You may be surprised at what your dentist can find out about your overall health with just taking a look at your mouth. While cavities and plaque buildup are some of the obvious reasons of taking an appointment, in many cases diseases like cancer, anemia and diabetes can be identified which is indeed a life saving prospect.

The following are just some of the things that your Orange County dentist is able to tell, just from a regular teeth examination.

You Don’t Floss Regularly or You Do Just Before the Appointment

You really can’t fool your dentist into thinking that you floss regularly without fail, just by doing so the night before or that morning. How is this? The gums of people who only do this before a visit to the dentist look damaged and bleed which is how dentists are able to ascertain this for sure. Healthy gums on the other hand should be nice, pink and tight.

You Don’t You Are Pregnant? Well Your Dentist Does

40% of all women develop gingivitis during their pregnancy, which is caused by a rise in progesterone that helps facilitate bacteria growth. It’s also not uncommon for some women to develop a deep red lump on their gums known as a pregnancy tumor which is typically goes away after the pregnancy is over (also nothing to worry about). Another tell-tale sign that lets your dentist know of the pregnancy is bleeding gums which normally occur when women are far along their pregnancies.

You Don’t Have a Tooth Ache but a Sinus Infection

Sometimes a sinus infection is pretty easy to be mistaken by tooth ache, for which patients often call asking for a root canal when in fact it isn’t a tooth problem at all! The roots of your top teeth are situated exactly in the same area as the floor of the sinuses and as both show symptoms if pressure it’s very easy to mistake one for the other.

One effective way to find out for sure is to bend down until the toes are within touching distance. It’s likely un-related to the tooth if pressure or pain increases and you may need to pay a visit to a physician before coming to the dentist.

The mouth is considered to be a door to the rest of the body, i.e. it’s very easy to find out health concerns and diseases before they make their presence known in the body. This is why you shouldn’t miss a single dentist appointment, as your Orange County dentist may be able to tell you what to look out for before that hits and becomes a major concern.