Your Teeth Can Reveal Surprising Things About Your Health

If eyes are the windows to your soul, then teeth are the window to, well, everything else about you. Teeth give insight into the past — they've given us clues into the early human diet thousands of years ago and can even help forensic scientists uncover a person's identity. Additionally, a 2019 study in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology found tooth loss in older adults could give signs of childhood trauma.

Tooth be told, there's a lot we can learn from our own mouths — including information about the state of our body. You mouth is home to about 700 species of bacteria, fungi, and germs. While most are relatively harmless, some cause disease by traveling to other parts of the body. Worsening oral health may be evidence of certain diseases or conditions that make the body more prone to illness. Not sure what your teeth are trying to tell you? Here's a look at some of the health conditions your dentist may be able to identify simply by looking in your mouth.

You could wait a few minutes for a pregnancy test, or you can have your dentist check your teeth. The American Pregnancy Association explained that the hormonal changes caused by pregnancy can weaken the body's ability to ward off harmful bacteria and increase the chance for periodontal infections. The increase in bacteria causes a build-up of plaques, which may develop into swollen gums called pregnancy gingivitis — although this is more apparent in the second trimester.

Orlando Health further explained that the acidity from hormonal changes may also cause cavities. Whether this is a direct connection remains unknown as it may be due to an increase in sugar cravings. Because pregnancy can also loosen bones in the mouth, Orlando Health revealed that there's a possibility of "teeth wiggling," or teeth loosening.

"[Pregnancy] is a crucial period of time in a woman's life and maintaining oral health is directly related to good overall health," dentist Aharon Hagai of the Tel-Aviv Medical Center in Israel, told Mouth Healthy.

If you're feeling jaw pain, it may not be from too much mouth clenching. There's a possibility that your mouth is sending a warning of osteoporosis. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), osteoporosis is a disease in which low bone density or mass causes the bones to weaken, resulting in bone fractures. And osteoporosis "may lead to tooth loss because the density of the bone that supports the teeth may be decreased, which means the teeth no longer have a solid foundation," per the American Academy of Periodontology.

A partial loss of the jawbone, known as the alveolar process, can lead to wobbly teeth and the loss of teeth, according to the NIAMS. The weakened support for teeth can increase the risk for periodontitis, a 2012 review found. The NIAMS described this as a chronic infection of the gums and bones. Additionally, a review in the Journal of Dentistry of Tehran University of Medical Sciences confirmed a correlation between low bone mass density or osteoporosis and periodontitis. 

They say to listen to your heart, but may you should listen to your dentist. An article in the Journal Of The American Dental Association suggested that periodontal infections are found more commonly among people with coronary heart disease. Complications such as heart attack or stroke have also been linked to tooth loss or gum disease, per Harvard Health.

While there's no one definitive answer, Harvard Health proposed that bacteria, inflammation, or other outside factors can explain the link. Indeed, a 2018 article in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found an association between tooth loss and heart disease. But when researchers accounted for smoking effects, the link was no longer seen in men.

"I spend an inordinate amount of time talking to (heart valve patients) about their teeth because we know certain heart valve infections can be associated with poor oral health," Ann Bolger, a cardiologist and professor of medicine emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco, told the American Heart Association. She continued to say that "the mouth is an important part of a person's entire health and simple, daily behaviors that improve health are incredibly important."

A good night's sleep is essential to staying healthy, yet the American Sleep Association revealed that only 35.3 percent of adults report getting more than seven hours of sleep. Beyond the bags under your eyes, sleep deprivation can manifest on your teeth. Yes, a 2019 review in Clinical Medicine & Research found that poor oral health — "a history of orthodontics, missing teeth, clenching/grinding, open mouth breathing, and having a high caries risk" — is linked to poor sleep quality.

"A lot of patients are surprised that I ask about their sleep," says Martha Cortés, a dentist for Cortés Advanced Dentistry, told WebMD. "A dentist is often the earliest diagnostician of sleep disorders." For example, grinding your teeth (aka bruxism) can signal sleep apnea. A 2014 study published in Sleep and Breathing found that people with obstructive sleep apnea — a common sign is snoring — are more likely to grind their teeth at night.

"The surfaces of the teeth become flat and the teeth get worn down," Charles Rankin, a dentist and professor at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, told HuffPost, "Grinding your teeth [at night] makes that height go down." The tooth can have an uneven shape, which can be spotted by your dentist.

Your mouth has a lot to say about your health, including your life expectancy. A 2016 research study published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society found that people who lived up to at least 100 years old had less tooth loss when they were 65 to 74 years old compared to their peers.

"It is very evident that what is going on in our mouths can really be a useful window to our overall health. It is therefore vital that we take proper care of our mouth and pay close attention to what is happening, as it could be a sign of something more serious," Nigel Carter, the CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, told Dentistry Today.

In older women who are postmenopausal, having tooth loss is not only linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease but a 17 percent higher mortality rate, a 2017 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found. The mortality rate was also higher in women with a history of gum disease.

HIV can remain undetected for some time. Flu-like symptoms associated with the virus typically emerge about two to four weeks after infection, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since there's only a 72-hour window to receive emergency treatment and prevent the virus from taking hold in your body, it's critical to detect any indicator of HIV (via HIV.gov). And, of course, prevention is imperative.

Those with HIV and AIDS are at a "special risk for oral health problems," according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). Such problems include tooth decay, gingivitis, and loss of bone that supports the teeth. Dry mouth is also typically associated with both HIV and AIDS. And because of the lack of saliva, the teeth are more vulnerable to decay. The NIDCR explained that oral health often takes a hit because HIV suppresses the immune system, making it more difficult to ward off harmful bacteria and fungi clustering in the mouth.

Allergies are relatively common, especially around springtime. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America estimates more than 50 million Americans have some type of allergy each year, with 8.2 percent of adults and 8.4 percent of children officially diagnosed with seasonal allergies. Allergies come with runny noses and sore throats, but if you're having tooth pain, it may be a good idea to call your dentist.

According to Delta Dental, the stuffy nose caused by allergies can put pressure on the roots of your upper molars, which can simulate a toothache. If you are experiencing dry mouth, allergies might be to blame too. A stuffy nose makes it harder to breathe, which causes you to rely on your mouth more. Breathing through your mouth frequently dries up saliva, which is problematic as saliva is essential in washing away foods, plaque, and acids that can cause cavities.