Are your teeth healthy? 

Your mouth might have a lot to say…and not just in general, but also when it comes to your health. I know it might seem a bit weird to read it…but your teeth and gums might in fact have more to do with your lungs and heart than you could ever imagine! How come? Well, they might actually tell you about some serious health conditions that might occur in your entire body, from lung cancer to heart disease and dementia.

If you want to know what are the chances for this to happen to you, read here:

What Your Teeth Problems Might Mean

It could be type 2 diabetes

Extremely severe gum disease, also known as periodontitis, might be an early sign of type 2 diabetes, as a February 2017 study showed. Researchers studied over 300 middle-aged adults, only to discover that those who were suffering from severe gum disease, which is roughly a quarter of participants, were more at risk of developing diabetes.

They were also more likely to be overweight, as they had an average BMI of 27 or evermore. Almost one in five of those who had periodontitis had suffered from undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, in comparison to 10 percent of those with mild to moderate gum disease and 8.5 percent with no gum disease.

You might wonder: What’s the connection? Well, people with diabetes are more prone to contracting infections, as the American Academy of Periodontology has concluded.

You could be pregnant

If you know you’re great when it comes to oral health, but you suddenly start noticing that your gums are all inflamed and bleeding, you’re probably freaked out. Well, your bleeding gums might mean you are pregnant. As the American Pregnancy Association has explained, gingivitis is pretty common among pregnant women, as the hormonal changes might increase blood flow to the gum tissue, which causes your gums to be more sensitive, irritable, and swollen.

Even more, these new hormones might thwart your body’s capacity of fighting bacteria, which increases the risk of plaque buildup.

You could have Alzheimer’s disease

Those people who don’t put much emphasis on their oral hygiene or gum disease might be more at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, as a study conducted in 2013 shows. The study found a greater presence of a so-called periodontal disease-related bacteria, also known as Porphyromonas gingivalis, in the brains of people who suffered from dementia.

The Alzheimer’s Association shows that gum disease doesn’t CAUSE dementia and that it’s way more likely for Alzheimer’s to make people forget to take good care of their teeth.

You might be deficient in some vitamins

Malnutrition and poor oral care might be interdependent, and each one could lead to the other. In a January 2013 analysis, it has been shown that without having enough vitamins, your mouth might have a lower resistance to the microbial biofilm that appears from plaque and a lower capacity to heal inflamed gum tissue.

A deficiency of vitamin D and A might have something to do with the enamel in your teeth, and a vitamin B deficiency might cause your lips to crack, your cheeks to develop ulcers, and your gum lining to become very inflamed. Plus, your mouth and tongue might develop a burning sensation.

Do you feel like your vitamin intake is not enough? We recommend taking some tests before self-diagnosing; however, there are plenty of supplements that don’t need a medical prescription and are super affordable on Amazon. Spring Valley’s Super Vitamin B Complex Tablets Dietary Supplement, B Complex, 250 Count + 7-Day Pill Organizer Included (Pack of 2) is available for only $37.99. The pack of 3 is also available for a couple of bucks more!

You might have osteoporosis

There has been another 2012 study analysis containing 17 studies, of which 11 proved that there’s a connection between those who had periodontal disease and might also have had osteoporosis.

The American Academy of Periodontology concluded that the link probably comes from the fact that osteoporosis exaggerates tooth loss by decreasing the density of the bone that sustains the teeth, which compromises the foundation on which the teeth are living.

You could have a sugar problem

Sugar is the only reason why the tooth or cavities might decay, in both adults and kids, as a May 2014 study concluded. British researchers looked at the public health records from all over the world and discovered that 60 to 90 percent of U.S. school-age kids, alongside 92% of U.S. adults might have had a tooth decay problem at some point in their lives.

In comparison, only 2 percent of people in Nigeria, which is a place where sugar is almost completely nonexistent in the diet – have experienced tooth decay. This is also sustained by a February 2012 study that discovered that obese kids are far more likely to suffer from cavities because they eat a lot of sugary and fast foods.

So the bottom line is, that the more you expose your teeth to a bunch of damaging substances, the higher the risk for cavities.

You might be at risk for lung cancer

People who suffer from gum disease might have an increased risk of developing lung cancer, at least that’s what a June 2016 study shows. Even more, if you’re known to have periodontal disease and diabetes, the risk of developing lung cancer increases even more.

Researchers don’t know why exactly, but one of the studies in this analysis speculated that oral bacteria might play a big role in cancer cells developing in the lungs, as another one suggests the treatment for periodontal disease might help reduce lung cancer risk.

Or you might be at risk for heart disease

The American Dental Association shows that we now have more than three decades of research that confirm there’s a link between gum disease, plaque buildup, and cardiovascular disease.

In another February 2017 study from the American Stroke Association, there has been shown that even adults that have mild gum disease are almost two times more likely to have an ischemic stroke risk, than those that don’t have any oral health issues.

However, the jury’s still debating if the infectious and inflammatory gum disease process has anything to do with heart attacks and strokes, or whether the two might merely cross paths because of their mutual risk factors, such as smoking, age, and type 2 diabetes.

It could be an eating disorder

Your dentist might be the first person to discover that you have an eating disorder. There are studies that show that up to 89% of patients with bulimia will show signs of tooth erosion because of all that bile acid that passes by their teeth so many times, as the American Dental Association proved. As time goes by, your teeth will change their color, shape, length, and sensitivity levels.

If you enjoyed reading this article, we also recommend reading: 5 Cancers Most Likely to Spread to Your Bones. And before you leave, don’t forget to hit that subscribe button! It will mean a lot to us, but also for you, since will provide you with brand new content straight into your inbox. Moreover, it won’t cost you anything and you have the liberty to unsubscribe at your convenience! The choice is yours.