The Connection Between Diabetes And Oral Health
Diabetes or high blood sugar is a very common ailment, especially in There are many reasons for this condition such as poor diet, obesity, inadequate exercise, and bad genes. Also, many are aware of the fact that diabetes can cause coma, blindness, kidney failure and even lead to heart disease. But very few are aware of connection between diabetes and oral health.
Diabetic patients have in fact, very obvious and visible effects in the mouth that can help to detect signs of diabetes. Pus discharge, swelling, and bleeding from the gums are some of these warning signals that may indicate that one has high blood sugar. High blood sugar harms the body in multiple ways, such as weakening of your immune system and decreasing the healing potential of body tissues.
Gum Disease And Oral Hygiene
Moreover, after a period of time, it results in irreversible blood vessel damage. Due to this, the bacteria in the mouth has a chance to multiply, which results in infection, bleeding, and loss of the bone supporting the teeth. In common terms, this gum disease is called pyorrhoea.
On the other hand, poor brushing and bad oral hygiene also cause the levels of bacteria and inflammation in the body to increase and worsen existing diabetes. For all these reasons and to minimize the levels of infection and inflammation in the body, it is critical for a diabetic person to have good oral health.
The oral cavity has millions of bacteria, thus it is a potential gateway for infection to develop. So, the daily maintenance of oral cleanliness with proper and adequate brushing and flossing is a must! Further, one must get professional teeth cleaning and check-ups done at regular intervals or at least once a year.
Monitoring Your Condition
Making sure that the blood sugar levels are monitored and under control is also very important. In fact, diabetes is largely a preventable and controllable condition and staying away from sweets and sugar-laden foods helps prevent both dental and diabetic complications.
Diabetes also alters the function of the salivary glands and reduces the flow of saliva. This may cause dryness of the mouth and increases thirst. In case of high blood sugar, certain dental procedures may have to be postponed, till it is safe to perform the procedure and the sugar levels are in control for optimum healing.