About 37.3 million Americans have diabetes. Of this population, 25% are unaware they have diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that progresses over time in which your body slowly loses its ability to process sugar.
What causes diabetes?
Insulin is a metabolic hormone responsible for breaking down sugars in foods into energy. In diabetes, this lack of insulin leaves a person with uncontrolled blood sugar since the body is unable to control and make use of the available sugar.
How does any of this relate to dental hygiene?
Diabetes affects the person’s health and all their organs. In terms of dental health, teeth, and gums, diabetic patients are highly exposed to the damaging effects of consistently high blood sugar levels.
Why do diabetics run a greater risk of dental problems?
Dental problems occur more in those cases where the diabetes is not well managed.
The main reason for this being low immunity. The first line of defense against infection is white blood cells, with which severe hyperglycemia has an overwhelming and debilitating effect so as to render them useless in the fight against infection. This therefore makes the patient more prone to oral bacterial infections. Hence, dental problems in the teeth and gums are indeed very likely for diabetic patients whose levels of blood sugar are not properly managed.
What dental issues can be associated with diabetes?
Following are some dental problems that often tag along with diabetes:
Dental decay
When foods containing sugar and starch are consumed, plaque is formed because the bacteria in the mouth react with these ingredients to form a sticky film. This plaque can attack the enamel and dentin in our teeth and lead to tooth decay and gum disease. The higher the blood sugar of a patient, the more plaque they have a chance of developing.
Gingivitis and Periodontal Disease
The longer plaque remains in your teeth, the more it irritates and inflames the gingiva. At this stage, formation of plaque and inflammation of the gingiva produce gingivitis. If gingivitis is left untreated, it may result in periodontal disease, which eventually loosens your teeth and makes them fall out.
Poor Wound Healing
Diabetes and age influence the healing time of a wound; thus, if diabetes is uncontrolled, this might further bring about the risk of infection following dental procedures or oral surgery. However, in most patients who maintain good management of their diabetes, postoperative complications are similar to those without diabetes.
Also Read: 7 Tips for Affordable Dental Care
Dry Mouth
Uncontrolled diabetes may reduce saliva, leading to dry mouth or xerostomia. Drugs used in diabetes treatment can also lead to dry mouth. Dry mouth leads to dental problems such as A fungus in the mouth and on the tongue is what causes, thus, an infection.
Thrush
Diabestes can cause thrush in the mouth. Individuals with diabetes who take antibiotics frequently are more prone to developing thrush. The fungus is present everywhere and particularly flourishes when there is a high glucose environment, such as in saliva when one has uncontrolled diabetes. Wearing dentures may also result in an oral fungal infection.
Burning Mouth Syndrome
Thrown in with thrush and dry mouth, a person can develop burning mouth syndrome, which causes the person to feel burning sensations in the soft tissues of their mouth.
Change in Taste
Diabetes and age can cause a change in, or even loss of taste. If you notice a bad taste in your mouth that doesn’t go away, talk with your doctor or dentist.
How Can Diabetics Prevent Dental Problems?
The good news is that with a little teamwork on the part of your dentist and some do-it-yourself care at home, diabetic patients can reduce their chance of dental problems.
Conclusion
Diabetes can wreck havoc on most organs in a human body; if you are diabetic, don’t forget to tell your dentist! If you notice any changes in your mouth, we encourage you to call your dentist right away, since diabetics are at a higher risk of disorders that could affect their oral health. If you have questions regarding how diabetes can affect your oral health, we invite you to make an appointment in the calming environment of Jarrell Dental Care, which will surely relax and soothe you as our gentle staff treats you appropriately. For a nice and peaceful dental visit, call us today.