We live in a culture that loves a quick fix. If we have a headache, we reach for a pill. If we feel run down, we power through with another cup of coffee or tell ourselves we just need a good night’s sleep. We tend to view our bodies as separate machines—compartmentalized systems where a glitch in one area stays neatly contained right there.
Except, it doesn’t.
Our bodies are remarkably interconnected, whispering warnings long before they start shouting. But the question is – are we actually listening?
While sitting in the dental chair for a standard cleaning during the most stressful period of my life so far (I’m looking at you, 2024), I learned a few critical things I’d like to share with you all today that have helped me better understand how my health is really doing.
Our Gums Tell a Story
Beyond the status of our dental hygiene, our gum health is an indicator of how other aspects of our body are doing!
As I adorned my very Terminator-esque sunglasses and was tilted back in the dental chair to begin, my hygienist let out a long whistle.
“Girl, what is happening in your life right now? Your gums are SO inflamed, you’re in for it this time,” she said.
I was taken aback; I’d not once ever heard this sentiment before and had lived with MS for 10 years at that point. Seeing as she had her hands in my mouth, I didn’t reply, but I quickly learned what she meant by “in for it.” It was singlehandedly the most painful dental cleaning of my life, all because of my inflamed gums caused by deep, deep stress.
Turns out, when I’m experiencing higher amounts of stress, my gums get significantly more inflamed and I experience a very light case of oral thrush. I can feel this onset way before it becomes a full-blown problem, as it tends to feel like I burned my mouth when eating something hot, regardless of whether or not I recently had. Being immunocompromised thanks to Ocrevus, this is 0% surprising to me, but it was a staggering reminder of how emotional stress physically anchors itself into our tissue.
I listened to my hygienist that day (yes, really) and took her advice to heart, switching up my routine:
- I got serious about flossing.
- I ordered the recommended mouthwash after I finished the free sample she sent me home with—Therabreath.
The Whispers before the Roar
The point of this story is not to encourage you to start actually flossing (though seriously, ya should).
I’m here to share with you that there are SO many indicators from our body when it’s trying to tell us something. At this time, I was embarking on a journey of major life events while also managing severe Diplopia and Optic Neuritis all at once—this was the same day I could barely drive home. My nervous system was waving red flags left and right, and my gums were just one of the messengers.
We often miss these signs because we are conditioned to override them. We normalize being chronically overwhelmed. We accept exhaustion, tension headaches, digestive flare-ups, and sudden skin breakouts as the “cost of doing business” in a fast-paced world. I’m here to remind you that you are on this planet to live, not to grind.
Tuning back in
Learning to read your body’s subtle language takes practice. It requires shifting from a mindset of fighting your body when it acts up to curiously listening to what it needs.
- Notice the patterns: Does your jaw lock when a certain project ramps up? Do your digestion or energy levels plummet when certain boundaries are crossed?
- Pause before you push: When physical quirks pop up—like inexplicable fatigue, sudden sensitivity, or stubborn inflammation. Ask yourself what has been quietly building beneath the surface?
- Give grace to the process: Listening to your body doesn’t mean you can prevent every hurdle, but it does mean you don’t have to be caught completely off guard when things get heavy.
Our bodies are constantly fighting for our equilibrium, translating our stress, our grief, and our joy into physical reality. The next time yours tries to tell you something—whether it’s through a routine dental visit or a sudden wave of fatigue—take a moment to pause and ask the big question.
What is it trying to tell you?
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