The Nourished Smile:
Visible Signs of Good Health vs. Clues of Coming Health Concerns
© 2025 Health Realizations, Inc.

A healthy, bright smile isn’t just a way to look you best; it is also important for feeling your best. When your mouth and teeth are healthy, it is an indication that you have been receiving proper nutrition and that you are taking good care of your dental health and hygiene. But what you might not know is that when you are taking care of your smile, you are also taking care of your whole body. Numerous health problems and diseases -- such as heart disease, diabetes and inflammatory infections throughout your body --have been linked to poor dental health.

When you take the steps to make sure you are eating well and protecting the integrity of your smile, you are making an important commitment to your overall physical health and well-being.

Warning Signs That Health Problems Could Result from Your Dental Health

Your teeth and mouth can often give you valuable information about what is happening elsewhere in your body. If you pay attention to your dental health, you can see warning signs that your body may be having problems or distress in other areas or systems. Here are some oral conditions that may be pointing to, contributing to, or even causing additional health problems:

• Red, swollen or bleeding gums - this is a sign of gum disease. If you have gum disease, it can lead to heart disease or diabetes. If left untreated, bacteria could travel to other areas of your body and cause inflammation or infection.

• Pale or whitish gums - If your gums are a very light pink or nearly white in color, that is a warning sign of anemia. Anemia is a condition where your body is not producing enough red blood cells or the ones that you do have don't have enough hemoglobin. The blood appears less "red" than normal, making your gum tissue paler.

• Chronically dry mouth - if your tongue and mouth feel dry all the time, you could have Sjorgren's Syndrome, an immune disorder. As a side effect of dry mouth, you could also develop worsening tooth decay because saliva helps to protect your teeth and gums from bacteria.

• Broken teeth, ground down teeth, or dark lines along gum lines – these are all signals that you could have bruxism, or the habit of clenching or grinding your teeth. You may not know that you are doing it, as some people only do it at night while sleeping. This is a sign of high stress levels that you may not even be aware of. Grinding teeth can lead to severe tooth damage on its own, but the stress that is causing you to grind your teeth is the true health issue. Stress releases cortisol, a hormone that can increase tooth decay and put strain on all of your body's systems when in excess. Uncontrolled stress can tax your immune system, affect your sleep, mental health, blood pressure, digestive health, and more.

• Tooth loss - if you have loose teeth or have lost teeth, it could be a sign of severe nutritional deficiencies and/or loss or damage of the jaw bone. Though this can happen from severe gum disease, it can also happen from osteoporosis.

• Eroded tooth enamel - if you have lost the enamel on your teeth, it is a possible sign of an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. In particular, bulimics, who purge (vomit) after eating, will often also have swollen tissues around the mouth, the throat, or a swollen tongue and will have noticeably bad breath.

Signs of Good Dental Health

So how do you know that you have a good, healthy smile? A healthy mouth and smile looks like this:

• Gums are pink and not swollen or pulled away from your teeth

• You have no pain, swelling, sensitivity or other discomfort anywhere in your mouth

• Your teeth are white and bright, without stains, plaque, cracks or spots

• There are no discolored, rough, or unusual areas of skin on your tongue, inside your cheeks, on the roof of your mouth or anywhere else inside your mouth

• Your teeth meet when your mouth is closed and you can chew your food well and without discomfort or difficulty

• You have no cavities or other decay on your teeth

The best chances you have for maintaining a healthy mouth and smile are to follow the guidance of your dentist and dental hygienist in taking care of your teeth every day. The American Dental Association recommends following these steps to maintain good oral hygiene:

• Brush your teeth thoroughly every day

• Replace your toothbrush as soon as the bristles appear frayed, a minimum of once every three to four months

• Clean between your teeth every day with dental floss or an interdental cleaner to remove bacteria that brushing doesn't reach

• Eat a balanced, nutritious diet

• Limit your snacking between meals

• Visit your dentist or dental hygienist regularly for a professional oral exam and thorough cleaning of your teeth

You can increase your chances for maintaining healthy teeth, gums, bones, and general oral health by learning more about how nutrition can impact your dental health.

The Importance of Nutrition for Your Smile and Your Body

Without proper nutrition, your body’s systems cannot function properly and, in many cases, will develop dysfunction or disease. This is true for your body as well as your smile and your general oral health. To maintain the best overall health and oral health that you can, it's important to know how certain foods affect your body and your mouth.

While sugary foods contain carbohydrates, the energy your body needs, they can also lead to increased plaque and tooth decay. Carbohydrates are a natural component in certain healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, so limiting carbs entirely should not be the goal. Instead, limit sugar-added foods and snacks.

A balanced diet helps your body fight off infection - and that applies to your mouth as well. If you don't have proper nutrition in your diet, your mouth’s tissues may be more susceptible to infection. In fact, some researchers believe that people who have periodontal (gum) disease will experience much faster progression of the disease if they eat high amounts of sugar.

To eat a balanced diet, make sure you choose mostly unprocessed, whole foods like vegetables, lean meats, dairy products, nuts and beans.

Benefits of Calcium

Having enough calcium is a vital component of both dental and overall health. Calcium helps keep bones, teeth, and even the blood strong and healthy. In fact, the white blood cells of your immune system, which fight off infection, are made in the bone marrow. So getting enough calcium is essential for healthy bone and immune system function. Some doctors even report that calcium can bring down fevers in children who are teething, as the added calcium helps teeth break through the gum surface and the fever then recedes. Since calcium cannot be created by your body, it has to be absorbed from the food you eat or taken through supplements.

Calcium - Which Kind to Take?

The best source of calcium is through your food, which provides you with other nutrients that help your body to absorb the calcium. Dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables and bones in canned sardines and wild-caught salmon are good sources of dietary calcium. But if you need to supplement your calcium, there are several kinds of calcium supplements available. What you need to look for is the level of elemental calcium, or pure calcium, that is included in the supplement. Elemental calcium is combined with other elements into compounds sold as calcium supplements, such as:

• Calcium citrate combines citric acids from fruits with calcium. This calcium supplement normally has the highest levels of elemental calcium and doesn't use ingredients that may contain toxins, such as lead.

• Calcium carbonate comes from mining sources in the earth and is the cheapest and most common form of calcium to take. In a 500-milligram supplement, only 200 milligrams will be elemental calcium. There may also be ingredients like dolomite, bone meal or oyster shell, which can contain lead.

• Calcium phosphate, calcium lactate, and calcium gluconate are all available as well, by they have very small amounts of elemental calcium and will require you to take a much higher quantity to get the necessary elemental calcium.

• Talk to your health care professional before starting a calcium supplement so that you get the best source of calcium for your needs.

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Sources

University of Arizona, Calcium: A Simple Guide

University of Arizona, Calcium Supplement Guidelines

University of Arizona, Eating for Two – A Healthy Pregnancy Starts with a Healthy Diet

University of Arizona, Calcium and Calorie Content of Selected Foods

University of Arizona, Calcium intake, physical activity, and bone mineral status in children and youth aged ten to fifteen years

University of Arizona, Nutrients and Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women

University of Arizona, Cellular Architecture Regulates Collective Calcium Signaling and Cell Contractility

Health Freedom Resources

Livestrong.com

WebMD.com

SeleneRiverPress.com Milk and Honey: Nutrition News from Selene River Press Volume 3, Number 1