The mouth is often viewed as being the gateway to your body. While this is true in a practical sense it is also true in a larger sense: the health of your mouth can reflect deeper issues affecting your body, and vice versa.

There are a number of indicators that there is something not quite right going on in your body that medical professionals are able to determine from an inspection of a patient’s mouth. Below is a short list of mouth-related factors that can determine the state of your body’s health.

Saliva

While our bodies produce saliva as part of the mouth’s natural process saliva can act as a strong indicator for the overall health and wellbeing of your body. By analysing a person’s saliva doctors are able to detect a number of harmful agents and diseases including a number of cancers and infections, as well as drugs and illicit substances.

Periodontitis

Periodontitis is a gum disease caused by the unchecked build-up of plaque. This disease causes large-scale inflammation of the gums and blood vessels in the mouth and around the jaw, which can lead to the gums and teeth rotting if left untreated. While this rightfully sounds horrible periodontitis can be used to help diagnose conditions otherwise unknown about in people.

While a proven link has not been discovered yet there is a clear connection between periodontitis rates and people with diabetes. It is theorised that due to diabetes interfering with a person’s ability to regulate their blood sugar that bacteria forms in the mouth because of an increase in blood sugar. Doctors are able to then book in for tests for diabetes.

Another health condition directly related to periodontitis is heart disease. The inflammation caused by the disease restricts the flow of blood to the heart and can increase a person’s risk of having a heart attack.

While these are only a few examples of the relationship between mouth and body health they highlight the importance of maintaining oral care. If you neglect your mouth you will not only be damaging one area, but potentially your whole body. If your mouth does have continual issues and infections it could be a sign of something larger affecting your body.

If you would like a personalized consultation with one of our professional and highly experienced Dentists, contact Wisdom Dental Emergency today.