You may be surprised to find that your dentist has the ability to find more than just cavities in your mouth. While they’re primarily looking at oral hygiene, your dentist is also trained to find some other health issues that may be lurking in your body, obvious through a routine dental checkup. And it may not be diseases you’d think they’d be able to find, while oral cancers seem obvious there are issues with other systems in your body that may be obvious first in your mouth.
Heart disease, diabetes, and cancers are just some of the things that can be detected during a check of the mouth by a trained dentist.
It shows just how widespread these diseases can be in the body and how much they can affect other organ systems. It certainly brings into importance the vitality of dental exams and why we should never skip a scheduled cleaning each year.
Below is some information on the diseases that can be detected by your dentist during a routine mouth exam.
Diseases that Manifest in the Mouth
While oral cancer may not have been all that surprising, other cancers are obvious in the mouth as well including leukemia and pancreatic cancer. Heart disease and leukemia can both be detected by a mouth check as can kidney disease. The older you get, the more important it is to get a routine checkup as you become more susceptible to certain diseases with age.
Signs
How exactly does your mouth reveal these diseases? While bleeding comes and bad breath could be a sign of more cleaning habits, in a mouth that gets regular cleanings it may be a sign of diabetes. If you’re suffering from cancer, oral x-rays may be the first place to show bone loss as well as cancerous masses in the skull. Pain in your jaw is among the first signs of a heart attack and can be detected by a dentist.
Steps to Take
Make sure you clean your teeth regularly and thoroughly with a brush and floss that way when signs begin to pop up, you can rule out poor hygiene quickly. You should also maintain a healthy diet both for your body and for your teeth and avoid smoking cigarettes or consuming tobacco in other forms. Limit your alcohol intake to keep a healthy immune system and strong teeth.
Related Questions
When Should I Talk to My Dentist About This?
If you’re experiencing sudden and new jaw pain, swelling in your mouth, sores or redness, any sort of swelling, or pain then you should see your dentist immediately to be checked for both oral issues and other potential issues in your body.
What Else Can a Dentist Learn from My Mouth?
More than disease, a dentist can learn something about your habits from your mouth. Your dentist can detect eating disorders, pregnancy, heavy drinking or smoking, and stress and anxiety just from a routine check of your mouth.
Don’t skip your routine cleanings at the dentist as they may tell you something you didn’t expect but needed to know. Staying on top of your overall health begins with your mouth, so call your dentist and schedule a checkup!
Sedki Dentistry is committed to long term dental health by educating and addressing your concerns promptly. With 20 years’ experience, Dr. Sedki uses the latest techniques and procedures in cosmetic and general dentistry, ensuring the highest quality dental care in a safe and comfortable environment.
Our Commerce Dental Office is full-service offering dental treatments such as dental implants for tooth restoration, cosmetic dentistry such as dental veneers and braces, children’s dentistry, gum rejuvenation for gum recession and much more! Your questions and concerns are important to us, call today for a Free Dental Consultation!