Source: www.sfgate.com
Author: Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post

Your mouth can tell you a lot about your overall health.

Troubled teeth and gums aren’t always just a dental problem. Sometimes they indicate deeper issues, and dentists are increasingly picking up the clues.

“We look around the mouth and we look for color changes. We’re looking for certain smells. Spots around the gums,” said Washington dentist Joseph Kravitz.

The relation of oral health to the rest of the body has received increased attention in recent years, spurred by such experts as Richard Carmona, who as surgeon general urged policymakers in 2003 to “increase the understanding of how the signs and symptoms of oral infections can indicate general health status and act as a marker for other diseases.” The publicity reminded a lot of dentists that their jobs weren’t just about root canals and fillings, Kravitz said.

Here are some conditions the possible clues dentists may be able to identify:

  • Heart disease. Gums that have turned a “bright beefy red” or purple.
  • Type 2 diabetes. Gums that bleed at the slightest touch although there is no plaque evident.
  • Kidney disease. A sweet ammonia smell on a person’s breath.
  • Acid reflux. Teeth that look worn and pitted, as if they’d been “dipped in battery acid.”
  • Oral cancer. Gum tissues with white spots that last two weeks or more.
  • Leukemia. Fiery-red swollen gums that just won’t heal.
  • Osteoporosis. Black spots on tooth X-rays that indicate air pockets and dead bone.
  • Stress. Gums that have pulled away from teeth, or teeth that themselves are fractured.
  • Sleep apnea. An enlarged tongue and inflamed gums in the part of the mouth through which air passes.
  • Pregnancy. Deeply swollen gums can indicate hormonal changes.
  • Bulimia. Upper front teeth that are paper thin, with the enamel almost completely worn away, and teeth that hurt.

Kravitz said patients should make sure that dentists aren’t “just looking in their mouths for five to 10 seconds” and that a thorough inspection should take at least five minutes.