You may have heard that having diabetes might have a negative impact on your oral health – this is true. Taking extra good care of your smile can improve and preserve the health of your mouth and your overall physical health. Please talk to our dentist in Edmonton for more information about this.
How Does Diabetes Affect Your Mouth?
Your mouth may feel dry since you’re producing less saliva. You may experience greater tooth decay since saliva helps remove bacteria that cause cavities. People who have diabetes frequently experience sore and inflamed gums. When you brush or floss, you may find that your gums bleed. These could be the early stages of gum disease (gingivitis), which is bad for your general health.
Diabetes can also impair your ability to taste food and raise the risk of oral infections from minor wounds or sores. Diabetes patients’ children typically develop adult teeth earlier than their non-diabetic peers. Thus, it’s important to schedule regular dental checkups near you to gain more knowledge on the subject to maintain good oral health.
What Oral Health Problems are Related to Diabetes?
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Gingivitis
Diabetes also weakens white blood cells and thickens blood vessels, another issue. The process of nutrients going in and waste going out of body tissues, including the mouth, is slowed as a result. The body’s ability to combat infections is lost due to this chain of occurrences. People with disorderly diabetes may have gum disease more often and with worsening severity since periodontal disease is a bacterial illness.
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Unhealthy Oral Tissues
As the blood supply to the procedure site might be hampered by uncontrolled diabetes, patients who undergo oral surgery or other dental procedures do not recover as rapidly.
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Thrush
People with diabetes are especially vulnerable to getting a fungal infection of the tongue and mouth if they take antibiotics often to treat various illnesses. The fungus feeds on the high glucose levels found in the saliva of uncontrolled diabetics. Wearing dentures can result in fungal infections.
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Dry Mouth
Diabetes that is not controlled can cause dry mouth by reducing salivary (spit) flow. Additionally, pain, ulcers, infections, and tooth damage can result from dry mouth.
How Do You Prevent Oral Health Issues If You Have Diabetes?
Following appropriate dental hygiene practices, paying close attention to any changes in your oral health, and calling our dentist near you immediately if such changes occur is essential since people with diabetes are more susceptible to conditions that could impair their oral health. The following are some tips to prevent or lessen oral health issues:
- Try to maintain your blood sugar as near to normal as you can.
- Before starting periodontal disease therapy, consult a doctor.
- Give our dentist your doctor’s name and contact information.
- A list of all the names and dosages of all the medications you are taking should be brought to our dentist.
- If you don’t have good control over your blood sugar, put off non-emergency dental procedures.
- Remember that people with diabetes may require more time to recuperate.
How Can a Dentist Help Manage Diabetes-Related Issues?
Regular dental checkups near you are essential if you have diabetes. According to research, addressing gum disease will help you have better blood sugar management, reducing your condition’s advancement.
Deep dental cleanings can assist in lowering your HbA1c (the lab result that displays your average blood sugar level over the past three months). Ask our dentist how frequently you should have cleanings and examinations performed, and give all scheduled dental appointments a high priority.
Final Thoughts!
Contact our dentist at Albany Dental about your diabetic condition and the medications you use. If your blood sugar level is out of range, let them know, and if you take insulin, let them know when you last took a dosage.