KSBW reports:
“Some messages coming out of your mouth bypass the vocal chords. Turns out that your teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues also have plenty to say — about your overall health.”
Here are some of the signs to look for:
Flat, worn teeth and headache — Sign of: Stress
Many people are surprised to find out they’re tooth-grinders. You might be doing it in your sleep.
- Cracking, crumbling teeth — Sign of: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Tooth erosion isn’t a consequence of aging. Disintegrating teeth are usually caused by acid that’s coming up from the stomach and dissolving them
- Sores that won’t go away — Sign of: Oral cancer
When an open sore in the mouth doesn’t go away within a week or two, it always warrants showing to a dentist or doctor.
- Gums growing over teeth — Sign of: Medication problems
This can be caused by medication for heart disease or seizures, or drugs that suppress your immune system.
- Dry mouth — Sign of: Sjogren’s Syndrome and/or Diabetes
Many things can cause dry mouth, but a lack of sufficient saliva can also be an early warning sign of two autoimmune diseases — Sjogren’s syndrome and diabetes.
- White webbing inside cheeks — Sign of: Lichen planus
This mild skin disorder tends to strike both men and women between the ages 30 and 70.
- Crusting dentures — Sign of: Potential aspiration pneumonia
Aspiration pneumonia, often caused by inhaling debris around the teeth and dentures, is a leading cause of death in older people.