The benefits of regular dental check-ups go way beyond your mouth
The mouth is often described as the ‘mirror of the body’. When your dentist examines your mouth, he or she may identify signs of a variety of health risks, enabling early intervention or treatment.
During your check-up, your dentist is considering many things related to your overall health:
Missing teeth can result in a loss of self-confidence and lower self-esteem. If you have several missing teeth and difficulty chewing, this could lead to digestive and nutritional problems. Your other teeth may start to shift or over-erupt to compensate for the missing teeth. Changes in tooth position can influence the ability to properly clean teeth and may also result in a risk of gum disease and cavities developing. The extensive or complete loss of teeth may negatively impact nutrition, the ability to eat, and quality of life.
The dentist can discuss several options for replacing missing teeth and mitigating their negative effects on your overall health.
Saliva can be used to identify specific markers of disease, such as hepatitis, measles, mumps, and HIV infection. If a change in your saliva is noted by the dentist, he or she can initiate further testing that may help with early diagnoses.
Pneumonia. Oral infections can be associated with an increased risk for pneumonia. This link can be particularly problematic for elderly patients. Early diagnosis of oral infections can help prevent the risk.
Stomach ulcer. The mouth may be a reservoir for bacteria associated with stomach ulcers. Canker sores can also be caused by Helicobacter pylori, the same bacteria that cause stomach ulcers, and can be related to gluten sensitivities and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Diabetes. Periodontal disease can be associated with diabetes and may increase the risk for diabetic complications.
Organ infections. Oral bacteria are associated with infections of the heart, brain, and other organs.
Noma. Also known as “cancrum oris”, noma is a rapidly progressive, often gangrenous, infection of the mouth and face. Acute necrotizing gingivitis / periodontitis is an important risk factor for noma.
Cardiovascular disease. Periodontal disease may be associated with cardiovascular disease.
Pre-term and low-birth-weight babies. Periodontal disease may be associated with increased risk for pre-term and low-birth-weight babies.
Some forms of cancer. Periodontal disease may be associated with gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers.
Early detection of any disease is extremely important.
Regular dental check-ups can help find myriad problems in their earliest stages.
