Diabetes And Gum Disease

Individuals with diabetes are at a much higher risk of developing periodontal gum disease than people with normal blood sugar. Gum disease happens when the gums become infected and inflamed.

If you have diabetes, your risk of gum disease is nearly twice as much as that of people without diabetes. Also, if your glucose levels are poorly controlled, you have nearly three times the likelihood of getting a severe form of gum disease, and of losing more teeth than people without diabetes.

Glucose And Harm To Blood Vessels
As with nearly all diabetes complications, the primary culprit behind the increased danger is damage to blood vessels – because of elevated glucose in the blood. Without waste removal from their tissues, the gums are much less resistant to infection, and it sets the stage for gum disease.

Another reason that people with diabetes are a lot more prone to gum disease is because bacteria in the mouth love glucose. These bacteria produce acids out of this sugar, and these acids then eat through the enamel of teeth and causes decay.

See Your Dentist More Regularly If You Have Diabetes

People with diabetes have an increased risk of the following:

DRY MOUTH: Diabetes can cut down on the flow of saliva, leading to dry mouth. Dry mouth can lead to tooth decay, infections, ulcers, and soreness.

GUM INFLAMMATION: Diabetes can cause blood vessels to thicken, slowing the flow of nutrients to and waste products from oral tissues. Because gum disease is a bacterial infection, diabetics can experience more frequent gum disease.

POOR HEALING OF TISSUES IN THE MOUTH: Blood flow can be impaired in people with uncontrolled diabetes, which impairs healing mechanisms.

BURNING TONGUE AND/OR MOUTH: This can be caused by the presence of thrush.

People with diabetes who also smoke have up to 20 times the risk of developing thrush and gum disease.

Because of the increased risk of oral health problems, people with diabetes should visit their dentists more regularly. Instead of visiting dentists twice per year, people who have diabetes should visit a dentist once every three months.  You can find more information on this website.

Treatment For Gum Disease At Bowmanville Dental

Our dental hygienists and dentists are trained in treating gum disease. We also have a periodontist (gum specialist) on staff for people with advanced needs. Whether you are diabetic or not, if you have any bleeding when you floss, or any signs of gum problems, please call or email us today to schedule an exam.
Call (905) 697-9799 or send us an email .