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Daily Care

People with diabetes are more prone to gum disease and dental infections.

Causes of gum disease and dental infections:

• When your blood glucose is high, you have a higher level of glucose in your mouth fluids (saliva). This glucose "feeds" the bacteria and yeast in your mouth that can cause infection and damage to your gums.
• High blood glucose over time can damage your circulation, so that the blood vessels cannot supply your mouth with adequate oxygen and nutrients. The poor circulation can further damage your gums, and coupled with high blood glucose, cause delay in healing.
• If you have a cavity, the delayed healing due to high glucose can make you more prone to abscesses.
• With diabetes, you can develop a form of autonomic neuropathy (damage to the nerves) that can affect the nerves, which control saliva production in your mouth; in this situation, you could develop a condition called "dry mouth", which further increases your risk for cavities and mouth infections.
• Gum disease (also called periodontal disease) develops when bacteria grows in the space between your gums and teeth. First, the teeth become covered by a thin film called plaque; as the disease progresses to periodontitis, a harder material, called tartar, sticks to the teeth, and between the teeth and gums. As the disease progresses, gums can recede and bone can erode, causing bone and tooth loss.
• With any dental pain or infection, you may not be able to chew or eat normally. This makes it difficult to maintain diabetes control, which further complicates the dental problem.

How to prevent dental problems:

• Needless to say, you have to be extra vigilant in your dental hygiene!
• You can often avoid dental problems by following the fundamental rules of diabetes care: maintain good blood glucose control, along with regular dental hygiene (brushing and flossing).
• Visit your dentist regularly - every 3 to 6 months for a thorough cleaning and check-up.