Type 2 Diabetes – Dental Care and Diabetes!
There are many problems associated with Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes has the unfortunate ability of affecting various systems and areas of the human body. But what about dental care? Actually, it isn’t just immune to this problem either. We all know a common side effect of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes is cuts and sores that are slow to heal. The last place you want an ongoing sore to continue causing discomfort is in your mouth. This can easily lead to bacteria, infections, fungi, and all kinds of other nasty conditions that you want to keep out. Excessively high blood sugar levels nourish the sugar-eating bacteria that live in the mouth. Controlling your blood sugar will ensure a much easier time keeping everything in and around your teeth squeaky clean.
If you are eager to throw caution to the wind then be diabetic and smoke. This opens the door to a very nasty condition called thrush. Thrush forms small bumps that ooze and bleed, and increase in severity and number. Smoking diabetics increase their chances of developing the condition by about 20 times over diabetics who don’t smoke.
As if diabetics didn’t go through enough from the disease itself, they are also much more prone to such mouth discomforts as gingivitis and periodontal disease. That’s why it is imperative that they not only maintain an arduous dental routine, but that they also visit the dentist on a regular basis. Some experts suggest it is the ever-present levels of sugars in the mouth due to the diabetes itself and uncontrolled blood sugar levels, that make it a breeding ground for these dental disasters. This makes it highly important to brush and floss after every meal, and gives you another reason to lay off of the sweets.
If you like to play with fire and put dental hygiene on the back burner, then you are more susceptible to tooth decay and possible tooth loss. But that isn’t the hard part. If you have to undergo a procedure to remove or repair teeth, the recovery time can be longer and more complicated due to diabetes. Surgical wounds will naturally be slower to heal and much more prone to infection.
The bottom line is that too much sugar and poor hygiene can be a breeding ground for infections and disease. These can lead to more severe infections, which can get into gums and damage or loosen teeth. Extractions can turn into even more serious infections that require much longer healing. Save yourself the aggravation and:
brush your teeth at least twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush,
floss once each day, taking care to pull the floss a bit below the gum line, and
become a regular at your dentist or periodontist at least every six months. Regular visits can help you avoid infections in your teeth and gums.
Be sure to tell your dentist and the dental hygienist who cleans your teeth you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and specify the medications you take.
Like any other complication of diabetes, catching a problem early makes all of the difference.