Diabetes

Diabetes has become an epidemic in America.  It can be associated with improper nutrition, inactivity and our cultural tendency to being overweight. It is estimated that over 20 million adults and children in the U. S. have diabetes with one-third of them being unaware of their illness.

Can gum disease help cause diabetes?

It is estimated that about three-quarter of adults over 35 have some degree of periodontal disease.  Some of the warning signs of periodontitis or gum disease include red or swollen gums, bleeding when brushing, gum tenderness, or even bad breath. 

Current research is finding that periodontitis may be a factor in causing diabetes.  Periodontitis is caused by the bacteria that live in the mouth.  Over time this bacteria irritates the gums and can cause an infection.  It then begins to infect the actual bone surrounding the teeth, causing the bone to deteriorate or “melt” away.  This loosens the foundation which holds our teeth securely and is the major cause of tooth loss in adults.

The large numbers of these bacteria found in active periodontitis permit some of these bacteria to escape into the blood stream.  Just as they do in the gums, the bacteria cause inflammation in other organs of the body and contributes to the onset of diabetes.

If I have diabetes, can it affect my dental health?

Diabetes is a disorder of our body’s metabolism – how it uses food for growth and energy.   Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, which is the main fuel for our cells.  Insulin is the hormone our body produces to help the glucose get into the cells.

With diabetes, this system is interrupted.  In type I diabetes (5 – 10% of all diabetes conditions) the pancreas, which produces the insulin, quits making sufficient insulin so, even though they are surrounded by glucose, the cells can’t ingest it.  In type II diabetes (90 – 95% of all diabetes conditions) there is a change which causes the cells to not respond to the insulin so the glucose, the body’s main fuel source, goes unused.

The result is that the cells become weakened from inadequate fuel which reduces the body’s resistance to infection.  The gums are among the tissues likely to be affected.  Patients with diabetes who have inadequate control of their blood sugar levels tend to develop periodontal disease more often and more severely (and lose more teeth) than persons who have good control of their diabetes.

The most common oral health problems associated with diabetes are:

What can I do to avoid oral health problems associated with diabetes?

The remedy for reducing the possibility of diabetes caused by periodontitis as well as minimizing the affect of dental health problems due to diabetes are the same:  proper preventive dental care.  This includes:

Brush your teeth at least twice a day to remove plaque and limiting bacteria growth using a fluoride toothpaste. Floss your teeth at least once a day to remove the food particles and plaque between teeth. Visit our office twice a year (each six months) for professional hygiene cleaning and a thorough dental exam to catch potential dental problems before they become extensive and expensive to correct. Cut down on sugary or refined snacks or drinks so the sweet-toothed bacteria have less to feed on.

If you have any questions regarding your dental health and how it can affect or be affected by your overall health, please call Lindy, our scheduling coordinator, for a visit or click here to request an appointment.  We want you and each of our patients to enjoy a lifetime of dental health so you can truly discover “The Power of your Smile”.