What Your Mouth Is Telling You
What Your Mouth Is Telling You
By Mary Kearl
When it comes to your gums, teeth and tongue, good and bad hygiene may be indications of existing or future health complications. What's going on inside your mouth could affect your overall health. Find out more.
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Bad Breath
The obvious culprits to blame for bad or changed breath are eating certain kinds of food like garlic and onions, not drinking enough fluids and/or not brushing your teeth often enough. But your malodor could mean a range of mouth problems including an abscessed tooth, gum disease, tooth decay, a complication with a tooth extraction and/or throat or mouth cancer. Outside of your mouth, bad breath could be associated with sinus troubles, diabetes, digestive disorders, HIV, liver disease, kidney disorders and lung problems. Learn about home treatment for bad breath.
Mouth Sores
Not getting enough iron, folic acid or vitamin B-12 could be to blame for your canker or cold sores. The same holds true for hormonal changes, food allergies and viral infections. These mouth irritations have also been found to occur in people diagnosed with skin infections or diseases, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, chickenpox and oral cancer. Piercings, injury or medicines may also be to blame. Learn more about mouth sore complications.
Clean Teeth
Dental hygiene, combined with overall good health, may help prevent heart valve infection, according a June 2008 American Heart Association (AHA) study. Not brushing or skipping out on other good dental care habits puts you at risk for oral health problems like cavities, abscesses and gum disease, which in turn can expose you to frequent bacterium that may lead to heart valve infection, according to the AHA report.
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Gum Problems
If you see red when you brush, that doesn't necessarily mean you should panic. It is normal for your gums to bleed every so often if you brush your teeth and gums vigorously or apply dental floss forcefully against your gums. However, if your gums bleed more easily or at a greater frequency than usual, it could be an indication of early-stage gingivitis, or gum disease. Other mouth problems such as swelling, pus coming from the gums and loose teeth, all could point to gingivitis. Your gum troubles could infer non-dental related issues such as anemia, a lack of vitamin K or vitamin C, or pregnancy-related hormonal changes. An issue like persistent bleeding may be linked to more severe health conditions, including leukemia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, malnutrition, scurvy or platelet disorders.
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Missing Teeth
Tooth loss may predict dementia later on in life, according to a study published in the October 2007 of the 'Journal of the American Dental Association.' The study's authors point out that it is unclear whether the relationship is causal and that further studies are needed. Missing teeth may also be linked to head, neck, esophageal and lung cancers, according to an extensive Japanese study published in the May 2008 issue of 'Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.'
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Tongue Changes
There's a lot to see when you stick out your tongue and say, "Ahh." Your white, black or brightly colored, furry/hairy, bumpy or groove-filled tongue may be a simple result of tobacco use or consuming certain kinds of foods and beverages, which could be exacerbated by poor dental hygiene. Change in color or shape of your tongue may be telling of a vitamin deficiency, injury or the result of thrush (yeast infection). More severe, but less common, causes of these tongue changes include severe allergies or oral cancer. Learn more about tongue problems.
Dry Mouth
Do you ever find that your mouth is so parched that you have difficulty eating, talking, swallowing or tasting food? You could have a condition called xerostomia, which, if it is a chronic problem, could lead to infection, gum disease and cavities. It is saliva that helps wash foods away and acts to cancel out plaque-produced acids. Other problems associated with dry mouth include a constant sore throat, burning sensation or dry nasal passages. Artificial saliva and/or fluoride products can help prevent further mouth problems, according to the American Dental Association. Speak with a health-care professional about this issue.
Tooth Aches and Tooth Sensitivity
While a common cause for your tooth pain may be a loose or missing filling or a cracked tooth, it could be the sign of cavities, or an abscessed, infected or decaying tooth. Your tooth ache could be a sign of non-dental related problems too, such as a vitamin-B12 deficiency or sinusitis. Consuming sweets, hot, cold or acidic beverages or foods; chewing food or gum; breathing in cold air or brushing your teeth all can worsen the pain.
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Jaw Pain
While jaw pain or stiffness may be an indication of an abscessed tooth or wisdom teeth problems -- it could be due to a non-dental cause as well. Pain in the upper teeth or jaw could a warning sign for a heart attack or angina -- a symptom of coronary artery disease. Stress-induced teeth grinding could lead to jaw pain -- a common symptom of temporomandibular (TM) disorders -- or conditions that cause complications with jaw movement. Your ache could also mean
cluster headaches are headed your way.
