Diabetes is a ruthless disease that goes beyond the fear of needles and may make a person give up on that childhood favourite sweets. Among many other adverse effects of diabetes on the overall body, diabetes and oral health issues are on rise as well.
We will get into the discussion of diabetes and oral health and will also find out the possible link of diabetes and mouth sores. But let us just get a quick overview of diabetes.
Overview
Diabetes is a condition where your body doesn’t tolerate any high levels of sugar in the blood. There are many causes and symptoms of diabetes. However, here are the types of diabetes discussed with their possible causes.
There are two widely known types of diabetes.
- Diabetes type 1 and diabetes type 2
Both of the types are poles apart and have their independent causes.
Type 1 is a genetic disease which happens when your body cells destroy the insulin making cells of your body.
Whereas type 2 is more of a lifestyle disease in which your body is making the insulin but it is not receptive to the sugar levels in your blood. Sedentary lifestyle is the major cause of this type of diabetes.
This type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90% of the diagnosed diabetes cases.
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Diabetes and Oral Health Issues
As said earlier, diabetes and oral health issues are prevalent in the larger part of the society. There are many reports that suggest that diabetic people are more prone to dental issues that may include:
- Tooth Decay
High levels of sugar in your blood can make your teeth weak as this may allow the plaques to form in your teeth.
- Bad Breath
Diabetic patients often complain that they face bad breath even after brushing. This can be linked with the blood glucose levels. If the levels of glucose in your blood are low then the cells will make the use of fats to produce energy. The fats on their breakdown produce certain chemicals that can add to this bad breath.
Know about these 7 home remedies that will always work for the bad breath issues.
- Gum Diseases
Gum diseases like receding and bleeding gums can occur to anyone who is negligent of the oral health but there are studies that show that due to poor immune system in case of diabetes. These diseases take a long time to recover or in the worst cases they may not recover.
- Mouth Sores
According to the top reviewed Family Physician in Rawalpindi, Dr. Aamir Rashid “Bacteria from food and sugar in the blood can cause the issue of mouth sores and blisters.” These mouth sores often take a long time for removal. Therefore diabetes and mouth sores often go hand in hand.
Other Reasons for Bad Oral Health in Diabetic Patients
Smoking
Smoking when you are diabetic can make your oral hygiene suffer a lot. Smoking has detrimental effects on overall body health. But with diabetes and oral health issues that are already existing this will only add to the worst.
Smoking also suppresses the body’s immune system. So you are making yourself more susceptible to bacterial attacks. These bacteria can even reside on your tooth and can form plaques that can lead to tooth decay and caries.
So it is necessary to maintain the optimal standards of oral hygiene to keep yourself protected from these bacterial diseases.
Dry Mouth
Diabetes is also linked with dry mouth and it is the leading cause of developing mouth sores that can lead to mouth ulcers. Dry mouth provides the necessary medium for the fungal and bacterial growth.
As in case of diabetes the body defence system is already compromised and is pushing the limits just to keep any unnecessary infections at bay.
But in case if you are not keeping up with the protocols and standards of oral hygiene then it may put you at the verge of far worse compilations.
With an already compromised immune system these tiny micro organisms can stay in your mouth for an extended period of time and they can lead to white and red patches that can lead to mouth sores and ulcers.
Ways to Improve Oral Health
Here are some effective ways in managing your diabetes and oral health side by side.
1. Brush Regularly
Brushing can help you with keeping all the dangerous bacteria and food remnants away from the mouth. In this way you can keep the problems like ulcers and blisters at bay.
The bacteria present in your mouth can even enter the body and may deteriorate health.
These mouth sores and ulcers if not properly catered then they can lead to cases where they can interfere with normal process of swallowing and digestion.
2. Floss Properly
This is again a very effective method in keeping your oral health in check. Regular flossing will help to keep all the food particles from gathering up in the teeth. This will help to reduce the chances of plaques and as a result will help to maintain oral health.
Floss at least daily or if possible then after every meal as flossing helps in reaching at places where a regular toothbrush can’t reach.
3. Rinse frequently
If you are at a place where it is not possible to brush or floss the teeth then it is better to rinse with normal water. This will again help with the removal of deposition of bacteria and plaques from your teeth.
Rinsing is therefore a necessary part in keeping your teeth clean and healthy.
This will also help in keeping diabetes and mouth sores away as there will be no food residuals left behind that can possibly add to the bad oral health.
4. Quit Smoking
Smoking has many disastrous effects. The effects can be on the immune system in making it more weak and smoking is also linked with many gum diseases.
Excessive smoking can make you more exposed to dental health conditions like receding gums, bleeding gums and ultimately oral cancer.
All these conditions once started have no going back. Therefore prevention is the only cure available at your hands.
5. Control your Sugar Levels
Try to maintain the sugar levels in control. If the sugar levels are maintained within appropriate range then your body will function normally and by that we mean every organ of your body will function normally. You will not get dry mouth that means there will be less chances of fungal and bacterial growths and reduced risk of infections overall.
It is necessary to get the sugar levels tested more frequently as this will help you to keep a record of your health.
Make an online appointment right now to get your blood glucose levels tested.
6. Regular checkup with Dentist
It is necessary to keep up with your dentist. The dentist can suggest the best possible solution on maintaining diabetes and oral health depending on the existing oral conditions. These oral health problems if controlled timely then the chances of success are increased by many fold.
If there is any tooth decay or caries reported then the dentist might get the chance to treat them right away. This will help you in regard that the recovery process will not be time consuming in this case.
Side : Get the real life information about diabetes and free yourself of all the myths which you might have heard about diabetes .
Diabetes and Tooth Extraction
Tooth extraction can be a tricky option for the dentist if you have diabetes. The surgical procedures take sufficient time for the recovery.
There are certain medicines that can help your body defense system and can accelerate the healing process.
So it is said that diabetic people should focus more on prevention of diseases.
Mouthwash and diabetes
Mouthwash can be used in clearing your teeth and they can be used twice daily.
But recent studies have suggested a possible relationship between the use of mouthwash and risk of prediabetes.
With that being said it is essential for diabetic people to opt for such mouthwash which is sugar free and they should get those mouthwash that are clinically tested and proven with no risks of elevated sugar levels in the blood.
The Final Takeaway,
With the recent advancements in the field of biotechnology it is possible to control diabetes and its possible side effects for a longer period of time. Oral health is important for everyone but a diabetic person should take care of it more religiously as diabetes and mouth sores have frequent occurrences. This can also help in maintaining the overall health of that diabetic person. If you have diabetes and you are suffering from oral health issues, feel free to contact our best of their field dentists which will help you in maintaining oral health and hygiene along with diabetes. To get yourself updated on many more articles related to health care visit our website healthwire.pk.
