While dental and medical insurance requires two separate cards, the condition of our teeth and gums can often be a sign of larger medical problems plaguing our bodies.
Tooth loss, for example, can be a sign of osteoporosis. The bone disease causes erosion of the jawbone, which can result in tooth loss, mild facial deformities and pain in and around the temporomandibular joint connecting the upper and lower jaws.
Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells (RBCs) or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. As a result, your mouth may be sore and pale with a swollen tongue.
An eating disorder such as bulimia can be detected by dentists because repeated vomiting can severely erode tooth enamel, especially on the tongue side of the upper front teeth. In fact, the consistent exposure to stomach acid from vomit increases the risk for tooth decay and can even lead to changes in the bite, or the way upper and lower teeth come together.
Oral thrush, which causes white lesions usually on your tongue or inner cheeks, may occur when infected with HIV or AIDS. The lesions develop because of the body’s weakened immune system and can be painful and may bleed slightly when you scrape them.
People with rheumatoid arthritis are eight times more likely to have gum disease than people without this autoimmune disease because it occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body’s tissues.
Gum disease is also linked to premature pregnancy although doctors aren’t entirely sure why. Studies show pregnant women with gum disease may be more likely to have a baby that is born too early and too small, but again, WHY these two conditions are linked is poorly understood.
As you’ve seen, taking care of your teeth isn’t just necessary for a better smile, but a better body and a better life!
[Image via AP Images.]
-
Categories
