Although you may not know this, there is quite a bit of information that a Los Angeles Dentist can discern about your health in a routine dental check-up.
As an example, if your tooth enamel is worn down, this will often be a sign that you may be suffering from stress. The reason is because people with stress often grind their teeth at night. Additionally, swollen and receding gums can be an early sign of diabetes, and sores in your mouth that don’t heal can indicate cancer.
This is all very important information to know. A dentist may be the first to notice these symptoms and can tell you which additional tests you should consider. In some cases, they will work closely with your primary doctor to help manage your follow-up care. For those of you that think Los Angeles dentists are only concerned about your teeth, you should think again.
Dentists are concerned about more than saving your teeth – they care about how oral health fits into your overall well-being. Here is one of the most common conditions that Los Angeles dentists look out for.
The correlation between diabetes and oral health often comes as a surprise to people. If you did not know, people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop gum disease. The reason is because they may have a lessened ability to fight infections, including those that occur in the mouth.
In fact, Los Angeles dentists often identify patients as being diabetic even when they themselves did not know this. If your dentist suspects that you have undiagnosed diabetes, he or she will advise you to go to another doctor for testing. Additionally, your dentist or periodontist may recommend that you schedule dental exams more frequently — for example, every three months — if you have a history of diabetes and gum disease.
