When it comes to your teeth, even when you’re not actually speaking, they can say a lot, particularly about your overall health. So if there’s something off with your smile, here are 14 things that might be affecting your health:
1. A sleep disorder
This can be indicated by flattened edges of your teeth. These flattened edges may result from grinding your teeth while you sleep or clenching your jaw. To prevent this wearing down your enamel and cause pain in your jaw, you should invest in a night guard, but all of this could be a result of undiagnosed sleep apnea. Talk to your doctor and see if your grinding is related to trouble breathing while you sleep. Another indication of a sleep disorder is bad breath especially in the morning because people who have trouble sleeping tend to sleep with their mouths open rather than breathing calmly through their noses.
2. An unhealthy diet
Yes, what you eat does reveal itself to your dentist. In what form? Stains. Excessive coffee drinking, chocolate, candy, sugary sweets, soda, energy drinks, and so much more leave their mark on your teeth as well as the rest of your body. Your teeth need a balanced diet to stay healthy and so do you.
3. Cancer
Chronic bad breath has links to certain cancers. From time to time you might have an open sore in your mouth from incidents such as accidentally biting your cheek, but when these sores don’t go away within a week or two it could be a sign of oral cancer. Healthy tissue appears pink, but problematic tissue will show sores of white and red coloring and may even be raised. Bleeding and numbness can also be an issue with cancerous sores and they may hide under the tongue or at the back of your mouth, which might not be seen until a dental checkup.
4. Diabetes
Gum disease can be related to overall inflammation in the body from chronic stress and therefore has been linked to diabetes. Make sure to treat your gum disease because it can positively affect your diabetic health. Chronic bad breath can be another indicator of diabetes and may have a fruity odor. Dry mouth is also related to this autoimmune disease.
5. Kidney issues
Chronic bad breath can be a red flag that you are experiencing some sort of issues with your kidneys. Typically the bad breath smells fishy when it is linked to complications with your kidneys.
6. Anxiety
Grinding your teeth can also be a sign that you suffer from anxiety. Unfortunately, unless you specifically bring it up to your doctor, many cases of anxiety go undiagnosed, but grinding your teeth might be the sign that something more is going on. Whether it’s day grinding or night grinding, you just might be taking your anxiety out on your teeth.
7. Dementia
Gum disease can be an indication of dementia in a patient. A loss of teeth is also related to dementia. Further, poor oral health could be related to poor health in general. Deteriorating memory and the ability to properly perform daily activities is devastating, but letting oral health fall by the wayside will only age you faster.
At the end of the day, keeping your mouth clean and healthy is directly related to your overall health. So make sure you’re brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing every day, and scraping your tongue daily. Don’t let any serious issues go untreated such as gum disease. Finally, be sure to make regular visits to your dentist, especially because if all of these serious health issues can be revealed by your teeth, then getting a checkup might just save your life. Don’t forget to tune in next month for 14 Things Your Teeth Can Reveal About Your Overall Health: Part 2.