Diabetes Gum Disease? Look after Your Teeth and Gums!

Diabetes gum disease becoming an increasing problem in the United States and figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show 29.1 million people have diabetes, which is an astonishing 9.3% of the population. Out of this figure around 8.1 million people are undiagnosed.

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes then you’ll probably already be aware of the way it can affect your general health and the necessity to take care of yourself and to try to control your glucose levels as well as possible. But do you know how it can affect your oral health? In fact taking care of your teeth and gums should be an important part of controlling diabetes gum disease and may help prevent this condition from worsening.

What Does Diabetes Gum Disease Have to Do with My Dental Health?

Diabetes and diabetes gum disease are closely linked and this is at least in part due to the way they are both inflammatory conditions. Gum disease is caused by bacteria in the mouth infecting the gums, and this prompts the body to try to fight back which results in the gums becoming inflamed. As the condition worsens the gums begin to bleed, enabling bacteria to get into the bloodstream and from there they can create new sites of inflammation around the body. It’s thought this inflammatory response can create a number of problems for diabetics.

For a start, it can make it more difficult to control glucose levels which could lead to this disease worsening. At the same time, higher glucose levels can mean more glucose will be present in the saliva, fuelling the bacteria that cause gum disease. Diabetics also find it harder to heal as the condition can cause the blood vessels to become narrower which makes it more difficult for the body to transport essential nutrients to the gums, and to carry waste products away.

Good Dental Care Can Help a Lot

Fortunately good dental care can help a lot in reducing the risk of your diabetes affecting your oral health and vice versa. You’ll find Dr. Navid Rahmani at Manhattan Periodontics & Implant Surgery can provide you with customized preventative dental care to help reduce your risk of developing gum disease, or to manage any symptoms of periodontal disease. For anyone with diabetes gum disease this might mean more frequent trips to the dentist for regular checks and preventative care in the form of professional cleanings.

Reducing Your Risk with Regular Checkups and Professional Cleanings

Regular checkups will enable Dr. Rahmani to assess the condition of your gums and to detect any early symptoms that may require treatment. Early gum disease can often be cured completely, but advanced gum disease or periodontal disease is a different matter. Although it might not be possible to cure it completely, proper dental care can help keep it under control, minimizing the damage to your teeth, gums and general health.

Professional cleanings are very important as these help remove hardened tartar that contains disease-causing bacteria from your teeth. If necessary your gums can be deep cleaned at regular intervals using the latest laser gum treatments. Diabetes can be a life changing condition, but good quality dental care can help minimize its impact.

 

In: General Periodontal Topics | Gum Disease

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