What Your Teeth Say About Your Overall Health

KSBW reports:

"Some messages coming out of your mouth bypass the vocal chords. Turns out that your teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues also have plenty to say -- about your overall health."

Here are some of the signs to look for:

1. Flat, worn teeth and headache -- Sign of: Stress
   
   Many people are surprised to find out they're tooth-grinders. You might be doing it in your sleep.
   
2. Cracking, crumbling teeth -- Sign of: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
   
   Tooth erosion isn't a consequence of aging. Disintegrating teeth are usually caused by acid that's coming up from the stomach and dissolving them
   
3. Sores that won't go away -- Sign of: Oral cancer
   
   When an open sore in the mouth doesn't go away within a week or two, it always warrants showing to a dentist or doctor.
   
4. Gums growing over teeth -- Sign of: Medication problems
   
   This can be caused by medication for heart disease or seizures, or drugs that suppress your immune system.
   
5. Dry mouth -- Sign of: Sjogren's Syndrome and/or Diabetes
   
   Many things can cause dry mouth, but a lack of sufficient saliva can also be an early warning sign of two autoimmune diseases --  Sjogren's syndrome and diabetes.
   
6. White webbing inside cheeks -- Sign of: Lichen planus
   
   This mild skin disorder tends to strike both men and women between the ages 30 and 70.
   
7. Crusting dentures -- Sign of: Potential aspiration pneumonia
   
   Aspiration pneumonia, often caused by inhaling debris around the teeth and dentures, is a leading cause of death in older people.
   

Sources:

  KSBW November 11, 2010