A cavity or a case of gingivitis impacts more than just your mouth. There's an undeniable link between your oral health and the state of your entire body. Superb oral health will not only support your teeth for many years to come - it can also improve your systemic health. At the same time, health problems present elsewhere in the body often manifest early on in your mouth - giving us clues as to the coming problems. This blog post explores the link between your teeth and gums, and other parts of your body. By learning more about oral signs of systemic disease (and oral complications resulting from systemic problems), you can take action before your health begins to suffer. The mouth is a clearer window to the body than you may expect!
Health Problems and Their Oral Signs
A number of systemic diseases take a toll on the mouth - often before symptoms occur elsewhere in the body. This is just one more reason why you should take pains to schedule regular dental exams. If you're in a higher risk category, your exams may need to be more frequent than those of other patients. Check with your physician and with Dr. Okamura to learn more about how often you should visit our office. Diabetes, oral cancer, heart disease, and even respiratory disease will display oral symptoms.
Systemic Disease and Its Effects on the Mouth
Some diseases will put you at a higher risk of decay or periodontal disease. Diabetes is an especially dangerous offender. Your body isn't able to fight off bacteria as effectively, and your gums are more likely to become inflamed and infected. Our comprehensive periodontal treatment and monitoring program will help us keep your gums healthy and strong.
Please get in touch with any questions! Your oral (and whole body) health is so important to us - and prevention is always key.
