Is Diabetes Jeopardizing Your Oral Health?

Good oral health is crucial for people living with diabetes.  Millions of Americans are affected each year by this disease.  But how can diabetes affect your oral health?  Diabetes can cause serious health complications, including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and lower extremity amputations, and it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.  Some classic signs of diabetes are excessive appetite, excessive thirst, and excessive urination, but the condition may also cause weight loss, irritability, drowsiness, and fatigue.  Diabetes, as well as any other medical condition, should be reported to your dentist so that proper care can be delivered.Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to a number of dental complications because the high glucose levels in saliva may help bacteria thrive in the mouth.  Diabetes also reduces the body's resistance to infection, and the body's tissues, including the gums, are likely to be affected.  The most common and potentially harmful oral health problems associated with diabetes are gingivitis, Periodontitis, and rapid loss of the bone that supports the teeth.  According to the American Dental Association, Periodontitis is often linked to the control of diabetes.  Patients who have inadequate blood sugar control appear to develop Periodontitis more often and with greater severity.  These patients also lose more teeth than patients who have good control of their diabetes.Patients with poorly controlled diabetes are at an increased risk of other complications, such as infections and reduced healing.  This may make it necessary for them to take antibiotics prior to certain dental procedures including oral surgery - it is important to consult with your dentist if you take insulin.  So, if you have diabetes, make sure you take care of your teeth and gums.  You may require more frequent visits to the dentist and more rigorous follow-up treatment to ensure optimum dental health.  To offset the greater risk of gingival and periodontal problems, it is vital to control your blood glucose levels and to brush and floss daily.  Finally, seek regular dental care to help keep your mouth healthy and to obtain advice on how to manage your diabetes.Yours in good dental health, Jeffrey D. Corbett, DDS