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5 Things Your Dentist in Murphy Knows by Looking in Your Mouth

January 20, 2019

Filed under: Uncategorized — drnguyen @ 9:36 pm

woman open mouth dentist

You know you’ve found a good dentist in Murphy when they want to get to know you during your appointments. They ask questions about your life and your family. But did you know that there are things that the dentist can tell about you simply by looking in your mouth? It’s true. Your mouth gives away clues about your habits and your health. Check out these 5 traits that the dentist can easily know about you by conducting an oral exam.

You Don’t Floss Regularly

Do you think that you can to floss until right before your dental appointment and make them think you floss every day? Well, you can’t. Healthy gums that are used to being flossed regularly are pink and firm. In mouths that are not flossed routinely, gums can bleed or appear slightly damaged from infrequent flossing. Don’t try to fool the dentist. Your gums don’t lie.

You Bite Your Nails

Your teeth are strong, but they can show the wear and tear you subject them to. If you bite your nails with your front teeth, they can get chips or cracks or become flat at the edge. It isn’t the nails that cause damage to your teeth but the contact and the stress between the top and bottom teeth.

You Used to Suck Your Thumb

For patients who sucked their thumb over age seven or eight, thumb sucking can have lasting effects. Although orthodontic care can address most of them, some signs can still remain. For example, the front teeth can protrude. The dentist also may be able to tell either by the way the jaw has developed or by speech.

You Have Oral Cancer

At every six-month appointment, your dentist conducts an oral cancer screening, in which they visually check all areas of your mouth for symptoms like unexplained bleeding, white or red patches, swelling, lumps, or bumps, just to name a few. By attending your dental visit twice a year, you ensure that you can catch oral cancer early, increasing your chances of successfully overcoming the disease.

You Have a Health Condition

In many cases, the mouth is a window to the body and displays symptoms that indicate more serious medical conditions. These conditions include diabetes, kidney or liver failure, and reflux. Sometimes, dentists can even tell you have a medical condition based on the smell of your breath!

Many times, dentists are the first to ask patients about potential eating disorders because there is a very distinct pattern of tooth wear from bulimia that can cause cavities on front teeth. Dentists can also detect a deficiency in vitamins and minerals, which can cause oral conditions.

Your dentist uses the signs that your mouth exhibits to help you get the treatment you need—whether medical or dental. As you consistently see your dentist every six months, they will be able to monitor your oral health and help you stay on track. Finding the right dentist who cares about you as a whole person, not just a mouth, can give you a partner in your health for years to come.

About the Practice

Dr. Masoud Najari and Dr. Jacquie Nguyen and the staff at Murphy Family Dentistry are dedicated to serving each patient according their own unique dental needs. From orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry to dental implants and other restorations, they can provide the care you need to keep your smile happy and healthy. To contact them for an appointment, you can call (972) 516-2928 or click here.

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