Check Your Smile – Check Your Health… Dental Care from Dr. Jack Kayton Oral Health Leads to Overall Health in Charlottesville

While your eyes may be the windows to your soul, your mouth is the window to your overall health. That is why we take our Charlottesville patients’ oral health so seriously – and why we recommend regular check-ups in between what may seem like more advanced dentistry. Even having your teeth cleaned can keep your body healthy. While you are with us we don’t just look at your teeth, we check every part of your mouth for periodontal disease, oral cancer, and other indicators of whole body health. If you want to do a quick check for yourself right now, open your mouth and look in the mirror. Look at the color of your tongue – a pale tongue could indicate an iron deficiency. While your tongue is out, check for sores or spots. Then move on to your gums; are they puffy, red or do they bleed when you brush? You could have periodontal disease, a disease that has been definitively linked to heart attacks, strokes and other health issues. If your gums are paler than normal, and seems to pull away from the bone, it could be one of the first indicators of diabetes!  Of course, don’t forget to look at your teeth. If they have suddenly changed color, look worn, or seem to be disintegrating, it could indicate anything from stress to gastric reflux! For more information about what your mouth can tell us about the rest of your body, call me, Dr. Jack Kayton in Charlottesville at 434.977.3939. We are here to keep Charlottesville healthy!