The eyes may be the window to the soul, but the mouth provides an even better view of the body as a whole.

Some of the earliest signs of diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, immune disorders, hormone imbalance and drug issues show up in the gums, teeth, and tongue- sometimes long before a patient knows anything is wrong.

There is also growing evidence that oral health problems can harm a patient’s general health as well, raising the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, pneumonia and pregnancy complications. www.wsj.com