People tend to think of beautiful straight teeth as a purely cosmetic concern – a luxury rather than a necessity. However, teeth that are crooked, stained, or have other problems can cause physiological problems in the rest of the body or can be an indicator of other health problems.

“Crooked and crowded teeth are hard to clean properly, potentially leading to tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss,” notes Dr. Charles Nottingham, a Miami dentist and Fort Lauderdale dentist.”A bad bite can also cause abnormal wear of tooth surfaces, poor speech, and excessive stress on the jaw bone and gum tissue.”

Poor bites can also influence chewing and swallowing and food selection – leading to nutritional problems. Pain in the jaw or teeth can lead to pain in the head, neck, shoulders, or elsewhere in the body. Oral pain often leads to diminished activity, lost work days, depression, sleep problems, and missed school for children.

“In addition, problems with your teeth can be an indicator of whole-body health issues,” points out Dr. Nottingham, a South Florida cosmetic dentist.”Scientific research indicates a link between gum disease and many other overall health problems including: high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, premature births and many more.”

Sometimes teeth can reveal a previously unknown health condition. Conditions that can be detected in the mouth include diabetes (causesgum infections), acid reflux (teeth are much more prone to decay), some auto-immune disorders (the soft tissue in the mouth and salivary glands can be affected), liver diseases (the soft tissue in the mouth is jaundiced) and many more.

Via EPR Network
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