Dentistry: Early Warning for Disease
Your mouth is an early warning system. Changes in tissue color, persistent sores, chipped and eroded teeth, and excessive tartar buildup are certainly unattractive. But, more important, these variations from the norm can also be vital evidence of serious ill-health. What you don't see can hurt you You may miss early warning signals on your own; they often cause little or no distress. That's why it's so important to schedule dental checkups regularly. We may be the first to notice symptoms of diseases. Reading the signals Some symptoms indicate simple vitamin or mineral deficiency. Others betray signs of serious concern—cancer of the mouth, leukemia, diabetes, and, more recently, AIDS. The link between gum disease, heart problems, and stroke is clear. [...]
