If Your Teeth Could Talk...More Information

If Your Teeth Could Talk...

Following up with more information from a blog post on December 30, 2016 of an article by The Wall Street Journal published on December 27, 2011 written by Melinda Beck.

An oral history: A dental exam can reveal some telltale signs of broader health problems.

Teeth
Front: Don't be fooled by very white teeth. Many oral health problems may be lurking unseen. Tops of back molars: Worn, flattened surfaces indicate stress-related clenching and grinding. Back of uppers: Area where stomach acid had worn away enamel could indicate bulimia.

Gums
Red, puffy and inflamed gums are common during pregnancy. Tiny red hemorrhages with spontaneous bleeding may indicate leukemia. Periodontal disease, in which gums pull away from the teeth, can signal diabetes, cardiovascular problems and respiratory diseases.

Inside cheeks and lower gums
Diffuse brown patches are a sign of Addison's disease, a hormonal disorder. Ulcerated lesions could mean cancer had metastasized.

Inside the mouth
A smooth, flat tongue could indicate iron-deficiency anemia. Dark red patches on the underside of the tongue may flag pernicious anemia, a vitamin B-12 deficiency. 'Strawberry' textured tongue with red bumps points to Kawasaki disease, an inflammation of the blood vessels. Tongue nodules and ulcerations are an early sign of sarcoidosis, an inflammation of the organs. Cry mouth is a side-effect of many medications, but it could also signal diabetes or autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and lymphoma. Bad breath is a sign of diabetes.

Lips
Cracked lips could indicate candida albicans, a type of yeast infection. Pursed lips, with limited opening of the mouth, signal scleroderma, an autoimmune disease of the connective tissue. Swelling and lesions are an early sign of Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disorder.

Comments

Brush (and floss) your teeth!

In the recent Mayo Clinic Health Letter , (Volume 37, Number 4) there was an interesting article on how tooth brushing reduces cardiovascular risks. The article states: Brushing your teeth twice daily is important for maintaining good oral hygiene. This daily routine can also benefit your heart. A study presented at the 2018 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions provides new evidence of this link. The study's 682 participants self-reported their tooth-brushing habits compared with the recommendation of twice a day for at least two minutes each time. Over an average of 28 months of follow-up, those who reported brushing their teeth less frequently and for a shorter duration had three times the risk of a first major cardiovascular event than did those who met the tooth-brushing guidelines. These cardiovascular events included heart attack, stroke, hospitalization for heart failure or dying of a cardiovascular cause. A separate study, published in the December 2018 i...

Does flossing really matter?

Recently, we came upon an article, 17 Health Advances Every Woman Deserves to Know released by the editors of the Harvard Woman's Health Watch . One of the 17 concerns was: does flossing really matter? The simple answer: yes, it does. It reads as followed: A recent report has some people thinking there's no benefit to flossing. But before you toss your floss, consider this: flossing helps prevent periodontal disease, which is linked to higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and dementia. What's more, gum disease is also associated with a greater risk of serious degenerative diseases. To avoid periodontal disease make sure you brush your teeth at least twice a day AND floss before bedtime, eat a healthy diet and have regular dental check ups. We often get patients that unfortunately don't floss or we get patients that say they do but their teeth tell different stories. Endodontists are known for being the heroes and heroines of saving teeth so we can't expre...

OSHA & HIPAA Seminar.

Every year, after the craziness of the Holidays, our office participates in the annual OSHA & HIPAA training seminar hosted by Harris Biomedical. Thankfully, we don’t have to travel too far as it usually takes place in the Maggiano’s in Tysons Corner, literally a 5-minute drive from our office. Harris Biomedical has this seminar every year in the Tysons Corner area. Look out for their flyers in the mail around the beginning of the year. Check out their website for more information: http://harrisbiomedical.net/ . The four-hour seminar consisted of a two-hour session dedicated to OSHA and another two hours dedicated to HIPAA. Breakfast was included! For those who don’t know what OSHA or HIPAA means, here’s the breakdown. The Occupational Safety and Health Act, aka OSHA, are a collection of regulations that are managed and required in most states, Virginia being one of them, to guarantee employee safety and good health. OSHA, or referred in Virginia as VOSH, instructs empl...

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