Your dental team knows a lot about you. And we’re not just talking about how many fillings you have! We can tell much more about you than you might think just from looking at your teeth. Psychic superpower? It might seem like it sometimes!

1. If You Have Reflux

It may surprise you, but your dental team may be the first medical professionals to notice your reflux! Many patients don’t recognize the symptoms of reflux, or only experience it at night while they’re asleep. However, acid erosion on your teeth and certain patterns of gum recession tell us all we need to know. Likewise, your dental team can usually tell if you suffer with eating disorders like bulimia. The good news is that recognizing the damage to your oral health is a great first step toward treatment.

2. If You Bite Your Nails or Grind Your Teeth

Feeling anxious or stressed lately? Many people have unconscious habits to help themselves cope with these issues, many of which manifest in your teeth. Nail biting can cause wear on the front teeth, leading to blunted and chipped edges as well as thinning of the enamel resulting in a translucent or gray tone near the biting edge. Grinding and clenching can not only wear down your teeth, but also cause chips, cracks, fractures, and even gum recession and loose teeth. If we notice these signs, we may recommend interventions like a night guard to help protect your teeth or medications to help relax your jaw muscles.

3. Whether You’re Right or Left-Handed

Not only can we frequently tell which is your dominant hand, but sometimes we can even tell which side you sleep on. This one requires a little Sherlock Holmes action on our part, but it’s true! People usually only brush with their dominant hand, which is frequently a bit easier on the opposite side of the mouth. You may develop more plaque on one side, and your gums may show signs of overbrushing more on one side than the other.

Similarly, if you’re a side- or belly-sleeper, we can usually tell which side you prefer. Saliva will follow gravity to pool in the lower cheek, meaning the gums and teeth on the upper side may show signs of chronic dryness. If you get night-time reflux, the acid erosion and damage to your gums and soft tissue will usually be worse where that stomach acid pools as well.

4. If You Have Vitamin Deficiencies

There are so many aspects of oral health related to nutrition. In fact, some deficiencies such as vitamin C can be a direct cause of gum disease and vitamin D deficiencies can affect the bones that support your teeth. If you’re lacking certain B vitamins you may develop sores in the corners of your mouth called angular cheilitis. Burning mouth syndrome, oral ulcers, bleeding gums, and severe inflammation can all point to specific nutrient deficiencies. We can also sometimes tell if you have mild food sensitivities. For example, patients who develop frequent canker sores may be sensitive to acids in citrus or spicy foods.

On a related note, the state of your teeth can also give a lot away about what you do eat and drink. For example, swigging apple cider vinegar or lemon water has made the rounds as a healthy supplement. However, we see a ton of acid erosion from these purported healthy fads. We can also tell if your kid prefers Gatorade at soccer practice instead of plain water, and whether you’re snacking on sweet treats at work!

5. Whether You Have Other Conditions, Smoke, or Use Alcohol Regularly

This one might seem like a gimme. We can tell you’re a smoker just by the smell of your breath, right? We’ll admit, aroma does have a lot to do with it. What may surprise you is that the smell of your breath can also tell us a lot about other systemic issues including untreated diabetes, reflux, and even kidney conditions. Your oral health can have a lot to do with whole body wellness!

When it comes to smoking and alcohol use, the signs go beyond odor. Your gums and soft tissues will suffer from overdoing it with any kind of substance use, including vape, chew, dip, and so on. Stains, gum recession, discolored patches on your hard palate and cheeks—the list is long. (And yes, we can frequently even tell what you’re smoking, although we usually won’t mention it unless you ask.)

6. If You Have Oral Cancer or Certain STIs

One of the key parts of your routine oral health check is an oral cancer screening. Thoroughly checking your lips, cheeks, tongue, throat, and palate is an easy way for us to protect you from many forms of cancer. We also try to keep an eye on your face, neck, and ears so we can send you to a dermatologist if needed. What many people may not know is that certain Sexually Transmitted Infections also manifest in the mouth. HPV is the most common, but not only, STI we check for during these screenings.

7. If You Suffer with Sinus Problems

Sinus problems are no fun. If you’re stuffy more often than not, you probably show signs of dry mouth, gum irritation, and possibly even more frequent cavities as a result. Sinus infections can also cause terrible headaches, but did you know they can cause tooth aches as well? We have gotten more than one emergency call from people convinced they need root canal therapy on an upper molar, only to find out it’s pressure from a sinus infection! But we don’t mind answering these calls at all. We just want to get you out of pain as fast as possible.

8. If You Lied About Flossing

Yep, we can tell. Even if you decided to panic and floss “extra” for the day or two before your appointment. A couple of days of flossing right before you see your dental team just won’t cut it, unfortunately. In fact, because your gums are already irritated from plaque, panic flossing can just irritate them further. When patients have tried to cover up with last-minute flossing, they arrive with red, angry-looking gums and sometimes even small cuts from being too aggressive! We know it’s a pain, but getting a little floss in there even a few times each week between visits really will make all the difference.

While we pride ourselves on being thorough during your oral health screenings, we’re not actually psychic. So please help us out and fill us in about any concerns you have. Also please do be honest when we ask you about any “bad” habits you may have like tobacco or drug use, as these habits can be very important when it comes to getting an accurate picture of your oral health! Our powers of perception tell us great teeth will help you keep smiling, Orlando!