What Your Teeth & Gums Say About Your Health

Research has shown that there is an association between periodontal diseases and other chronic inflammatory conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, treating inflammation may not only help manage periodontal diseases but may also help with the management of other chronic inflammatory conditions.

But on the flip side, symptoms of disease may present in the teeth and mouth. The mouth is often used to diagnose, make a prognosis, treat or intervene on a number of diseases. Healthy gums should look pink and firm, not red and swollen–and your teeth should feel solid. If you have problems with your teeth and gums, it’s important to see a dentist, and possibly your general physician. Here is a list of some health problems that can sometimes show up in the teeth or gums.

Tooth Loss: Osteoporosis
The bone disease osteoporosis affects all the bones in your body–including your jaw bone–and can cause tooth loss. The erosion of the jawbone can result in tooth loss, mild facial deformities and pain in and around the temporomandibular joint, which connects the upper and lower jaws. Alveolar bone, the kind of bone around the roots of the teeth, is susceptible to the process of osteoporosis. It tends to erode quickly when calcium is depleted from the body.

Pale Gums: Anemia
Your mouth may be sore and pale if you’re anemic, and your tongue can become swollen and smooth. When you have anemia, your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells, or your red blood cells don’t contain enough hemoglobin. As a result, your body doesn’t get enough oxygen. Other symptoms of anemia, according to the National Anemia Action Council, include: feeling tired, fatigued, weak, dizzy, irritable, short of breath or depressed. With anemia, you may also have pale skin, brittle nails, chest pain, a coldness in your hands or feet, or an irregular heartbeat. Some people with anemia also have a desire to eat ice or other peculiar things.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

J.L. A.

7:33AM PDT on May 13, 2012

good to know

send a green star

KARLOLINA G.

12:04PM PST on Dec 14, 2011

Thanks

jessica w.

8:34PM PDT on Sep 13, 2011

thanks

Emilija F.

10:17PM PDT on Sep 9, 2011

To counteract low birth weight babies proper nourishment of the mother is necessary. Eating a nutrious diet, practising top oral hygiene, espec flossing before sleep will prevent underweight babies. Pregnancy gingivitis is a hormonal problem that normally disappears within hours of giving birth. This is kept at a minimum by the flossing and the unborn infant receives max nourishment.

Laura S.

8:01PM PDT on Sep 9, 2011

underweight babies?

Jane W.

4:51AM PDT on Jul 11, 2011

I have been campaigning for years now to stop dentists using mercury amalgam fillings in teeth. A lot of these symptoms have been linked to mercury toxicity from these fillings. Things are getting better and the F.D.A. have done a u turn and now advise not to use them in pregnant women. No such luck in the U.K. though who still say they are perfectly safe. Vitamin C and selenium counteract the effects of mercury toxicity my cupboards are full of them. I swear thats why my rickety long term fillings have not effected my health too badly.

5:30PM PDT on Jul 10, 2011

Kersty have you considered H.R.T? there are plenty of natural tablets to help with this,and it may help your soft tissue bleeding. The other suggestion is to visit a periodontist who is a specialist in your symptoms.

Miss I.

4:10PM PDT on Jul 10, 2011

A note about scurvy & vitamin C:
People have known the connection for quite some time. That's why sailors took limes on ships, so they wouldn't get scurvy, leading to the nickname "limeys".

1000 mg every hour will at some point give you the runs. When you reach this point, stop taking the C. You have reached your toleration for it, and now it's just going right through you. Some people even use Vit. C as a laxative exactly in this manner. An overdose won't hurt you in any other way. Also be sure to use buffered Vit. C to protect your stomach.

Kersty E.

3:26PM PDT on Jul 10, 2011

@Emilia, that's very interesting. I have exactly the same symptoms for over 2 years now, during the menopause. I have always suspected this to be hormonal and neither my doctor nor my dentist seems to understand this. There are times when it's ok and days when it gets really bad, as it goes in cycles. No amount of mouthwash or special toothpaste helps. So it's possible then that once I'm through the menopause my gums will be healthy again.

Robert P.

9:25AM PDT on Jul 10, 2011

Periodontal disease is an early sign of scurvey (Vitamin C deficiency). That wasn't discovered until the amount of Vitamin C in the blood became measurable fairly recently. When it is in early stages, it can be reversed by taking 1000mg of vitamin C every hour you are awake for a couple of weeks, then taking more than usual from then on.