Diabetes and Gum Disease: The Two-Way Relationship
If you’re diabetic, you probably know your dentist has asked you more than once about your blood sugar nearly as much as your physician has. And you know that’s not just polite small talk. Diabetes and gum disease are mutually beneficial, and when you understand how, it makes that next cleaning a good deal more significant.
How Diabetes Contributes to Your Risk for Gum Disease
Blood Sugar: More Than a Visual Issue. High blood sugar also compromises your body’s ability to fend off infection, beginning with gum disease. Gum disease begins as just a bacterial infection that exists at a low level, but when sugars are high for too long, blood vessels start to narrow, leaving less oxygen and nutrients to gum tissue and slowing healing, giving bacteria a more convenient route of entry.
Here’s another more subtle thing that most don’t consider: diabetes also increases the amount of sugar in your saliva. It may seem a bit benign, but in reality it provides more ‘food’ for the bacteria to feast on. Add in a compromised immune system, and it explains why gum disease is more common and occurs more severely in those with poor blood sugar control.
The Impact of Gum Disease on Blood Sugar: What Causes Difficult to Control Diabetes?
Here’s the twist. The part that surprises most people: the relationship is bidirectional. Because gum disease is an inflammatory disease, that inflammation also occurs elsewhere in the body. As bacteria and inflammatory chemicals from infected gums enter your bloodstream, they can affect how your body responds to insulin. And this means increased blood sugar levels, which can be a problem even if you’re otherwise keeping good control of your diet and medication.
It’s a vicious cycle. High blood sugar causes gum disease, and while you have gum disease, your blood sugar gets even more out of control. So if you want to get out of that cycle, you have to start by handling your dental care by focusing on how your dental health plays into your larger health issues.
Watching for the Warning Signs
Gingivitis (gum disease) – The sneak attack The signs of gum disease can be sneaky. Gum bleeding a little when you brush your teeth, red, swollen, or puffy gums can all be symptoms of gum disease, but they can be dismissed as minor, especially if you suffer from diabetes. However, when you have the added complication of diabetes, these little signs should raise alarm, as gum disease can develop much faster and be much more aggressive in a diabetic, and if it gets to this stage, it can lead to the infection eating into the tissue and bone that secures your teeth.
Why Professional Treatment Matters More Here
A gum infection that stems from diabetes is not going to be taken care of by brushing and flossing alone. Deep cleanings, closer follow-up, and a comprehensive treatment plan that considers your real health history do the trick. For those who require more comprehensive medical management, sedation options help make the treatment process easier without the added burden of stress on an already complicated health profile. A gum infection specific to you can control the infection before it becomes even more advanced, and it provides your doctor with a much better insight into the ways that your blood sugar and gum health affect each other. Here’s the good news: Even worse gum disease doesn’t mean it is hopeless. Dr. Victoria Waynick, DDS, on recovering from gum disease, says that much of that damage can be mitigated or even reversed with the appropriate treatment and diligent follow-up, especially when caught early.
Managing Both Together
The message isn’t that you have to choose between your gums and your diabetes. The two are so related that work on one really does benefit the other. Managing your blood sugar can contribute to healthy gums, and slowing down gum disease can make blood sugar levels easier to bring down to healthy levels. So if you have diabetes and it’s been a while since you’ve had a chat with a dentist, I encourage you to give them a call. Talking to a dentist about how these two conditions are impacting each other is a whole lot better than waiting until you’re living with the symptoms.
Publish Your Article & Build Backlink Authority on Publcity
Looking to expand your digital reach, boost your search engine rankings, and secure high-authority backlinks? Publcity welcomes guest authors, brands, and SEO agencies to contribute premium articles. Get your content indexed, build domain authority, and tap into a global audience.
We accept original, do-follow contributions in Business, Marketing, Technology, Travel, and Culture.
Write for UsRead our Guest Posting Guidelines & Submit Your Draft Today!