YOUR teeth can indicate if something isn’t right with your body.
It’s helpful to keep an eye on the health of your mouth, and keep tabs on any changes – as it could mean something else in your body is struggling.
Making sure you keep regular appointments at the dentist will help, as they can spot things you might miss.
But knowing these five things to look out for in yourself and others could be key in catching any health issues.
Experts at ExpressDentist have told the Sun Online about some key conditions your teeth could be warning you about…
1. Anaemia and pale gums
Pale gums can be caused by anaemia, most often due to an iron deficiency.
Some colour variations does naturally exist so you might appear to have paler or darker gums than others.
Most read in Health
And usually if the gums aren’t sore or bleeding, we don’t pay them much attention.
But if you spot that your gums are suddenly looking quite pale and you are experiencing other symptoms such as feeling tired or dizzy, a follow-up with a physician might be a good idea.
2. Eating disorders and tooth enamel
If an eating disorder involves vomiting, stomach acids wash over teeth and can dissolve the hard enamel covering.
Changes in colour, shape, translucency, or sensitivity may provide clues to an underlying problem that can lead to extensive decay and tooth loss over time.
This can be something to look out for in friends or family you might be concerned about.
3. Osteoporosis and tooth loss
While this will be harder for you to look out for yourself, if you feel your teeth are a little loose you could be suffering with osteoporosis.
The bone around your teeth provides the foundation that supports them.
While it may be more difficult to detect at home, dentists and hygienists will be able to see a systemic change in bone density due to osteoporosis.
Teeth that move more than average during an exam could provide an early clue to this progressive condition.
We often recommend a bone density test with a physician in these cases.
4. Oral thrush and HIV
It’s unusual to see oral thrush in generally healthy people, unless they wear dentures.
But as HIV patients have a weakened immune system, they become more susceptible to thrush and other more severe infections.
Signs of oral thrush include cracks at the corners of the mouth, not tasting things properly, an unpleasant taste in the mouth or pain inside the mouth.
5. Tooth loss and kidney disease
Kidney disease can cause mouth sores, changes in taste, and dry mouth from xerostomia can cause a reduction in saliva production.
Then, when the mouth dries out acidity increases and the low pH may result in aggressive tooth decay and eventual tooth loss.
Some research also shows that patients with gum disease have an increased risk of kidney disease, another two-way relationship between oral and systemic health.
If you have noticed more unexplained mouth sores or a change in taste, it might be worth keeping an eye out for other symptoms of kidney disease.
This could be feeling more tired, trouble sleeping or needing to pee more often.
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The Sun news desk?
Email us at [email protected] or call 02077824104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours
Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks.