From diabetes to pregnancy
The mouth seems to be the mirror of your health. That would mean that you can see much more in the mouth than just cavities in molars and inflammation of the gums. Dentist Rob Barnasconi explains what else the mouth can tell us.
| Decreased resistance | Food and medicines |
| rheumatism | Pregnancy |
| Stomach and intestinal problems | To smoke |
| Diabetes | oral cancer |
| stress | Other |
Everyone’s mouth is full of bacteria that are in balance with the immune system. If your immune system is disturbed – which can be due to illness or stress, for example – the attack of the bacteria often wins and you get inflamed gums (gingivitis), or even periodontitis.
With an inflammation in the mouth, the blood vessels in the body open and the bacteria from the mouth dive into the bloodstream. Among other things, this increases the risk of heart and vascular disease and erectile dysfunction. There are also indications that poor oral health increases the risk of certain cancers.
Pointing next to inflamed gums canker sores usually on a reduced resistance. However, the exact cause of canker sores is unknown. An cold sores on the outside of the mouth is also a sign of a weakened resistance.
When you are at the dentist, any problems in the jaw are immediately noticeable. Sometimes you hear a pop when you open your mouth or you have pain in your jaw joint. If this pain cannot be explained, it may be the first sign of rheumatism to be. Because the temporomandibular joint is regularly examined, any complaints are noticed earlier. The dentist will then refer you.
Stomach and intestinal problems
An bad breath is very annoying. We call this halitosis or fetor ex ore. In 80 percent of cases, the bad odor is caused by active bacteria in the mouth or tongue, a rotten tooth or inflamed gums. However, if no cause for the bad smell is found in the mouth, this may indicate throat, stomach or intestinal problems. Especially if someone also suffers from complaints, additional examination by the general practitioner is recommended.
If, despite good oral care, you still have inflammation in your mouth and also suffer from thirst and dry mouth, this may indicate diabetes. The dentist must rule out that there is another cause for the inflammation. If that is not the case, the doctor can make the diagnosis with a simple blood test. The sooner you get there, the better.
Through stress you can suffer from a reduced resistance, resulting in the aforementioned problems for the mouth. Activities such as nail biting and cheek biting may also be visible in the mouth. You get strange wear on the teeth. Fatigue in the temporomandibular joint can also result from this.
All foods that contain sour and/or sweet are harmful to the teeth. So you can see it in your mouth if you often eat sweet and sour things. Sweet and sour candy is especially harmful, but fruit juices and fruit also affect your teeth. This can lead to dental erosion. You can prevent this with good oral care and by limiting (sweet/sour) eating moments.
The risk of dental erosion also increases due to the use of medicines. If you take several medicines, you often get a dry mouth. As a result neutralizes saliva reduces possible acid attacks from foods and also increases the risk of inflammation.
Many pregnant women suffer from pregnancy gingivitis, a superficial inflammation of the gums. Often the gums still look healthy, but bleed more easily. This is due to a change in hormones and metabolism. Due to pregnancy, women often pay less attention to the oral care.
In principle, the inflammation is not immediately a problem. It is important to take good care of your mouth. In the worst case, inflammation in the mouth can lead to premature birth.
If you smoke, this is often clearly visible in the mouth due to changes in the mucous membrane and deposits on the teeth. You smell it, you taste it and you can see it. Smokers are more likely to have serious gum infections and poorer wound healing. A dentist can easily remove the tar deposits by polishing the teeth. Smoking is an important risk factor for oral cancer.
You can have spots in your mouth for a variety of reasons. For example, due to inflammation, or due to irritation or wear. In general, these spots are harmless and disappear on their own.
If no change has occurred after two weeks – after treatment or the removal of a possible irritating factor – further investigation is necessary. Spots in the mouth can also be a sign of oral cancer, also on the edges or under the tongue. Patients often have no problems yet, while restless spots can already be seen.
You may also have a benign bump in the mouth, often on the inside of the lower jaw. You have to keep a close eye on such a thickening, but it is generally harmless.
The dentist normally sees all his patients once or twice a year. Due to this regularity, changes in a patient are noticed and a dentist sometimes sees certain problems before a general practitioner. You can think of forgetfulness, difficulty walking, weight loss, shortness of breath or bruising or skin damage. Spots on the skin, especially behind the ears, can also be noticed by a dentist. In addition, you can also see it in the mouth if someone suffers from lip ties or tongue tie, swallowing problems or problems with the salivary glands.
This article was produced in collaboration with Rob Barnasconi. He is a dentist and chairman of the Dutch Society for the Promotion of Dentistry (NMT). More information can be found at everything about the teeth.nl.
