What Your Mouth Is Telling You

Your tongue, gums and breath can tell a lot about your health. Do you know what your mouth is telling you?

While we might think we have a healthy enough lifestyle, our oral health can uncover some secrets.

The first thing you should do if you are worried about your dental health is book in with a trusted practice like Bowral Street Dental Practice and get the lowdown on your oral health.

The second thing is to vow to work on what your mouth is telling you.

So what can you spot just from the gums, tongue, teeth and breath?

Swollen gums

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Most people have some plaque level, and it is pretty normal to have a small amount – but if you have a lot, the build-up can be catastrophic.

Studies show that inflammation and gum disease are some of the most significant factors for identifying people who might have heart disease.

Not only that, but plaque build-up can directly contribute to clot formation and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Crumbling teeth

If you have cracks often appearing in your teeth, or they feel like they are crumbling, this could be a sign that you have issues with your stomach acid.

Heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD can lead to teeth that are more vulnerable to cracks and damage.

When this type of issue is discovered quickly, your dentists can help you to prevent damage to your teeth. And your doctor can help you to make sure that you have your acid reflux under control.

Flat teeth

Molars that seem to be almost flattened can be a huge indicator that the patient is suffering from stress. When stressed, people often hold their jaw tight, grind their teeth at night and have tension headaches.

Often this will take a combination of dental treatment and something to help reduce your stress symptoms.

Even if your teeth are not flat, you might notice that your jaw feels tight in the mornings, and you have neck pain or pain that radiates down from your jaws.

Dry mouth

Many medications can be the cause of dry mouth, but dry mouth can be an indicator of some other diseases that might be more worrisome, like Sjorgen’s syndrome or diabetes.

Although a dry mouth is not always a warning sign, it is usually an indicator that there might be something going on, even more, when it seems to be becoming more common.

You can talk to both your doctor and your dentist about this issue, as they will have tools that can help you to get some relief.

Ulcers

The odd mouth ulcer isn’t too concerning; however, if you have them often, or you notice that one isn’t going away – it could be a sign that you have oral cancer.

Usually, though, these types of ulcers are from biting the inner cheek by accident, or from keeping your jaw tight due to stress.