Diabetes and Dental Health

Diabetes is a degenerative disease, which affects your metabolism. As a result of metabolic irregularities, every part of the body is affected. The following are early indications of untreated diabetes:

• Increased thirst
• Increased urination
• Increased hunger

In addition to the ones above, the following are associated symptoms:

• Blurred vision
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Slow healing of cuts
• Itchy skin

How can diabetes affect your mouth?

• Diabetes increases the risk of infections and delayed regeneration of damaged/dead cells. As a result, fungal infections like thrush may develop in your mouth.
• Because of poor healing of wounds as a result of diabetes, extensive gum damage may occur.
• Periodontitis is a severe effect of diabetes in which your gums begin to move away from your teeth, leading to a formation of pockets between your gums and teeth, which fill up with pus and germs. The damage can be stopped only with gum surgery and removal of affected teeth.

Prevention

The single most effective way to prevent damage to your teeth is to actively control blood sugar content by regularly taking medicines and following a healthy diet recommended by your doctor. Common methods of dental protection go a long way to help prevent oral problems because of diabetes. These include:

• Brush thoroughly and carefully after every meal (wait 30 minutes for food acids to neutralize, and then brush as this helps in effective cleaning)
• Use non-alcoholic mouthwash to treat dry mouth and disinfect the oral cavity
• Floss at least once everyday
• Use a soft bristled toothbrush
• Remove your dentures and clean them regularly. Do not sleep putting them on
• Quit smoking, chewing tobacco and chewing gums with sugar in them