The crisp air of fall is here, and that means holiday treats are just around the corner. But be careful! Too much sugar isn’t good for your dental health, something that people with diabetes know all too well. Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the disease can also affect your dental health.
For National Diabetes Month, let’s explore five important facts about diabetes and dental health from your McAllen dentistry team!
1. Diabetes Increases the Risk of Periodontitis
Many people know that diabetes affects your blood sugar levels, but you may not know that it can also impact your dental health. If you have diabetes, you have a higher chance of getting gum diseases like gingivitis or periodontitis. Gingivitis is an early-stage gum disease and is much easier to treat, but when left untreated, it can turn into periodontitis, which has some serious effects on your teeth and gums.
- Pain
- Bad breath
- Difficulty chewing
- Tooth loss
Infections like gum diseases can actually raise your blood sugar levels, making it much harder to control diabetes!
If you have high blood sugar, you’re also at risk for tooth decay, cavities, dry mouth, and thrush. The high sugar levels in your saliva become plaque and stick to your enamel, which causes it to break down. A dry mouth can also cause soreness, ulcers, infections, and tooth decay. As you can see, diabetes can really affect your oral health!
2. Diabetes Slows the Healing of Tooth and Gum Diseases
With diabetes, healing a cut or infection can be hard because of higher blood sugar levels; the same idea applies to oral diseases. If uncontrolled diabetes is causing gum disease or dry mouth, it can be much harder to fix the concern if your blood sugar levels are out of control too.
3. People With Diabetes May Need Special Dental Treatment Options
The treatment plan for a diabetic dental concern really depends on the situation. For a light case of gingivitis, your dentist may want to do a deep cleaning or prescribe a mouth rinse. If you’re diagnosed with thrush, a fungal infection, your dentist may prescribe some medication to kill the fungus. If a dirty denture caused the infection or disease, you might also be given a special denture cleaner from your dentist’s office.
4. People With Diabetes Can Reduce Their Risk of Dental Problems
If you want to avoid gum disease and infections caused by diabetes, you can lower your chances by following these dental health tips!
- Avoid smoking
- Maintain your sugar levels
- Brush twice a day
- Floss once a day
- Keep dentures clean
- Don’t put off dental treatments
- Keep up with regular dentist visits
You and your dentist can work together to keep your gums and teeth healthy, even if you have diabetes!
5. A Visit to Your McAllen Family Dentist Can Help Keep Your Teeth Healthy!
Since diabetes can make dental treatment harder, it’s best to fight off those gum diseases and infections when they first show up! If you notice swollen or bleeding gums, dryness, soreness, a bad taste, or white patches in your mouth, call your dentist to fight these issues before they worsen.
Since it’s National Diabetes Month, it’s the perfect time to get your teeth checked and cleaned! Don’t let diabetes take control of your dental health this year by visiting your family dentist at WhiteWing Dental!