It is recommended that you see your dentist every six months for a cleaning and examination. This appointment is for a lot more than just checking for cavities and polishing your teeth. Your dentist will be able to examine you for a few potential health conditions as well. Here are some of those health conditions the dentist will be looking for. 

Oral Cancer

Your dentist will be looking out for red or white lesions, odd texture changes on soft tissue, bleeding, and mouth sores. These are all signs that you have a form of oral cancer. Early diagnosis can result in a successful treatment, which is a good reason to have regular examinations by a dentist. 

Oral Infection

There is also the potential to have an oral infection that has swelling, drainage, discomfort, and redness. The area that is infected may feel warmer than the rest of your mouth as well. Antibiotics can be used to treat this infection and prevent it from spreading to other parts of your body. The goal will be to prevent it from getting into the bloodstream where it can affect your heart. 

Bulimia

It will be tough to hide an eating disorder from a dentist when they are looking at your teeth. That is due to the damage that this condition can cause to your teeth over a period of time. You'll be likely to have signs of eroded enamel, dry mouth, and gingival bleeding. All the gastric acid from vomiting is the main cause of these problems as it causes soft tissues in your mouth to become inflamed and eat away at the enamel on your teeth. 

Diabetes

You may not be aware that there are many symptoms of diabetes that can be discovered when performing an oral examination. Your dentist may notice that you have an issue with dry mouth where your body is struggling to produce enough saliva to wash over your teeth. In some situations, you can even have loose teeth due to gum problems. 

People with diabetes are known to have gums that bleed, recede, and have a dry appearance. It can also cause your body to struggle with healing wounds. This leads to more problems with gum inflammation and infections since they do not easily clear up on their own. 

If you dentist notices these things during the exam, they'll advise you to visit a doctor to be formally assessed.