Is your mouth trying to tell you something???

I see many mouths everyday and fortunately most mouths I see are healthy.

However,here is a list of general health-related conditions that show warning signs in your mouth. Sure you want to keep your dental health strong and many people know that gum disease is connected with heart disease. I encourage you to have more awareness of your dental health and that includes these warning signs.

Flat, worn teeth and headaches are signs of TMJ. People often grind. This stress level, left unchecked, can lead to other physical and emotional issues. It can also lead to TMJ… you’ve seen plenty about TMJ treatment on my blog. If you have worn teeth and bruxism (grinding), please see me for a TMJ evaluation

Cracking teeth is a warning sign for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). You may also have something we call erosion. This is when the stomach acid erodes the tongue side of the teeth. Of course not brushing away sugars will cause your tooth enamel to erode, too. But if you take good care of your mouth with brushing and flossing and you still have tooth erosion, you may want to look for treatment for GERD.

A mouth sore that don’t heal is a sign of oral cancer. An oral cancer screening is part of your regular checkup and it is a good reason to keep your appointments for cleanings and check ups.

Gums that grow over teeth are a sign of issues with prescription medication. Your medication for seizures, heart disease or autoimmune diseases could be causing this reaction if the medication is not adjusted properly.

And, a dry mouth is a sign of diabetes. There are many early warning signs of diabetes and one small tip that you might need to see a doctor for a diabetes screening is a persistent lack of saliva. We have also seen with some of the newer medications being prescribed that they are causing dry mouth. This is leading to a high degree of decay in some of our patients.

Watch for these warning signs as you manage the home care of your dental health. Please see me regularly for check ups this year as well, so we can make sure your dental health is at its peak.

Thanks,
James Merrett DDS