Lyme disease can cause serious problems for both your oral and overall health. It’s contracted from bacteria passed on through a bite from a blacklegged tick (also known as a deer tick) that was infected after feeding on an infected deer, bird or mouse. Some ticks are so tiny — about the size of a poppy seed — that you may get bitten and not even realize it.

Early signs of Lyme disease can potentially be detected in your mouth. As a result, your dentist may be the first person to recognize symptoms, including:

The majority of people with Lyme disease (70-80%) develop a rash at the site of the tick bite, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This rash can develop as early as three days or as late as 30 days after being bitten. The rash may get bigger over time and take on the appearance of a target or bull’s-eye.

You may experience fever, chills, fatigue, achy joints, headaches and additional health issues. Other potential symptoms — including arthritis, mental fogginess and numbness in the limbs — can become more serious the longer the disease goes untreated.

While ticks are active all year, they can be especially troublesome during warmer weather and in the Northeast and North Central parts of the U.S. Try to avoid grassy, brushy or wooded areas, but if you do venture in or near them: