What is the Relationship Between Diabetes and Dental Problems?
Diabetes affects about 9.4% of the US population. What makes it even worse is the fact that 7.2 million people don’t even know they have it! Research states that the number of diabetes cases in the United States is increasing at an alarming rate, and that the disease affects people of all ages, genders, and ethnic backgrounds.
Complications in diabetes cases affect a lot of parts of the body, including your heart, vision, kidneys, and limbs—and even your teeth!
In this post, we will study the link between diabetes and dental problems:
Diabetes and periodontal disease
According to the American Academy of Periodontology, diabetes and periodontal disease are closely related. The study also states that this is a two-way relationship.
If you have severe periodontal disease, your blood glucose levels will generally remain high. This is because our gums get affected if our sugar intake increases. When sugars combine forces with bacteria, it leads to the formation of plaque. This makes it hard for the patient to control their blood glucose levels if they’re already suffering from diabetes.
On the other hand, diabetes makes you more susceptible to contracting infections. This is why diabetic patients are at three-times greater risk of developing periodontal disease compared to a non-diabetic person.
This is because too much sugar in your bloodstream also leads to a high sugar concentration in saliva. Since bacteria breeds in saliva, it can directly affect the gums.
High blood sugar levels may also damage the blood vessels in the gums, which makes them more susceptible to infections.
How can a dentist help you?
A routine visit to your dentist can help you diagnose a lot more than just tooth decay. Speaking of diabetes, in particular, a lot of its symptoms can be mistaken as a dental problem.
One of the lesser-known symptoms of diabetes is dryness in the mouth and sores in the oral cavity. According to a study by the American Dental Association, diabetes causes mouth dryness because the gums receive a constricted blood supply, which then affects saliva production. A dry mouth also serves as the ideal breeding ground for bacteria, and paves the way for tooth decay.
An experienced dentist looks at the patient’s condition from a number of aspects and will suggest a diabetic test immediately. The ADA also states that most practicing dentists help patients by diagnosing diabetes early.
If you’re on the lookout of a reliable family dentist in Frisco, TX, get in touch with us. Waterfront Family Dentistry is well-known for its preventive dentistry services all across the state. Head over to our website for the details.
