When it comes to your health, your dentist in Sapulpa is truly on the front line of your defense. Whether you realize it or not, your mouth shows signs of more detrimental health concerns that affect your whole body. Visiting Complete Cosmetic Care Dentistry ensures that your dentist will keep an eye out for large problems and address them appropriately. This includes oral cancer, eating disorders, and even heart disease! Let’s explore what one of our dental experts may be seeing when examining your mouth during your dental appointment.
Oral Cancer
Any kind of cancer can be debilitating if it’s not addressed in its preliminary stages. This is especially important when it comes to sneaky, but aggressive oral cancer. The signs can be hard to notice to the untrained eye, but our dental professionals will be able to look for these symptoms:
- A sore that will not heal or bleeds profusely.
- A lump in the hard or soft tissues of your mouth.
- Change in oral tissue color.
- Numbness or pain in areas around the mouth.
- Difficulty swallowing, talking, earing, or moving the jaw or tongue.
Eating Disorders
If a patient is struggling to maintain healthy dietary habits, your dentist will be able to tell. Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia can have irreversible negative effects on a patient’s body—especially their teeth and gums. In fact, the body’s first indicators of an eating disorder occur within the mouth. Your dentist may notice:
- Extensive tooth decay
- Gum deterioration
- Halitosis (chronic bad breath)
- Tooth sensitivity
- Swelling in the cheeks and jaw area
Heart Disease
It’s no secret—your mouth and the rest of your body have an intimate connection. In fact, if you don’t regularly and properly remove dental plaque and bacteria, your overall health could suffer. Healthy gums and teeth keep your body healthy and strong as well. But when they begin to deteriorate from advanced gum disease, your body tries to protect itself with inflammation, leaving your bloodstream susceptible to dental plaque buildup. Your dentist will always keep an eye out for these signs of advanced gum disease:
- Red, swollen gums
- Tender gums
- Bleeding when brushing or flossing
- Buildup of pus between gums
- Loose fitting teeth
- Receding gums
- Pockets of infection along your gum line
- Chronic bad breath
Complete Cosmetic Care Dentistry Can Help You Maintain Great Overall Health
When you make a visit to our office for a general dentistry appointment, you’ll always receive a comprehensive exam and review when it’s completed. No matter what issues we notice—or even if we don’t come across anything concerning at all—we will always keep open communication with you. At the end of the day, we want to work side by side with you—and even your physician if your health calls for it—to prevent advanced dental and overall health issues. Contact us today to schedule your next appointment before googling “dentist near me” in an emergency!