Mouth health is very important. Not just for social reasons but those alone could justify seeking professional help if needed. It turns out that mouth health can go much further than making sure your pucker is kissable. It can determine if you have more serious conditions that range from chronic heartburn and post-nasal drip to pancreatic cancer.

Luckily there’s help in determining if it’s time to schedule an overdue cleaning with your dentist or to seek other professional health advise. MSN Health & Fitness recently posted a very detailed article on mouth health and beyond. Click the above link to read it in its entirety. Below is just an exerpt.

“Unhealthy gums result from an active bacterial infection, so there’s probably something else going on in your body that’s not good,” says Domenick Zero, D.D.S., director of the oral-health research institute at Indiana University. And research has linked diseases of the mouth to problems in the pancreas, stomach, sinuses, and more. Luckily, your mouth is easier to explore than your organs, and symptoms appear early enough for you to stop the damage.

Here’s what your mouth is saying, if you’d only lend an ear.

Dragon Breath

What the fumes are saying: “A lot of cases of bad breath don’t originate in the mouth,” says Ted Raybould, D.M.D., a professor of dentistry at the University of Kentucky. “One common source is the sinuses.” Inflammation of your nasal passages can be caused by allergies or a chronic infection, and can breed bad breath in two ways. First, a stuffy nose forces you to inhale and exhale through your mouth. This dries up saliva that would otherwise kill bacteria, the source of most bad breath. Second, post-nasal drip is a potent producer of halitosis. “Mucus flows down the back of your nose and onto the back of your tongue,” says Mel Rosenberg, Ph.D., a microbiologist at Tel Aviv University. This accumulating slime feeds bacteria, which in turn breed volatile sulfur compounds, the chemicals that create foul oral odor.

How to answer back: Start by changing your rinse-and-spit routine. “Gargle with mouthwash before bed, rather than in the morning,” says Rosenberg. “At night, your mouth produces less saliva, so the bacteria aren’t being washed away as regularly.” And the longer bacteria linger, the more sulfurous stink bombs they can create. “Gargle for half a minute and target the back of your tongue,” he says. “Tilt your head back and breathe through your nose.” If that doesn’t do away with the stench, you may actually be harboring a nasty sinus infection that could spread to other body parts. Book an appointment with an ear, nose, and throat specialist for a diagnosis. They may prescribe antibiotics or allergy medication to clear your sinuses for good.


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