What your mouth says about your health

Signs and Symptoms

Potential Diseases or Conditions

1

Smooth and swollen gums

Anaemia

2

Smooth red painful tongue, cracks and fissures at the corner of the mouth

• Iron deficiency anaemia

3

Frequent gum swelling with pus, increased bone loss in a short duration of time, and gum disease not responding to normal treatment

• Diabetes

4

Gum inflammation – bacteria from infected gums can dislodge, enter the blood, attach to blood vessels and increase clot formation

• More likely to develop heart disease

5

Flat, worn teeth, bone loss detected in dental X-rays, ulcers

• Stress

6

Persistent bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth

• Dental causes include gum disease, dental caries and yeast infections of the mouth.
• Dry mouth, respiratory tract infections (pneumonia, bronchitis), chronic sinus infections, diabetes, chronic acid reflux and kidney or liver problems.

7

Dry Mouth

• Side effects of various medications, salivary gland problems or continuous mouth breathing.
• Sjogren’s syndrome, diabetes, anaemia, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis
• Damage to the salivary glands from radiation to the head and neck and chemotherapy for cancer
• Dehydration due to fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, excessive sweating
• Smoking or chewing tobacco affect saliva production and worsen dry mouth.

8

A sore in your mouth that won’t go away, a lump, or pain or numbness anywhere in your mouth or on your lips, bleeding in your mouth, loose teeth, difficulty or pain during swallowing

• Oral cancer

9

Gum redness, swelling and bleeding, and ulceration of the mouth, rapid loosening of the teeth combined with feeling weak and losing weight for no apparent reason

• Leukaemia

10

Cracking, crumbling teeth

• Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease GERD

11

Gum enlargement

• Associated with medicines taken for heart disease, seizure or suppression of your immune system

12

Pregnant and have gum inflammation and infection

• Premature and Low Birth Weight Baby

13

Loose teeth, detachment of gums from the teeth, ill-fitting dentures and difficulty in eating or speaking, dental x-rays show decreased density of the jawbone and the bones around the teeth

• Osteoporosis

14

Triad of dry eyes, dry mouth and rheumatoid arthritis. Eye dryness progressively leading to eye irritation, infection and abrasion of cornea. Susceptibility of mouth to tooth decay and gum disease and painful, burning sensation of the mouth due to chronic dryness

• Sjogren’s Syndrome

15

Older people with debris containing microbial reservoir around the teeth and dentures due to failure of cleaning dentures

• Risk of aspiration pneumonia

16

Oral thrush, oral warts, canker sores and hairy leukoplakia

• HIV

17

Clustered, white lesions on the inside of cheeks opposite the upper molars called Koplik spots evident two days before the measles skin rash

• Measles

18

Whitish, lacy patches and streaks or papules on the insides of the cheeks or sides of tongue, shallow and painful recurrent ulcers in the mouth

• Lichen planus

19

White patches on the inside of the cheek, tongue, or in the mouth that can’t be wiped away and developed slowly over weeks to months

• Leukoplakia

20

Increased tendency for gum disease and decay, dry mouth with  pain, stiffness and swelling in joints

• Rheumatoid Arthritis

21

Gum bleeding, increased saliva, halitosis (bad breath) and destruction of fibers attaching tooth to bone (periodontal ligament)

• Agranulocytosis

22

Gum recession – the margin of gum wears away toward the end of the root, exposing more of the tooth

• Periodontal diseases
• Aggressive tooth brushing
• Hormonal changes in women during puberty, pregnancy and menopause
• Tobacco use