Does diabetes cause dental problems?
- Written by: Department Of Dental Science
- Published: April 1, 2021
- 4 min Read
Diabetic patients are more vulnerable to the germ in their mouths. The relation by which it affects the dental area is high blood pressure. If you are not controlling your diabetes, you are decreasing white blood cells making the body defenseless. Thus, you suffer from infection in your teeth, bones, and gum. Diabetes is also the cause behind the decrease in blood flow into the gums, making them prone to disease.
Symptoms that show its affecting oral health
It is better to consult a dentist if you see the following symptoms regularly:
- If prone to infection very often
- Increased bleeding and sore gums
- Bad breathe present 24×7, and you can’t get rid of it.
Associated dental problems with diabetes
You are more susceptible to the following issue if you have an uncontrolled diabetic situation:
- Dry Mouth
Uncontrolled diabetes lessens the secretion of saliva in the mouth or spits flow, causing dry mouth. As a result, dry mouth can lead to tooth decay, soreness, ulcer, and infection.
- Poor recovery of oral tissues
As diabetic patients produce fewer amounts of white blood cells, they cannot heal quickly after dental surgery. In addition to this, the blood flow is also interrupted, causing the recovery process to slow down.
- Gum inflammation
Diabetes also creates a problem by thickening the blood vessels, which reduces the flow of nutrients to body tissue. It also hampers the flow of waste products out from body cells, including the mouth. Thus when both of the problems occur together, the body becomes defenseless to infection. So, as Gum inflammation is a bacterial infection, the diabetic patient suffers from frequent gum disease.
- Thrush
To fight the infection, the diabetic patient has to take antibiotics very frequently, causing fungal infection in the mouth. The situation worsens because the fungus grows more in high glucose present in saliva. Moreover, as the diabetic patient wears dentures regularly, it can also result in fungal infection.
- Burning tongue and mouth
This condition results because of thrush present in the mouth. People who have a smoking habit on top of diabetes are even ten times more vulnerable to dental problems. Smoking also interrupts the flow of blood in the gums and affects the dental area’s recovery process.
How can you prevent dental problems?
It is essential to take care of your dental area when you are a diabetic patient. For this reason, we suggest that you follow the below points:
- Floss and brush of teeth at least twice a day.
- Carry out an activity to control your glucose level.
- If you are a smoker, quit the bad habit.
- Inform your doctor about your diabetic condition. Also, ask for a care chart to take proper care of your teeth and gums.
- Go for a dental check-up every six months.
Conclusion
Sometimes when you do not control the situation, it can lead up to surgery. So, it is better to maintain it than to cure it. The foremost step you have to take is controlling your diabetes; the rest will fall in line. However, if you are facing a problem, consult your doctor.
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