Dental care is an important part of staying as healthy and confident as possible. You may understand this, and that is why you schedule routine visits with your dentist every six months. During these visits, you have an idea of what your dentist will do, look around your mouth. What you may not know is that this tour of the oral cavity may reveal more than that tiny cavity (or a clean bill of health). Here, we will discuss a few of the interesting pieces of information that can be found in your mouth.
#1 – Your flossing habits. You know that your dentist will examine your gums as a routine part of the general exam. In preparation for this, you may decide that there is no time like the present to floss. However, if you haven’t maintained this habit, it will show. Flossing in the days just prior to a checkup could actually leave tiny marks on the soft gums, alerting your dentist to some fervent activity. All the while, the plaque, tartar, and inflammation that have been building up over the past several months will give away your flossing habits.
#2 – Your drinking habits. It seems like a logical fact that what you drink will affect your teeth. Did you know that certain beverages can create certain problems, though? One of the biggest things that dentists see today is erosion, especially on younger patients. This can indicate one of a few things. One of the biggest culprits of erosion is soda. Not far behind that beverage of choice is sports drinks, such as Gatorade. These beverages have highly acidic ingredients that can be just as damaging to teeth, if not more so, than sugar. Other drinks that leave evidence in the mouth include coffee, red wine, and other alcoholic beverages.
#3 – Your general health. What goes on in the body affects the mouth, and vise versa. One way in which your dentist may be alerted to a health issue is by the scent on your breath. People with high blood sugar, even if they have not formally been diagnosed with diabetes, could have a certain sweetness that reveals their state of health. According to studies, vitamin deficiencies may also be noticed during a dental exam.
Your Virginia Beach, VA dentist is interested in creating a partnership that helps your smile shine! For friendly care, call Gentle Dental Center.