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Recent Comments
Amsm99 05:50:29 PM Oct 26 2009
Last year my dentists cost me 200 dollars for one extraction and told me it was the recession but on my next visit he would give me credit.Today, I called about my credit and they only wrote down 150 bucks but told me if I can locate my receipt they would give me credit.One tooth is 97 for exam and 68 for xray and 100-249 for one tooth extraction. Its time the federal agencies visit the dental organization to lower prices.No wonder so many people have gaps in their mouth,it keeps going up and we will forget about overweight and see snaggs all over the place.
GaMay9 04:41:47 PM Oct 26 2009
I'm convinced my periodontal desease led to diabetes. I just found out I had periodontal disease and have had diabetes for three years. My new dentist agrees with me. I neglected dental care, except for brushing and flossing, because employee health plans rarely insure it and Medicare doesn't either. The VA covers 100% but only if it is service related. Hell, I was in the service 44 years ago. I was based in Germany. My chances of a service-related dental injury were slim and none.Don't you see a lot of older people, nice looking, except they have teeth missing? At least the ones they have to extract from me will be in the rear (not noticeable). As a retiree, I can't afford dental implants and I won't wear dentures.
Ssknowflake 04:35:19 PM Oct 26 2009
floss your gums and get the old food out between you teeth
Ssknowflake 04:34:42 PM Oct 26 2009
change your toothbrushes from time to time, and floss...floss...floss.
quelbetise 02:48:47 PM Oct 26 2009
What a load of crock. I've known people who lived on chips, soda, chocolate bars, and very little else, and they had some of the whitest teeth and most beautiful smiles I've ever seen...that includes people who weren't exactly wealthy. I've also known people with great diets who are in great shape, yet their teeth and gums aren't in the greatest shape. Perhaps teeth and gums can give you clues, but I'm not convinced that there is anything truly definitive in this article. As usual, I'm skeptical. Ever looked at the ingredient list on your average tube of toothpaste? What a nightmare. I think we overbrush here. If you're going to use anything, use Tom's of Maine, or don't overdo it with the toothpaste. It's the brush that's most important.
Evonie55 11:31:26 AM Oct 26 2009
IT'S ALL A BUNCH OF HYPE TO GET MORE MONEY OUT OF YOU. DENTAL CARE HAS GONE UP 50% IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. MY DENTIST TOOK OUT ALL MY SILVER, SAYING THAT IT HAD MERCURY AND WAS NOT GOOD. I HAD THOSE FILLINGS FOR OVER 30 YEARS WITH NO EFFECT. HE PUT THESE CHEAP RESIN IN AND NOW I'VE HAD EXCESSIVE ROOT CANALS, CROWNS, AND EXTRACTIONS. GUM SURGERY FOR GINERVITOUS, MY FRONT TEETH HAVE RECEDED SO MUCH, I HAVE MORE PROBLEM NOW THAN BEFORE THE SURGERY. IF IT DON'T HURT, DON''T LET THEM TOUCH YOUR TEETH.
Evonie55 11:24:13 AM Oct 26 2009
Dental care has gone up 50 percent from a few years ago. All this hype regarding your mouth is only a ploy to get you to come in for more expensive treatment. Dentist are using shoddy products where they don't last. My dentist took out all my silver filling becuase of mercury. I had those fillings for over 30 years with no effects. He put that cheap resin in, and now I've had root cannels and crowns on most of my back teeth. I REGRET the day I had oral surgery, because my dentist told be I had ginervitius, and would make my teeth loose. Now my gums have receded so much that I'm living at the dentist. I recently just went, and was told I need 3,000 worth of work because of problems. Why didn't the dentist, a year ago told me this and tried to take care of the so called problems BEFORE it got bad?. IF IT'S NOT HURTING, LEAVE IT ALONE. DON'T LET THESE DENTIST TELL YOU OTHERWISE.
Greeneacres06 10:24:41 PM Mar 25 2009
My gums were bleeding everytime I brushed. I started taking Hem-eez for bruising and noticed that my gums quit bleeding also. I always use a new tooth brush about every 6 weeks or so, and every 3 weeks boil it to clean it. I also started using Myrhh as a mouth wash and my gums look much healthier accoridng to my last dental visit. My dentist was also really interested in the gums that quit bleeding. I told him about the Hem-eez and he said it makes sense, I say it worked for me and try to pass along the info when can.
Rshellnutt 08:41:01 AM Dec 26 2008
Wet your toothbrush before you go to bed and stick it in the freezer at night, that also will kill germs.
Rshellnutt 08:34:02 AM Dec 26 2008
These articles are product placement ads bought by the sponsers at the top. Hint hint , brought to you by Oral B. The govermnent does this all the time when they need war propoganda put out nation wide..
