Your Mouth Holds Clues to Your Overall Health

You may not have thought of it but dentists are disease-detectives, too! Here at our College Park dental practice, we do more than just root canals, place dental implants, and help you whiten your teeth. You may not know it but we also look for clues that could tell us about your overall health. After all, it has been estimated that signs and symptoms of 120 non-dental diseases  can actually be detected through a routine dental exam. (Little, James W., Falace, Donald A., Miller, Craig S., & Rhodus, Nelson L. (2008). Dental Management of the Medically Compromised Patient (7th ed.).  St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.)

Below is a just a quick look on the link between your oral health and overall health:

• If your enamel (the outermost covering of your teeth) is worn down, it could mean that your teeth is regularly bathe in acid. If you’re not consuming drinks that are relatively high in acid, stomach acid may be the culprit. Perhaps, you have acid reflux or currently suffering from bulimia.

• For individuals with extremely worn-down teeth, they may not be aware of their tooth grinding while snoozing their way to dreamland! Chronic teeth grinding may be a symptom of TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder.

• Highly sensitive and swollen gums could mean a lot of things. It could be an early sign of leukemia, diabetes, an underlying cardiovascular problem, or perhaps Vitamin C-deficiency.

• Sores in the mouth, tongue or cheek that stay there for a long time may be a sign of oral cancer.

The aforementioned mouth-body connection are just a tip of the iceberg. Furthermore, such facts support the idea that regular dental visits can help you figure out the current state of your overall health. In addition, by taking care of your mouth through regular brushing, flossing, and eating right, you are actually taking measures in taking care of your body, too.

Let us help you improve your oral health! Here at our Maryland dental practice, we make it a point to go at great lengths to match our services to your expectations. Call us now for an initial consultation! Call (301) 238-7083 or fill out this contact form. We look forward to your visit!