Do You Know the Link Between Diabetes and Dental Health?

Every year, more than 30 million people adjust to life with diabetes. The growing onset of this disease has now officially become an epidemic, with millions of people unknowingly suffering from diabetes every day. While the impacts of diabetes are serious enough on their own, new science has now uncovered that diabetes and oral health are also inextricably linked.

About Diabetes

Diabetes impacts the body’s ability to process sugar, which is a major problem since all food is turned into sugar for the body to use as energy. Type II diabetes, which is by far most prevalent in our country, essentially turns off the body’s response to insulin, a hormone that carries sugar from your blood to the cells that need it for energy. This results in dangerously high blood sugar levels, because sugars are trapped in the blood rather than being distributed to the cells that need them. The effects don’t stop there, though; the nerves, kidneys, and heart are also at risk.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Diabetes symptoms can be a nuisance, but are not always enough for a person to seek medical attention. Signs include feeling excessively thirsty and urinating more than normal. Weight loss, fatigue, and dry mouth are also common symptoms. As diabetes continues to plague the body, the signs will worsen until eventually medical attention becomes essential to regain health.

Untreated Diabetes and the Mouth

Diabetes is known to reduce the amount of saliva produced by your mouth, which leads to irritating dry mouth. However, dry mouth is more than just an unpleasant issue; it actually significantly harms your oral health, because a dry mouth exposes the teeth to more cavities. As the gums become inflamed and bleed, you are more susceptible to infections and tooth rot.

Diabetes and the Risk of Gum Disease

The symptoms above are not only painful, but ultimately mean that you have too much bacteria in your mouth that can cause periodontal disease. This is a chronic and inflammatory disease that destroys gum, tissue, and even bone. It impacts 22 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes, but even more among undiagnosed diabetes patients.

With all of this said, dental health must become a paramount priority for anyone living with diabetes, so the disease doesn’t impact other parts of the body as well.