Day 12 – Your mouth is trying to tell you something

I’m starting to really get into shape. I was exercising, strengthening and eating fairly well before the Peak Condition Project but now I’m starting to rock n’ roll! But one part of my body that I have historically neglected was my mouth. Ever since I was a small child I failed to brush properly or floss and I also ate a whole lot of refined sugars and carbohydrates and so I got cavities and lots of fillings.

Today is different though because I just came back from the dentist and she congratulated me on how well kept my teeth, gums and mouth were, praising me for my good habits. This was new to me as I wasn’t used to praise for my oral hygiene. The Dr. and I were talking after the exam and I told her about the Peak Condition Project and the diet I was currently on. When she asked me how long I was working on my diet/health, I told her that I’d been working on it hardcore for the last week but seriously and regularily for about 6 months. At this she smiled knowingly and we dove into a very interesting discussion.

As my dentist puts it, your mouth, gums, teeth and tongue may be good indications of existing or future health complications. Evidently what’s going on inside your mouth could affect your overall health or what’s happening in your body could surface as symptoms in your mouth.

Here is some interesting information about what your mouth may be telling you:
• While bad breath can be caused by gingivitis, tooth decay or garlic linguine it can also be associated with sinus troubles, diabetes, digestive disorders, HIV, liver disease, kidney disorders and lung problems.
• Ever get those painful canker sores? These can be caused by not getting enough iron, folic acid or vitamin B-12. The culprit could also be hormonal changes, food allergies and viral infections. Interestingly these mouth irritations have also been found to occur in people diagnosed with skin infections or diseases.
• Not brushing or skipping other dental care habits can indirectly lead to heart valve infection.
• If your gums are extremely sensitive, bleed easily, it could be and indication of gingivitis and could also infer non-dental related issues such are anemia, a lack of vitamin K or C, or pregnancy related hormonal changes. Persistent bleeding may also be linked to severe health conditions including leukemia, cardiovascular disease, malnutrition or blood disorders.
• A change in color or shape of your tongue may be telling of a vitamin deficiency, injury or the result of thrush. Changes in the tongue may also be caused by severe allergies or oral cancer.
• A tooth ache could be a sign of non dental related problems such as a vitamin B-12 deficiency or sinusitis. Consuming sweets, acidic beverages or foods, and chewing gum, all can worsen the pain.
• While jaw pain or stiffness may be an indication of a abcessed tooth or wisdom teeth problems – it could be due to non-dental causes as well. Pain in the upper teeth or jaw could be a warning sign for a heart attack or angina. It could also be due to stress-induced teeth grinding.

Really, what my doctor was telling me was that the mouth was a great indicator of health and she was not surprised that I was in good physical and nutritional shape. She sees patients all the time and observes the same pattern all the time: Man comes in, teeth decaying and he’s out of shape and eating corndogs for lunch.

I felt great that I passed my dental exam without even an indication of problems and what the dentist said hit home – our bodies are interconnected wonderful things and when they are falling apart in one area the whole suffers but while we work to make it better in most ways, we see benefits we had not anticipated.

So I’ll keep brushing and flossing but I know now that taking care of the whole package and not just placing band-aids over the symptoms is the best thing to do.

I really seem to be getting into the food eating grove. I’m getting good at cooking simple dishes while being more adventurous every meal and I feel satisfied and clean after I eat.

The work outs are great too. After the initial phase of sore muscles, I’m really pushing myself to failure and enjoying the burn.

That’s it for now – See You Tomorrow.