Diabetes and Oral Health

How living with this condition can affect your pearly whites. 

By Susan B. Sloane, BS, RPh, CDE

Diabetes affects many areas of the body, and most diabetes patients are aware of the influence the condition has on their body. Yet, sometimes the mouth and teeth can be overlooked. It is of paramount importance that people living with diabetes practice excellent oral hygiene to help prevent infections in the mouth that can lead to more serious complications.

There is a very strong link between diabetes and gum disease.^[1] This is because high blood sugars can lead to an environment where bacteria and fungus can grow rampantly. These foreign agents can quickly cause infections in the mouth that can potentially affect the whole body if left untreated.

Similarly, after identifying inflammation in the mouth, it is not uncommon for a dentist to send a patient for further testing only to discover the patient has diabetes. Also, you may not know that gum disease may, in fact, increase the risk of developing diabetes.^[2] Therefore, it’s very important for your overall health to pay close attention to your oral hygiene.

Here are 10 important tips to help keep your mouth healthy while living with diabetes:

1. See your dentist at least every 6 months for cleaning and exams; more often if periodontal disease exists.^[3]
2. Brush and floss your teeth regularly, at least twice daily.
3. Chew sugarless gum; this can help stimulate saliva production, as dry mouth will increase the risk of tooth decay.
4. Check with your pharmacist to see if you are on any medications that may increase the chance for you to have dry mouth. If so, you can use a saliva substitute to help keep your mouth hydrated.
5. Know the signs and symptoms of gum disease such as bleeding gums, swollen and painful gums, and teeth that appear loose. You may need to be referred to a gum specialist called a periodontist.
6. Make sure that you eat right and avoid white flour and sweets where possible. These not only raise blood sugar levels but also increase the inflammatory response in the body.
7. Bad breath is a sign that you may have bacteria present in your mouth. If you have persistent bad breath, see your dentist!
8. Remember that regular exercise can mute the body’s inflammatory response, so keep moving!
9. Don’t smoke, or quit smoking. Smokers have a higher incidence of gum and mouth disease, including cancer.
10. Make sure your blood sugars stay in range, as higher blood sugars can cause infection and inflammation in the mouth. You can use Dario to accurately monitor your blood sugars and more easily manage your diabetes.

Lastly, it is important to note that if you have gum disease, it is likely that your diabetes will be harder to manage because of the inflammatory response taking place in your mouth.  Once you treat your gum disease and start practicing good oral hygiene, your diabetes management should be noticeably easier.