Diabetes And Oral Health Problems

Millions of people around the world have diabetes. And while some of them spend their hard-earned money on maintenance and doctor appointments to manage the symptoms of diabetes, others don’t know that they have it.

Over time, diabetes can damage small blood vessels and cause problems to your eyes, feet, kidneys, and nerves. But are you aware that your oral health can influence your chances of suffering from this long-term disease?

Visiting dentist Dr. Sood or other dentists from your area should be a necessity, not a luxury. Good oral health can actually lessen your chances of suffering from diabetes.

To paint a clearer picture of how these two are connected with each other, take note of the following:

People with diabetes are more susceptible to gum disease. This happens because when you have diabetes, your body will no longer produce insulin, a hormone which carries and distributes sugar in different parts of your body. Once this happens, your blood sugar levels become poorly controlled, and oral health problems can develop over time.

Additionally, diabetes can weaken the white blood cells in your body. Without white blood cells, your body won’t have any line of defense against bacteria, germs, and infections that usually breed in your mouth.

The relationship between diabetes and oral health problems is actually a two-way street. Severe gum disease, for example, can impact the blood glucose control of a person, which can result in diabetes.

 

What Are The Symptoms Of Untreated Diabetes?

 

Diabetes can affect different parts of your body. It can adversely affect your bodily functions, such as your ability to move and see. Although there are now tests that can easily detect if you have diabetes, your mouth can give you red flags.

Take the time to check your oral health and assess if you experience any of the signs listed below. If you tick any, you might have untreated diabetes.

  • Your mouth feels dry. You think that the amount of saliva your body produces is lesser than usual. Also, you see yourself craving for beverages more often.
  • You notice that cavities start to develop in your mouth. This puzzles you because you always brush and floss your teeth.
  • Your gums are bleeding more often without any apparent reason. You just suddenly taste blood in your mouth, even if you’re not eating anything that can possibly cause bleeding.
  • You have issues tasting the food. No matter how sweet or salty a meal is, everything tastes the same to you. You can’t clearly describe the taste of a meal because everything you taste seems bland.
  • There’s a discharge (pus) coming from your gums.
  • The wounds in your mouth take a lot of time to heal. Eating become a struggle for weeks after accidentally biting your tongue or gums.

 

What Oral Health Problems Are Common To People With Diabetes?

 

Oral health problems require you to pay for expensive dental procedures, which can take a toll on your financial life. These oral health problems can become worse that you’ll lose your positive self-image and confidence.

People with diabetes face a higher risk of experiencing the following oral health problems:

 

Dry mouth: When you have diabetes, your body produces lesser amount of saliva, which can result to dry mouth. When left untreated, having a dry mouth leads to oral infections.

 

Gum inflammation: Diabetes also causes white blood cells in your body to eventually become weak and can also lead to the thickening of your blood vessels. This combination can restrict the absorption of nutrients.

Additionally, this combination will make it hard for your body to fight off common infections. People who have diabetes will also be prone to more severe and frequent episodes of gum diseases.

 

Poor healing: Your body naturally heals. This is the reason why your scar will eventually lighten weeks after you got injured. However, diabetes can affect this natural process.

Since diabetes is usually associated with damaged blood flow, recovering from any type of dental procedures or oral surgeries can require more time. In worse cases, diabetes will make it hard for your body to recover even from simple or small procedures.

 

Trust The Pros

 

Regularly visiting your dentist can be time-consuming and stressful, but because it allows you to stay healthy and prevent diabetes, doing this will be worth it in the end. Just make sure that you’re working with a dentist who provides reliable and high-quality dental services.

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Written by HealthStatus Crew
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus teams with authors from organizations to share interesting ideas, products and new health information to our readers.

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