In the body’s hierarchy, the body will make sure the most needed organs are supplied before turning its attention to other matters. Soft tissues in the mouth, which are not key, get whatever is left, which is often not enough. This explains why the lack of certain nutrients shows up first in the mouth, sometimes long before other symptoms lead to a blood test or a doctor’s visit.
Dentists and dental hygienists sometimes spot nutritional problems that aren’t so obvious elsewhere in the body.
The tongue, for example, can become smooth and shiny when the tiny papillae that give it a normal texture all disappear. This atrophy is a clinically distinctive presentation of an iron deficiency in the mouth and isn’t always easy to dismiss as a simple oral health issue. Angular cheilitis – cracking and inflammation of the corners of the lips – is commonly dismissed as a minor irritation and not as the sign it is of investigating underlying nutritional deficiencies. For a Dentist Bournemouth, visit https://gentledentistry.co.uk/
Meanwhile, a vitamin B12 deficiency can manifest with clear changes in the tongue, including a burning or painful sensation in the mouth. These are often dismissed as a dental explanation, other than by the most astute patients. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to check B12 levels for patients with mouth pain and a smooth tongue with no identifiable dental cause.
The gums can also be vulnerable to vitamin deficiencies, with rare severe forms presenting in the historical records and more common milder forms manifesting as a lack of health in the gums. Specifically, gums might bleed or appear swollen or fragile, suggesting a more generalised problem due to lack of vitamin C in the diet, rather than a local gum problem due to inadequate oral hygiene.