A dental check-up doesn’t just reveal to your dentist how well your flossing and brushing – your teeth can reveal medical issues and your overall health.
- Anxiety or lack of sleep:
Teeth grinding (bruxism) can occur when you are frequently anxious or stressed. This may also occur with obstructive sleep apnea.
If you are finding yourself grinding your teeth, your dentist can provide you with a mouth guard to protect your teeth during the night.
- Eating disorders:
Eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia are known to cause erosion to the teeth very quickly. This is because acid from purging is frequently in contact with the back teeth especially, thus causes rapid enamel erosion.
- Poor eating habits
Wine, coffee, curry, chocolate and fizzy drinks are all culprits in leaving their mark on your teeth. Staining is visible and made worse when consuming these types of food and drinks amongst others.
Decrease these foods in your diet and if you want to drink fizzy drinks, wines and coffee then drink them through a straw to minimise staining effects.
- Heart disease & diabetes
Poor gum health, including inflammation and gum disease could be a sign of diabetes.
Diabetes increases the risk of gum disease, and gum inflammation negatively impacts the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, according to a study published in Diabetologia.
This is a less common reason for gum disease but if you have any concerns, see your dentist for a check-up.
- Alcohol
Research carried out in Brazil in 2015 by a team of dental researchers in 2015 discovered that gum disease, or periodontitis, increased with drinking frequency. The study also showed that overall poor oral hygiene is a common trait among people who excessively drink. The researchers also found that study participants without gum disease had higher levels of plaque than non-drinkers, possibly due to the way alcohol slows down the production of saliva and dries out the mouth.