What Do Your Teeth Say About Your Health

Having a great smile and white teeth isn’t enough. Good oral health can help you prevent numerous diseases. Good oral health also adds charm to your personality. The impact of poor oral health has an enormous effect on the general health of vulnerable elderly adults.

Studies have proven that poor oral health leads to serious illness including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cognitive decline and pneumonia. Apart from physical illness, poor oral health leads to lower self-esteem that in turn makes a person self-conscious. Oral diseases that are left untreated makes it difficult to chew that in turn affects the intake of nutrition. 

Here are the five signs of trouble that shouldn’t be ignored:

1. Parched feeling: Having Dry Mouth or feeling parched all the time isn’t normal and if this feeling is consistent, then it’s time to consult your doctor and see if it’s because of the medication. If so, then ask your doctor to change the prescription or dosage. Although, proper dental hygiene, regular mouthwashes, rinses and drinking plenty of water can help control the moisture in your mouth.

Application of fluoride varnish on your teeth can help protect them from additional new cavities, since the acidity of the mouth may have changed. This will help reduce the risk of cavities, gum problems and infection. 

2. Pain in the mouth: The pain in the mouth is usually from the untreated oral disease that makes it difficult to chew, swallow and eat, which in turn impacts highly the intake of nutrition. This happens when people decide to omit a few fruits and vegetables or reduce consumption altogether. 

This poor diet will in turn lead to unhealthy gums and painful cavities, so it works both ways. If you see a loved one not having meals properly, suggest them to consult a good dentist and get the issue checked and fixed. 

3. Covering your mouth or avoiding social interaction: Adults who are shy and lose their teeth at an early age often feel embarrassed and try to hide away from all the social interactions as much they can.

If your loved one is shying away from the social interactions, suggest them to consult a good dentist so that they can discuss the options available. Advise them to seek treatment so that they can fix the teeth and start eating right. If you have oral problems, you are not alone and can seek help.

4. Loose teeth or bleeding gums: Unhealthy teeth and gums are the results of few chronic health diseases including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cognitive decline or dementia. In fact, the condition of your oral health can tell you if something’s wrong. For example, gum disease, bleeding gums and loose teeth could be signs of diabetes. At the same time, research suggests that treating gum disease can help improve blood sugar control in people with diabetes and may slow the progression of the disease.

5. Open sores or areas of irritation in the mouth that last more than two weeks: Symptoms include a sore or irritation in the mouth or throat that persists, red or white patches or pain, tenderness, or numbness in the mouth or lips. During check-ups, dentists look for any abnormalities or suspicious changes that could indicate disease.

Oral health cannot be separated from general health. Maintain a good oral health regimen every day to stay healthy and seek out professional dental care.

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