Maintaining Oral Health with Diabetes
About 30% of Canadians live with diabetes or pre-diabetes. While the regular symptoms and complications of diabetes are well known, you might not be aware of how much diabetes can affect your oral health.
High blood sugar can lead to less healthy gums and dental problems. However, there are ways to manage your diabetes and oral health so that your mouth can be in tip-top shape.
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about diabetes and oral health.
Exploring the Types and Effects of Diabetes
Before answering that question, you should know that there are two types of diabetes. Both stop the production of the insulin hormone being produced in your pancreas.
Insulin transports the sugar from the food you eat into muscles and to other areas of your body. Without insulin, this sugar stays in your blood, leading to serious health complications.
While it is not conclusively known what causes type 1 diabetes, it is believed that there is a genetic component that is possibly triggered by a viral infection. This type relies on taking insulin via injection.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by lifestyle. Eating foods too high in sugar can cause your pancreas to overload. This results in insulin production being shut down. Type 2 is generally treated with tablets.
How Can Diabetes Affect Your Teeth?
Diabetes can significantly impact your oral health and increase the risk of dental problems. It can cause gum disease, dry mouth, cavities, thrush, and more.
Some individuals with diabetes may experience changes in their sense of taste, which can affect their enjoyment of food and lead to poor nutrition.
Diabetes can cause many changes within the body, including in your teeth and gums. To ensure you know the signs and symptoms of oral changes, you should be aware of how diabetes can affect your mouth.
For starters, people with diabetes tend to have sugary saliva. While sweet-scented breath may sound like a plus, it’s not a good sign for those suffering from diabetes. It can be an indication that your blood sugar is too high, or has been high for a prolonged period. More sugar in your saliva means more bacteria can grow and attack your teeth’s enamel. This can lead to serious damage to your teeth or your gums. If you are a diabetic and you have a consistently sweet taste in your mouth, be sure to inform your doctor immediately.
Next, diabetics are more prone to infections.
High blood sugar, which is caused by diabetes, affects the blood vessels in your body. The sugar that stays in your blood because of a lack of insulin can cause blood vessels to thicken. This reduces the number of nutrients getting to vital areas of your body, including your gums. Because of this, diabetics are more prone to gum disease. The gums may become weakened and experience higher levels of infection that your body struggles to fight off. This can eventually lead to gum disease.
Common Dental Issues for Diabetics
Living with diabetes can affect your dental health in various ways. Here are some common issues that diabetics often face:
1. Gum Disease: Diabetes can weaken your body’s ability to fight off bacteria, which makes you more susceptible to gum disease, also known as periodontal disease. This condition can cause swollen, bleeding gums and, if left untreated, may even lead to tooth loss.
2. Dry Mouth: Many diabetics experience dry mouth due to reduced saliva production. Saliva helps wash away food particles and neutralize acids in the mouth, so having less saliva can increase the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and infections. Dry mouth is especially common in diabetics, often occurring upon waking up in the morning. This is because high blood sugar levels can lead to dehydration, causing your body to expel more water through urine. As a result, less water is available for essential functions like saliva production, leading to dry mouth.
3. Cavities: Poorly controlled blood sugar levels can result in higher levels of sugar in saliva, providing an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive and causing cavities.
4. Delayed Healing: Diabetes can slow down your body’s ability to heal, including oral wounds such as mouth sores, ulcers, or after oral surgery. This delay can increase the risk of infections and complications.
5. Fungal Infections: Oral thrush is a common symptom of diabetes due to weakened immune function. The body’s ability to fight off infection is compromised, making diabetics more susceptible to oral thrush. This condition thrives in the presence of excess sugar in the mouth, leading to white patches on the tongue and bleeding inside the mouth.
6. Tooth Decay: Consistently high blood sugar levels or poorly controlled diabetes can increase the risk of tooth decay. Sugars and carbohydrates in food affect the types of bacteria that live in your mouth. When insulin regulation is impaired, plaque can form on teeth, damaging the enamel and leading to cavities.
By understanding these common dental issues associated with diabetes, you can take proactive steps to maintain your oral health. Regular dental check-ups, proper oral hygiene practices, and keeping your blood sugar levels under control are essential for preventing and managing these conditions. If you notice any changes in your dental health, be sure to consult with your dentist for personalized advice and treatment.
Strategies to Combat Common Dental Issues
Despite all the ways diabetes can affect oral health, there are ways to manage it. Not all diabetics suffer from the conditions listed above, so if you’re a diabetic who worries about your oral health, here’s what you need to know:
The absolute top way to manage your oral health as a diabetic is to keep your diabetes in check.
Taking the right dose of insulin for the food you eat will help to stabilize your blood sugar. Better blood sugar means better oral health. Those with the best diabetes care often have no oral health problems at all beyond what someone without diabetes would have.
Keeping in close contact with your doctor can also help manage your diabetes. Diabetes and oral health go hand in hand, and our doctor will be able to give you the best guidance.
A healthy diet is the best way to control your blood sugar levels. And increased blood sugar level control will mean better oral care. Stick to foods that are high in fiber and protein and low in fast sugar. Slower carbohydrates, such as brown rice and bananas, are also great for regulating blood sugar.
Managing oral health with diabetes also means brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing, and drinking plenty of water will all help to rid you of oral health problems. You’ll find that diabetic oral care is similar to that of a non-diabetic. Simply look after your teeth and gums and keep an eye out for changes in your mouth.
Of course, you should be going to the dentist in general. But, with the increased risks caused by high blood sugar, you should have more regular checkups. Your dentist will be able to spot any serious changes in your mouth before they develop. They can guide you on how to avoid dental problems and look after your diabetes..
Remember, a healthy smile starts with a healthy body, so take care of your teeth and gums to lead a happier, healthier life with diabetes.