Diabetes can affect your oral health and increase your risk of gum disease, while gum disease itself can increase your risk of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. So, it’s clear that there’s a strong link between diabetes and your oral health, particularly when it comes to gum disease. This is why it’s so important to keep your mouth clean and healthy. In the blog post, we answer your commonly asked questions about these two links.
Diabetes increases your risk of developing gum disease because both diabetes itself and some of the medicines used to treat it affect your ability to produce enough saliva. Saliva helps protect the teeth and gums from bacteria and so with less of it, you’re more at risk of developing tooth decay and tooth wear.
Diabetes also increases the amount of sugar or glucose in the saliva, which can cause plaque to develop. If plaque isn’t removed regularly through tooth brushing and flossing, it can cause bacteria to develop, eventually leading to tooth decay and/or gum disease.
Gum disease has been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes occurring in some patients. This is because gum disease can increase blood sugar levels, which in turn can make you more at risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Gum disease can cause a whole host of problems for patients, but the good news is that it is highly preventable.
Whether you are diabetic or not, preventing gum disease can be done through good oral health routines at home, and regular visits to the dentist. We recommend dental hygiene visits on a yearly basis, although if you have diabetes or gum disease, we may recommend more visits as a preventative measure or as treatment. You may also want or have to consider diet and lifestyle changes, such as reducing your sugar intake and quitting smoking.
The early stages of gum disease are largely symptomless and painless, which is why regular dental check-ups are so important. If you’ve developed any of the following, it may be an indicator that you’re experiencing dental issues, in which case, get in touch with us as soon as possible:
As mentioned, diabetes affects saliva production, so you might experience dry mouth. Patients with diabetes are also more at risk of developing oral thrush which is a fungal infection. This can result in redness and soreness in the mouth, cause a white coating on the tongue and can even affect your sense of taste. Because diabetes leaves you at greater risk of gum disease, gum swelling and abscesses are also more common in diabetic patients.
Diabetes might leave you more at risk of some oral health issues, but they are nevertheless preventable with good oral care and maintenance. As long as you are having your teeth and mouth checked regularly by a dentist, and sticking to a good oral health routine at home, gum disease is still highly preventable if you have diabetes. If you’re worried about your oral health and diabetes and would like to know more, get in touch with us now at North Down Dental.
