Diabetes patients often suffer from dental issues, such as dry mouth and gum disease. Moreover, for diabetes patients it takes a long time to recover from any illness. The same is applicable in the case of gum diseases.
Dentists emphasise that good oral hygiene and preventive dentistry are necessary for diabetes patients. It can help keep several dental problems in check and improve your overall oral health.
When it comes to the connection between diabetes and oral health, you will find that uncontrolled blood sugar levels can lead to your body losing the ability to fight gum infections.
Some of the dental illnesses that have a direct connection with diabetes are as follows.
Dry mouth
If you have diabetes and find it challenging to keep your blood sugar levels in check, then you will find that it decreases the amount of saliva in your mouth. Saliva is necessary not only to help in digestion but also to maintain good oral health.
An essential part of oral hygiene requires paying regular visits to the dentist. If you suffer from dry mouth, you must make an appointment with him and find the best way to manage the problem.
The primary reason for this is dry mouth can lead to problems like mouth ulcers, infections, and tooth decay. If the problem is not arrested early on and with preventive dentistry, you might opt for restorative surgery or removal of the infected tooth.
Your dentist will not only help you find ways to overcome the problem but also help you control your diabetes.
Gingivitis and periodontitis
These are the two common dental problems that diabetes patients face. The primary problem that uncontrolled blood sugar levels can lead to is that you will have fewer white blood cells in your body, which can even thicken your blood vessels. As a result, your body’s ability to fight an infection is significantly reduced. The same is applicable in the case of gum and tooth infections.
Here is how the two gum diseases are connected in case of diabetes patients and how you can prevent them.
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is gum inflammation caused due to a bacterial infection. It is caused primarily due to the plaque that gets deposited around the base of your teeth; when your gums get inflamed due to the plaque, it leads to gingivitis.
In diabetes patients, it can be quite painful as it can lead to bleeding gums and may not get resolved quickly. However, you can easily prevent it by visiting your dentist regularly and having the plaque removed. In addition, regular scaling and cleaning of your teeth can help prevent gingivitis in diabetes patients.
Periodontitis
Periodontitis, like gingivitis, is an infection of the tissues that hold your teeth in place. This is also caused by plaque, but you can identify it quickly because it appears as a black sticky film of bacteria at the root of your teeth. Diabetes patients are more susceptible to the disease because of their compromised immune systems. Their immune systems are often not able to fight bacterial infection.
If you are a diabetes patient and want to prevent a disease like periodontitis, you must regularly visit your dentist. Preventive dentistry is necessary because regular scaling is necessary to remove plaque deposits and check gums’ condition. Good gum health will prevent bacterial infection and ensure that the tissues at the base of your teeth remain healthy.
Thus, along with maintaining the blood sugar levels in your body, it is necessary to plan regular visits to the dentist as it will help you understand the health and condition of your teeth and gums. You can also take steps early on to prevent the spread of the disease. As a person with diabetes, you need to manage the disease at the onset; otherwise, it can become difficult to prevent its spread.
Oral thrush
Diabetic patients often have to take antibiotics to fight infections. But as a side effect of these antibiotics, you might develop problems like oral thrush. This fungal infection can become an issue and lead to severe dental problems. The fungus causing oral thrush thrives in the saliva of your mouth.
Diabetes patients tend to have high glucose levels in their blood. This makes the condition in your mouth suitable for the survival of fungus. But if you do not visit your dentist regularly, it will be difficult for him to identify the early stages of oral thrush. With the help of preventive dentistry, you can prevent the spread of fungal infections and ensure that your teeth and gums remain healthy.
Preventing tooth decay
For diabetes patients, maintaining good oral hygiene and paying regular visits to the dentist is of paramount importance. As you grow older, you become prone to several dental problems, and for diabetes patients, the chances of becoming susceptible to these diseases increase manifold.
The best way to prevent tooth decay caused due to say cavities is to pay a regular visit to the dentist. He can evaluate the condition of your teeth and suggest treatment such as a root canal followed by crowns. This will prevent you from losing your teeth completely. Tooth decay is often the result of bad oral hygiene. You can prevent this if you opt for preventive dentistry by paying regular visits to the dentist.
It is necessary to ensure that your teeth are in good condition, and the best way to do this is to brush your teeth regularly and keep your blood sugar levels in check. In addition, it would be best to visit your dentist regularly because, despite your best efforts, your gums can show early signs of gingivitis or periodontitis, which you might not be able to detect. However, your dentist will be able to detect it and suggest suitable medication and treatments prevent the disease’s spread.
For diabetes patients, because of their compromised immune systems, it is necessary to take good care of their dental health to prevent their dental problems from becoming severe diseases.
