What your teeth say about your health
Our teeth can give us clues about our overall health. Poor oral health can cause painful problems like infected tooth nerves and gum disease. But did you know that dental issues can also be signs of something bigger going on in the body? Taking care of our oral hygiene not only keeps our mouths happy but can also help us stay healthy overall.
Grinding your teeth can indicate that you have sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition that disrupts breathing during sleep, causing brief but repeated pauses in breathing. These can occur many times an hour and may last for a few seconds or even minutes. Common symptoms include snoring, grinding teeth, and gasping for air. If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to severe issues such as high blood pressure, liver problems, and even dementia.
Pale gums may be a symptom of anemia
Anemia is a condition that occurs when your body doesn't make enough strong and healthy red blood cells. This can make you feel pretty weak and exhausted. Postmenopausal women are at higher risk of anemia than men because they lose more iron. Anemia can cause the gum tissue to have a pale pinkish-white hue, along with many other medical conditions.
Loss of tooth may indicate kidney disease
When someone has kidney disease, they might experience problems with their mouth. This can include getting sores in the mouth, changes in how things taste, and having a dry mouth because the body doesn't make enough saliva. When the mouth gets dry, it becomes more acidic, which can cause serious tooth decay and eventually lead to losing teeth.
Oral thrush may signal HIV
Oral thrush is an infection that can happen in people with weak immune systems or those who wear dentures. Normally, it doesn't occur in people with a strong immune system. However, in HIV, the virus makes the immune system weak, so they can get oral thrush more easily, along with other serious infections. Get checked by a doctor to find out what's going on.
Loose teeth may reveal that you have osteoporosis
Did you know that the health of our teeth and the strength of our bones can be connected? The bone around our teeth acts as a foundation to support them. Dentists and hygienists notice changes in our bone density caused by a condition called osteoporosis. One interesting clue they look for is if our teeth move more than usual during an examination.
