Chronic disease red flags can manifest as bleeding or puffy gums, sensitive or yellowed teeth, foul-smelling breath or a discolored tongue. Below, dentists have revealed everything your teeth, gums, breath and tongue could signal about your overall health. Consistently high blood sugar in diabetes weakens white blood cells, which makes them less effective in fighting bacteria in the mouth. Dubbed fetor hepaticus, which translates to 'fetid liver' or 'liver stench,' this type of breath is a sign of liver impairment. 'The Romans called musty, sulfurous liver-related breath the “breath of the dead,” because fetor hepaticus indicates the liver is failing to filter toxins from the blood,' Hoss told the Daily Mail.

Source: Daily Mail April 05, 2026 16:28 UTC