Your daily habits, both the good and the bad leave clues on your body. If you exercise and eat well, a leaner physique is the clue it leaves behind, if you don’t sleep well, there might be dark circles around your eyes.

Since I lack the creativity of a mystery novelist, I get my kick from tracking the clues left by the habits of my patients.

Here are 5 clues left on the teeth from daily habits:

1. Brown discoloration of the teeth: Tells me you indulge in one of 2 drugs – tobacco or coffee.

2. Shaved off molar teeth: Tells me you are a teeth grinder, maybe some stress or anxiety issues lurking within?

3. Protruding upper front teeth: Maybe you sucked your thumb as a child or never got fitted for a well deserved retainer or braces.

4. Cavities: Tells me you might be having one candy too many or you might be pregnant.

What does pregnancy have to do with cavities?

Fetuses and babies are not known for being benevolent. They take up everything you have.  It’s gimme, gimme all the way.  So if you are pregnant and want to keep your teeth, eat calcium rich foods like fish or cheese or use supplemental vitamins (prenatal vitamins).

5. Gap teeth: a~la Madonna and Michael Strahan. I hope you did not fall for this one, no habits to uncover for gap teeth.  It is a normal variant.

About the author

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Dr. Bola

Family physician. Works for the "man" by day, wife & mom 24/7.
Loves the work of translating "medicalese" to plain english.

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