National Smile Month 2022

If the eyes are a window to the soul, then the mouth is a window to your health.

If the eyes are a window to the soul, then the mouth is a window to your health. Your teeth, gums, tongue, and breath can provide valuable information about your dental, oral, and overall health. To celebrate this National Smile Month, let’s take a look inside your mouth, the entrance to all the organs where your health starts, to see whether you have a healthy smile or not. 

Do you have any of these “Red Flags” to be concerned about?

1. Bad breath

First impressions are very important, you wouldn’t want to have people recognise you as “that stinky one”. Sure you can get rid of them easily with minty candy, gum, mouthwash, or even brushing your teeth. But what if it doesn’t go away? Chronic bad breath can be a sign of dental cavities and gum disease.

In worst-case scenarios, it may underlie several health problems such as Sinus infections, Diabetes, Chronic lung infection, and liver or kidney disease.

2. Bleeding or swollen gums

Gums keep your teeth in their places, they also create barriers between the roots, nerves, and blood vessels. Brushing your teeth too aggressively can bleed the gum. However, bleeding or swollen gums can also mean that you have a dangerously high amount of bacteria inside your mouth that is causing inflammation in your gums, which indicates that you might have gum disease.

3. Tooth sensitivity

That sharp, painful sensation when eating cold or hot foods and drinks isn't fun. When the dentin - a porous substance in your teeth - becomes exposed and causes sensitivity.

Tubules - small channels in the dentin - are nerve routes. Dentinal tubules are more easily triggered by specific stimuli causing tooth sensitivity when they are exposed due to receding gum tissue or enamel loss.

4. Mouth and jaw pain

Stress can cause a variety of physical and mental problems, and one of them is oral related. If you’re having mouth and jaw pain, it is usually a sign of stress.

Moreover, discomfort in the jaw can also mean you are having a heart attack. It is important to acknowledge heart attack symptoms to save your life or your loved one.

5. Mouth sores patches or lumps that don’t heal

You might have had annoying sores or ulcers in your mouth once in a while which may come from lack of sleep, stress and anxiety, foods you eat, etc. They’re usually harmless and will be gone within a week or two.

However, if they stay longer than they should, it can be a sign of diabetes. People with diabetes have a more difficult time healing wounds than those who don’t. In that case, you may need to seek a medical check-up on your blood level.

Oral cancer might also be indicated by spots or sores in the mouth. These lesions could be white or red.

6. Colour changed gum

If you spot your gums having an odd colour, it might be a sign of gingivitis. Gingivitis can also be identified by puffy gums and traces of blood on your toothbrush. It is often not painful.

Do you miss all of these red flags? If not, your smile might not be as healthy as you think! You might consider going to a dentist ASAP.

If you do not have any of the symptoms above, congratulations! But remember, you don’t need to have symptoms to go to your dentist.

Protect that healthy smile by doing a dental check-up yearly. Also, don’t forget to brush and floss correctly every single day.