Five Things Dentists Wish They Could Tell Their Patients

As a patient, you probably have a lot of questions for your dentist. But have you ever wondered how many questions and/or comments your doctor has for you? Here are five things dentists around the country say they want to say to their patients as they are working on their mouths:

1. You can’t be healthy without a healthy mouth – Many assume that your mouth is an entirely separate thing when it comes to health, but, in reality, it is indicative of the health of the rest of your body. If your mouth is unhealthy, chances are the rest of your body isn’t healthy either.

2. Take a closer look at your tongue – The tongue gives a lot of information regarding the health of the rest of the body. For example, if the tip of the tongue is red, it can be a sign of thyroid or heart problems; if the tongue has a yellow/green tint, it can mean liver or gallbladder problems. We often think of the mouth as simply the teeth and gums, but it is really a lot more than that.

3. Bleeding gums are a red flag – It is common for gums to bleed a little bit after a good, long brushing or cleaning, but excessive gum bleeding can mean significant inflammation and infection that has potential to spread to the rest of your body.

4. Too much exercise can ruin your smile – Exercise is very healthy for the body, but if one does not stay properly hydrated and exercises too much, your smile can be affected. Sweat diminishes the amount of saliva in the mouth, leading to dehydration. Sports drinks are often consumed during exercise, as well, and those are full of sugars that can ruin your teeth and gums.

5. Tell your dentist if you take Aspirin daily – While many don’t consider this a “drug”, it can have an effect on bleeding if taken consistently. If you take Aspirin daily, it can lead to intensified bleeding at the dentist when you need to get work done on your mouth. If the dentist knows this is a possibility beforehand, he can account for that during the procedure.