Don’t you know that your teeth say something about your health? Your teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues as well have some things to say about your overall health. These signs that you should be aware of:

• Flat, worn teeth plus headache. It is a sign of Big-time stress. Crunching and grinding the teeth at night during sleep is a common sign of emotional or psychological stress. Headaches are caused by spasms in the muscles doing the grinding. Sometimes the pain can radiate from the mouth and head down to the neck and upper back. I unconsciously grind my teeth at night or whenever I sleep so I use nigh guard or mouth guard to relieve the symptoms and protect teeth.

• Cracking, crumbling teeth. It is a sign of Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Older adults, especially, are vulnerable to teeth that appear to be cracking or crumbling away. The enamel becomes thin and almost translucent. Crackling teeth are usually caused by acid that’s coming up from the stomach and dissolving them. GERD is a chronic disorder caused by damage or other changes to the natural barrier between the stomach and the esophagus. Dry mouth and heartburn are related GERD symptoms.

• Sores that won’t go away. It is a sign of Oral cancer. Many people bite the insides of their mouth as a nervous habit. Others sometimes bite the gum accidentally, creating a sore. But when an open sore in the mouth doesn’t go away within a week or two, it always warrants showing to a dentist or doctor.

• Gums growing over teeth. It is a sign of: Medication problems. If you notice your gum literally growing over your tooth, and you’re taking a medication for heart disease or seizures or you take drugs to suppress your immune system (such as before a transplant), it’s well worth mentioning this curious development to your prescribing doctor.

• Dry mouth, it is a sign of Sjogren’s syndrome, diabetes. Many things can cause dry mouth, from dehydration and allergies to smoking and new medications. Lack of sufficient saliva is also an early warning of two autoimmune diseases unrelated to medicine use: Sjogren’s syndrome and diabetes.

• Crusting dentures. It is a sign of Potential aspiration pneumonia. Most people don’t connect dentures (false teeth) with pneumonia, other than to think they’re both words that often refer to the world of the elderly. And yet the two have a potentially deadly connection. Aspiration pneumonia – foreign material is breathed into the lungs and airway, causing dangerous (even fatal) inflammation.