Dental Problems in Diabetes and Their Prevention

It is a well known fact that diabetes can affect the functioning of the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves but few people realize that diabetes can also lead to dental problems especially in those who are past 45 years of age. In many cases dental problems in diabetics can lead to loss of teeth. This situation can be prevented to a great extent by becoming aware of the various dental problems caused by diabetes and taking timely preventive steps to avoid them. The main causes of dental problems are lack of proper dental hygiene and heredity. Diabetes only increases the risk of periodontal diseases and aggravates the effects of these causative factors.

The problem with diabetics is that their bodies do not process sugar adequately resulting in high blood sugar levels. The blood is unable to supply adequate amounts of nutrition to different parts of the body including the teeth making them more prone to disease. In the mouth enzymes and other chemicals present in the saliva inhibit bacterial activity. Therefore dryness of mouth increases bacterial activity. This is borne out by the fact that as the mouth is usually dry during sleep bacterial activity increases and that is why your breath smells on waking up. High blood sugar levels increases the dryness in the mouth which in turn encourages bacterial activity.

In people suffering from diabetes high blood sugar levels make them more prone to infection. The infections like periodontitis and gingivitis affect both the teeth and gums. People suffering from periodontitis can be seen to be having receding gums and their teeth appear bigger than normal. Some of the symptoms that appear in diabetics are painful, bleeding, inflamed and sore gums as well as looseness and soreness of teeth. These symptoms if left untreated can lead to loss of teeth. Diabetics suffering from such symptoms should consult their dentists immediately on appearance of these symptoms. If treated in time using appropriate dental procedures and medications dentists can prevent further dental complications and loss of teeth.

In view of the above facts it is important for diabetics to monitor and maintain their blood sugar levels within the normal range. It can be done by following the glycemic index diligently. This is very important because studies have shown that people with poor control over their blood sugar levels suffer from gum disease more easily and frequently and they are likely to lose more teeth than people with good control over their blood sugar levels. Even children with insulin dependent diabetes are more at risk from gum problems. Therefore the best defense against periodontal disease is good diabetic control. In view of increased risk of dental problems people suffering from diabetes should also avoid situations that increase the risk even further like smoking and alcohol consumption. Dental and oral hygiene like regular brushing, flossing and regular visits to the dentist are a must.