The eyes may be the window to the soul, but the mouth can give a more complete picture of the body’s health. The gums, teeth and tongue can reflect some of the earliest symptoms of diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, immune system disorders, hormonal imbalances, substance abuse and other problems, and sometimes this reaction is far earlier than the patient himself realizes.
Teeth and Cancer
Several studies have shown that dentists can serve as early warnings.
The Wall Street Journal reported that prosthodontist George Kivovitz said that in his 32 years of practice, he has diagnosed seven cases of cancer based on erosion of the enamel on the inner surfaces of his patients’ upper front teeth.
Susan Hyde, an associate professor at the University of California School of Dentistry, noted that if a gum wound does not heal for a week or two, or if the mucosa in an area is white or red for a long time instead of the normal pink color, medical attention is needed to rule out oral cancer.
Dr. George has also found that methamphetamine addiction, also known as “meth mouth,” is a characteristic erosion of the outer layer of the teeth (in people who are addicted to the drug).
Teeth and Diabetes
In many people with diabetes, the area where the gums meet the teeth looks white and shiny, bleeds easily, has loose roots, and is full of teeth. It is estimated that about 6 million Americans have diabetes and don’t even know it. Experts say gum problems and high blood sugar not only stem from the same habits, but the two can exacerbate each other’s conditions. Inflamed gums make it harder for people with diabetes to control their blood sugar levels, and high blood sugar can exacerbate tooth decay and gum problems, leading to more inflammation.
Misaligned teeth can lead to tongue cancer
Tongue cancer mostly occurs at the edge of the tongue, followed by the tip, back and root of the tongue, and is often ulcerative or infiltrative in nature. Generally, it is more malignant, fast-growing and infiltrative, and often affects the tongue muscle, resulting in restriction of tongue movement, making it difficult to speak, eat and swallow. Tongue cancer can invade the tongue and palate arch and tonsils backward, and in advanced stage, tongue cancer can spread to the floor of the mouth and jawbone to fix the whole tongue.
In 86% of young adults, squamous epithelial carcinoma of the tongue is associated with malocclusion and a history of frequent contact with medially inclined teeth in the tongue. Among 65 tongue cancer patients aged 26-39 years, 56 of them had teeth tilted to the tongue or protruded to the tongue, i.e., there was abnormal contact between teeth and tongue lesions. 37 of them felt that their teeth were in frequent contact with the tongue lesions before the appearance of tongue cancer, resulting in chronic damage to the tongue, and some of them were not cured for a long time.
Experts believe that the long-term contact and wear of teeth on the tongue can cause the formation of chronic lesions on the tongue; young and middle-aged men smoke and drink more alcohol, and these complex harmful factors can stimulate the damage of tongue lesions for a long time, which can cause the tissue cells of tongue lesions to gradually become distorted, which may eventually lead to the occurrence of cancer.
Therefore, medical experts advise people that once the oral cavity is found to have teeth convexity, teeth malformation, to the tongue end of the rapid growth of wisdom teeth and abnormal alignment phenomenon, especially the long-term teeth and tongue resistance, friction or bite phenomenon, to pay great attention to the hospital stomatology examination as soon as possible, to carry out the necessary orthopedic treatment, in order to prevent problems before they occur.
Periodontal disease causes heart disease
In addition, there is growing evidence that there is a definite link between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease. Inflammation of the gums leads to an increase in C-reactive protein, and high C-reactive protein is thought to be a causative factor in heart disease.
Researchers have found that bacteria in dental plaque can clog arteries, said Mark Wolfe, chair of the Department of Caries and Comprehensive Care at the New York University College of Dentistry. Originally thought to be a casual factor, it has now been found to actually be a risk factor for disease.
Bacteria in the mouth can travel through the bloodstream to all parts of the body and cause disease, which is exactly why doctors are advising patients considering non-acute surgical procedures to get rid of any oral problems that need to be addressed first.
The American Heart Association no longer recommends that patients with mitral valve prolapse (a heart valve that does not close properly during ventricular systole) take antibiotics regularly until the oral disease is cured, because it is now believed that oral bacteria can enter the body’s bloodstream at any time during regular cleanings, daily brushing and even chewing food.
Dentists can check for AIDS
The American Heart Association, the American Medical Association and the American Orthopaedic Association all urge patients who have undergone total joint replacement to take an antibiotic an hour in advance of each subsequent visit to the dentist to reduce the risk of post-operative infection.
Some dentists say they also need to stay up to date on the medications their patients are taking. For example, anticoagulants can cause major bleeding in the mouth, and bisphosphonates, a drug commonly used to treat osteoporosis, can cause jawbone necrosis. Both types of medications must be suspended before oral surgery is performed.
Antihypertensive drugs, calcium channel blockers, and some anti-inflammatory drugs can cause severe gum ulcers. Therapeutic medications such as antidepressants and chemotherapy can cause dry mouth, leading to a decrease in saliva production that normally protects the teeth, which may lead to extensive tooth decay. In such cases, the risk of tooth decay due to dry mouth can be reduced by adding fluoride.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that dentists offer HIV testing because some of the first signs of HIV infection are found in the mouth, including fungal infections and oral lesions. The dentist simply swabs the mouth with a cotton swab to take a sample, sends it for testing, and then gets the HIV test results in 20 minutes.
Light yellow teeth are the healthiest
Experts suggest that in addition to good habits and regular oral examinations at the hospital, daily oral care and health care is more important and the most effective way to prevent.
There are a lot of toothpaste advertisements on the market, there are mainly whitening effect, there are also for anti-allergy and heat removal and other effects, a survey shows that 90% of people choose toothpaste mainly according to the advertisement. According to experts, this is a serious misconception. The medical belief is that yellowish teeth are healthy, and the excessive pursuit of whitening is a psychological effect, but will sacrifice dental health.
Periodontal disease is the “invisible killer”
According to experts, a large number of empirical studies have confirmed that
Periodontitis can affect the function of the heart, lungs, kidneys and other important organs. For pregnant women, periodontal disease not only endangers their own health, but also may lead to the birth of low-weight babies and other risks, and the probability of this is nearly seven times higher, can be described with “invisible killer” to describe the danger of periodontal disease.
Bad habits are the main culprit of periodontal disease in adults.
Experts point out that smoking, alcohol abuse, mental stress, irregular work and rest, and improper oral care habits can cause “disease” on the body. But many people do not care about this, until the lesion invades the periodontal fibers, resulting in inflammation, septic, loose teeth or even lose attention. For this reason, experts reminded the need to pay sufficient attention to the dangers of periodontal disease.
Experts say that the main factors causing periodontal disease are plaque and tartar, which cannot be completely removed by rinsing and haphazard brushing alone, and must be removed by scaling. Generally a year to a year and a half to clean the teeth; brushing habits are not very good, easy to grow tartar people are half a year to clean.
Many friends like to drink a variety of drinks, among which carbonated beverages are very harmful to teeth, long-term consumption of carbonated beverages may lead to extensive tooth corrosion, especially children should pay special attention. Drinking less or not drinking carbonated beverages and rinsing your mouth immediately after drinking are necessary measures to prevent carbonated beverages from attacking your teeth.
