Diabetes And Dental Health

Those who suffer from both type I and type II diabetes have trouble regulating blood sugar levels because their pancreas can’t produce enough insulin to keep this level steady. This can have an effect on the individual’s energy level as they swing from a post-meal high to a post-insulin low, but diabetes also has an impact on many other systems and areas of the body, including nerve endings, the eyes, the kidneys, and the teeth and gums.

Diabetes affects the mouth because of two reasons: it can make the immune system less effective, raising the chance of bacterial and fungal infections, and it causes diabetics to produce less saliva, saliva being an important part of chewing, digesting, and cleaning the mouth. Put the two together and it’s plain to see why diabetes has a negative impact on gum health.

For instance, diabetics are more at risk of gingivitis and the more serious periodontitis, which is what happens when plaque builds up too much along the gum line and the bacteria which create the plaque manage to squeeze into the space between your teeth and your gums. Gingivitis only results in some redness, swelling, and a little bleeding, but periodontitis is the next stage and it eats away at both the gums and the bone that holds your teeth in place. Not only can you lose your teeth that way, the infection can get into your blood and put your life at risk.

Another possibility is oral thrush, a disease caused by a kind of yeast which normally lives in your mouth but doesn’t cause any trouble. This fungus is normally kept in check by the body’s immune system, but when that isn’t working right (and when your saliva is producing glucose thanks to poorly regulated diabetes) it can grow out of control, spreading lesions across your tongue and cheeks at first and then on the roof of your mouth, the back of your throat, and possibly even farther.

Fortunately, the way to keep all these diseases at bay is the same old advice you’ve heard before about health and hygiene: eat right and exercise to keep your diabetes under control, brush and floss regularly to keep plaque low and gum health high, and see your doctor and your dentist regularly so they can check for cavities and other maladies. Diabetes may provide more dire consequences for screwing up, but the way to succeed isn’t any different.