We Can Tell if You Have Some Specific Digestive Issues During Your Regular Exams
Posted on 9/21/2021 by Neil Starr DDS PC
If you suffer from digestive issues, we may be able to tell what is going on just by looking at your mouth. Your teeth play an integral role in starting the digestive process by chewing up your food. However, a gastrointestinal disorder can also affect your teeth and mouth. From our perspective, peering into your mouth, your oral health may shed light on your specific digestive issue.
Heartburn and Your Teeth
Heartburn, or gastroesophageal reflex disease, causes people to experience an uncomfortable burning and their chest or an acute bad taste in their mouth after eating. Heartburn causes acids in your stomach to enter your mouth. These acids can erode your tooth enamel, the outer layer of your teeth. If your enamel is eroding and you have good oral hygiene otherwise, we may suspect you suffer from heartburn. In addition, we can suggest oral rinses or fluoride treatments to help your enamel stay strong.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Symptoms May Be Obvious in Your Mouth
If you have inflammatory bowel disease or IBD, we may be able to identify several signs and symptoms in your mouth. For instance, if you have mouth sores, infections or bleeding, or swollen gums, we may suspect you have an inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are common inflammatory bowel diseases. Prescription medications to help these diseases may cause problems in your mouth.
Peptic Ulcers Can Affect Your Teeth
If you have peptic ulcers, the medication to treat your ulcers may negatively affect your dental health. We may notice you have a dry mouth, and you may even have a black tongue. Specific digestive issues, like peptic ulcers, may affect your mouth in other ways as well.
Give us a Call
If you think you may have side effects from a digestive issue, give our office a call. We can help you take proactive measures to help your oral health.
Dentist DC • Neil Starr, DDS, PC • Dental Blog Dr. Starr is offering this educational blog as a resource to our patients. Our hope is hope that our blog will cover subjects that you may be interested in. Neil L. Starr, DDS, PC, 1234 19th St NW #306, Washington, DC 20036 ^ (202) 293-7177 ^ starrteeth.com ^ 6/10/2023 ^ Page Phrases: dental implants DC ^
If you suffer from digestive issues, we may be able to tell what is going on just by looking at your mouth. Your teeth play an integral role in starting the digestive process by chewing up your food. However, a gastrointestinal disorder can also affect your teeth and mouth. From our perspective, peering into your mouth, your oral health may shed light on your specific digestive issue.
