What Your Mouth Says About Your Health

The condition of your teeth, tongue and gums can tell a whole story about your general health and wellbeing. Open wide…

- Jo Dunbar

Our mouth is the gateway to our body but, with 63%* of us missing dental appointments since the pandemic began, our oral health isn’t being checked as regularly as it should be. And it could mean missing out on spotting other health issues. ‘The state of our mouth is an indicator of our overall health,’ says Dr Nyree Whitley, practising dentist and group clinical director for mydentist.co.uk. ‘It might indicate a problem elsewhere.’ The good news? It’s easy to spot the signs to look out for, you just need a mirror.

Soreness or ulcers

Often appearing when we’re run down, ulcers can come and go, but they could pinpoint something else. ‘Mouth ulcers may accompany other health problems, such as coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lack of white blood cells and some autoimmune problems,’ says Dr Sarah Brewer, GP and medical director at Healthspan. ‘Other possible causes include nutritional deficiencies, especially of iron, folic acid and B vitamins, herpes virus, and use of certain drugs. Most mouth ulcers are more likely during times of stress, but any lasting more than three weeks should be checked out.’

Patches on your tongue