancy tumors. They are benign tumors – they are not dangerous. Pregnant mothers are encouraged to stay up to date with oral hygiene for the duration of their pregnancy.
- You may be iron deficient – when people are iron deficient, it has a possibility to show in the mouth. Your gums will begin to lose their normal, healthy red color and appear pale or pink.
- You may be stressed – when people are stressed, they develop more sensitivity in their gums and teeth, as well more stress hormones which have been connected to inflammation and gum disease.
- You may have an autoimmune disease – white spots in the mouth that are painful and/or tender could lead to ulcers of your mouth. The white spots could point to an autoimmune condition known as Lichen planus, which is linked to immune function.
Dentists are able to look for questionable signs as they are performing a routine dental examination and check-up. During this time, dentists are also able to screen for oral cancer.
Don’t be a victim of preventable conditions. Practice proper preventative dentistry measures as a way to keep your mouth and body clean and free from gum disease, a condition that affects half of American adults.