Could Diabetes Ruin Your Teeth?

If you are affected by any kind of diabetic condition you know how much of a hassle it can be to have to watch every bit of your health! There’s blood monitoring, keeping a certain diet, and medications to keep up on and now you can add one more thing to that list: your oral health.

We see a lot of diabetic patients at Really Smile and there are a few pieces of advice we always give them. We want to share those with you today – every bit of information you have can make your life easier!

What Are The Risks For Diabetic Patients?

There are a number of dental issues that diabetic patients have to watch out for. Some of them are simply due to having diabetes while others are caused by medications. All of them, however, are manageable with close care and preventive treatments!

The most common oral health problem for diabetes patients is gum disease. Caused by the bacteria that naturally lives in your mouth, gum disease occurs when plaque gets below your gumline. Once there it can spread without a toothbrush or floss to keep it in check! Gum disease leads to inflammation of gums, gum recession, gums that bleed easily when you brush and floss, teeth loosening, and eventually tooth loss!

The reason diabetes is such a risk for diabetes patients is because of how easily diabetic patients get infections. That increased infection risk comes along with less of an ability to fight infection, leading to worse symptoms and quicker progression of gum disease. What may take some patients years to experience can take a diabetic patient much less time!

Diabetes also puts you at an increased risk for cavities as well. This is primarily due to the fact that diabetes often causes a persistent dry mouth. Your mouth needs to maintain steady saliva production to help it flush out bacteria that causes tooth decay along with food particles that can contribute to the production of dangerous acids.

Treating And Preventing Diabetic Side Effects

While it might seem like there’s a lot of work to do to keep your mouth healthy as a diabetic it can really be a lot easier than it seems! We understand how to treat and prevent the problems we discussed – our Carmel dental team are experts!

• Practice good oral health at home. You should brush your teeth at least twice a day and always floss in the evening! Flossing is just as essential as brushing because it’s able to get the plaque hiding in hard-to-reach places.
• Make sure you’re brushing with a soft bristled brush. Hard bristles increase your risk for gum damage even if you’re healthy!
• Stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water. You can’t substitute the benefits of water for keeping your mouth moist and the saliva flowing! A dry mouth is dangerous even for healthy people, so make sure you aren’t exposing yourself to cavities!
• Make sure to closely monitor your blood sugar. Problems like gum disease and other oral infections occur most often in patients who have uncontrolled diabetes. By staying on top of all your monitoring and preventive care you’ll be much more likely to maintain a healthy mouth!
• Don’t smoke or use other tobacco products. Tobacco changes the bacteria balance in your mouth and leaves a lot more harmful bacteria behind! This greatly increases your chance for gum disease and tooth decay.

Lastly, and most importantly, make sure you’re seeing us at Really Smile for regular cleanings and exams! With proper preventive care we can make your oral health concerns negligible! Because your health condition may be more fragile we’ll probably need to see you more frequently than every six months but that can be determined at your first appointment.

All you need to tell us is that you’re a diabetic patient and we’ll be sure to specially plan all your treatments around your needs!

Regular Care Is Essential!

Getting regular care that attends to all your needs is essential. We want to help you live healthy and keep a great set of teeth for years to come – to do that we’ll have to work as a team!

Call our Carmel dentist office today to ensure your continued oral health! You can reach us at 317-597-8748 or you can request an appointment by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!