Oral hygiene is important to maintain healthy teeth, gums and mouth. While some of us are quite diligent about it, others don’t give it that much importance. If you fall into the latter category, you might have faced dental problems at one point or another. These may manifest as cavities or other symptoms such as dry mouth and cracked lips. Although these issues may seem minor, we often ignore them. However, you will be surprised to know that your mouth can reveal many hidden secrets about your health. Recently, dietitian Manpreet Kalra took to Instagram to share five things our mouths can indicate about our health.
Also read: Expert Talk: Foods to Avoid and Other Dietary Practices for Good Oral Health
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Oral Health: Here are 5 things your mouth can tell you about your health:
1. Bleeding gums
Have your gums been bleeding a lot lately? According to Manpreet, this could be a sign of Vitamin C deficiency. When you don’t have enough vitamin C in your diet, your gums can become inflamed, resulting in bleeding. To avoid this, she recommends enriching your diet with vitamin C-rich fruits like oranges, kiwi and lemon.
2. bad smell
Most of us believe that bad breath is the result of improper oral hygiene. While this certainly contributes to odor, it can also indicate underlying health problems. Nutritionists say that if there is toxicity in your body, bad smell may also occur. You can prevent this by eating detoxifying foods like leafy vegetables, garlic and turmeric.
3. White coating on tongue
Another common oral problem is white coating on the tongue. If you’ve been noticing this for a while, it could be your body’s way of signaling a health problem. Manpreet says that white layer on the tongue can be a sign of overwork of the liver. She recommends tackling this problem by making a liver detoxifying smoothie containing cucumber, apple, mint leaves, and more.
4. Dry lips
Soft and plump lips are something that we all desire. However, its opposite – dry and cracked lips – can be our worst nightmare. While dry lips are usually caused by dehydration or weather conditions, they can also indicate a more serious problem. According to Manpreet, dry lips can be caused by deficiency of Omega-3. To prevent this, she suggests drinking chia seed water every day around 11 a.m.
5. Dry mouth
Dry mouth is a condition in which there is not enough saliva in your mouth to keep it moist. While inadequate water intake is the main cause, it can also be due to imbalance in sugar levels. Yes, you heard that right. Nutritionists recommend starting your day with fenugreek seed tea to prevent dry mouth, as fenugreek is great for keeping blood sugar levels under control.
Also read: Got a dental filling? 5 Foods You Should Avoid to Recover Easily
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Are you experiencing any of these signs? If so, make sure you take the right steps to avoid developing a more serious health problem.
