Diabetes and Your Oral Health
Maintaining good oral hygiene pays off for everyone that does it, even more so for people experiencing medical issues like diabetes. Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which the body’s inability to produce any or enough insulin causes elevated levels of glucose, a form of sugar, in the blood. Having high blood sugar increases the growth of bacteria which contributes to gum disease.
Signs that you may be at risk:
- Gum redness, soreness, bleeding and pulling away from tooth.
- Loose teeth
- Bad breath
- Irregular bite or dentures that don’t fit.
To avoid these problems, try to keep your diabetes under control. Uncontrolled blood sugar will also put you at risk for dry mouth and fungal infections. This kind of infection in turn will make blood sugar rise even more and make diabetes harder to handle.
Steps to Keep Your Smile Healthy
- Get regular dental check ups
- Inform your dentist that you have diabetes and any medication(s) you’re taking
- Brush your teeth twice a day
- Brush tongue and gums for a clean breath
- Floss to remove plaque
- Clean dentures daily to reduce fungal infection
Once you have started implementing these healthy regimens for your mouth make sure to do the same with your diabetes. Control your diabetes by eating a healthy diet, curb smoking, and take your diabetic medication.
