Health conditions that your teeth can reveal – Magazines

You have probably heard or read many times that you should visit your dentist at least once every six months.

Now you can emphasize that you are following a meticulous oral hygiene regimen, have never had a toothache, bleeding gums, tenderness or any other dental problem that may warrant a visit at the dentist.

In spite of all this, have you ever wondered why we often insist on the same thing?

It's a bit of a surprise, but in fact, your dentist may be the first person to notice non-dental medical problems in the mouth during an examination. Some of the most common diseases that are manifested by mouth conditions are:

Dry mouth, retracting gums, bleeding gums and loose teeth are warning signs that indicate a diagnosis of diabetes . Diabetic patients have also experienced delayed healing of mouth sores and gum infections due to poor immunity. However, these signs are not just limited to diabetes.

Stress does not only affect your mental well-being, but can also occur in your mouth. One of the most obvious manifestations of stress in the oral cavity is the wear of the occlusal surfaces of the teeth. This is due to a condition called bruxism, or in other words, grinding of teeth.

You should also look for other ways to free your mind and body from stress, whether it be exercise, yoga or meditation.

Oral cancer is one of the most aggressive types of cancer. Your dentist can perform oral screening if he notices red or white lesions on the tongue, palate, floor of the mouth or inside the cheeks. The main risk factors are alcohol consumption, smoking and chewing tobacco.

Intense pain, swelling, redness around the affected area, a warm to the touch area, fever and pus are all signs of infection. If it is not treated, infections can spread to other parts of the body. It is therefore of the utmost importance that an oral infection be treated in a timely manner.

White, red, purple, or brown spots in the mouth and especially on the tongue are common signs that occur in adult HIV-infected patients. Some may also develop oral warts.

HIV-infected children may have swollen salivary glands that causes dry mouth and severe immunosuppression; they are more vulnerable to viral infections such as herpes and fungal infections such as oral thrush. Having the above symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have HIV but can raise a red flag and your dentist can advise you to do some blood work to eliminate it.

You can try to hide your eating disorder to everyone Your dentist will discover it as soon as he will see your oral cavity. Bulimia cases are usually accompanied by bleeding gums, dry mouth and erosion inside the front teeth. Forced vomiting causes wear of gastric acid from tooth enamel and also leads to sensitivity.

It is a condition in which the body loses bone or does too little bone. Thus, leading to bone weakness. Although this can happen to almost everyone, it is more common in postmenopausal women.

Moving teeth and recurrent gum line are telltale signs of underlying bone disease.

The dentist can refer you to a doctor for bone density and other relevant tests.

So the next time someone refers to a dentist as a doctor, do not say "oh but they only treat with teeth". There are health problems that your dentist can catch at an early stage. Regular dental care can prevent you from developing deadly diseases and give you a chance to have a better prognosis.

The author is a dentist based at the Ebrahim Haji Charitable Center.