Gum Disease: What Every Diabetic Should Know

By Family Dentistry & Aesthetics Inc.

gum disease and diabetesIf you are diabetic, you’ve probably been warned by your dentist that diabetes puts you at greater risk of developing gum disease. Likewise, you’ve probably been warned by your doctor that gum disease can make it difficult to control your blood sugar. Between these two warnings, it’s clear that this is a condition you want to avoid!

What is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is a chronic infection of the gums and bones of the jaw, whereby s. mutans bacteria colonizes the space in your periodontal pockets, i.e., the region between your teeth and gums, and just below the gum line. It is often referred to as a silent disease, because it may start and progress without any noticeable symptoms until the damage is severe.

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Gum disease can lead to gum recession, tooth decay below the gum line, the loosening of teeth, and ultimately tooth loss. It’s estimated that 2/3 of Americans over the age of 55 have some form of the disease. It is not curable, but with good oral hygiene, dental cleanings, and periodontal treatments, symptoms can be managed well enough to give you the chance to retain your teeth for life.

Diabetes and Gum Disease

Studies have indicated that diabetics are at greater risk of developing gum disease than non-diabetics. When diabetics do not keep their blood sugar under control, this can increase glucose levels in the mouth, which encourages the bacterial growth that leads to gum disease. Furthermore, the changes to the blood vessels that occur with diabetes make it harder for your body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your gum tissue, and therefore make them less able to fight off bacterial infection.

Once a diabetic patient has developed gum disease, it can work the other way, too—gum disease can exacerbate the symptoms of diabetes. For example, because gum disease is a bacterial infection, it can reduce your body’s ability to keep your blood sugar under control.

Taken together, gum disease and diabetes are a nasty circle of causality: two medical conditions that exacerbate and amplify each other when symptoms aren’t managed properly.

What You Can Do

If you are diabetic and do not show symptoms of gingivitis or gum disease, you should take care to ensure you don’t develop it. The best way to prevent gum disease is to control your blood sugar levels and get regular dental cleanings at Family Dentistry and Aesthetics.

Diabetics who do not keep their blood sugar levels well under control are more likely to get gum disease and tend to have worse symptoms. They also tend to lose more teeth to the disease. Diabetics who consistently do a good job of maintaining healthy blood sugar levels are no more likely to develop gum disease than non-diabetics.

Brushing your teeth twice a day is important for keeping your teeth healthy and free from decay, but to prevent gum disease you must be vigilant about flossing, as well. Floss every single day, no exceptions. Many people think flossing is for removing food from between the teeth, but the real benefit is removing plaque and bacteria from between the teeth and at the gum line. If your teeth bleed when you floss, this can be discouraging and lead to sore gums, but the best thing you can do is keep flossing. After two weeks or so you should see an end to the bleeding.

If you have already developed symptoms of gingivitis or gum disease, our doctors at Family Dentistry and Aesthetics can provide you with a number of treatments to help you keep bacteria under control and lessen the severity of your symptoms. These treatments include dental cleanings, periodontal cleanings, scaling and root planing, and medication and rinses designed to reduce bacteria.

If you need a dental checkup or periodontal treatments, contact Family Dentistry and Aesthetics, of Fort Wayne IN. Contact our dental office at 260-432-0561 or visit us online to make an appointment. Drs. Teel and Gilbert will provide you with the dental treatments to help prevent or control the symptoms of gum disease.

Call Our Office Today at (260) 432-0561

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