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Diabetes and Oral Health
Article by sonicare.com

Diabetes has a whole host of severe implications for the body. One important and often overlooked implication involves gum disease. Gum disease, especially severe gum disease is an uncomfortable and oftentimes hard to control oral care problem. In addition, gum disease can have implications on a diabetic's overall health making it harder to control their diabetes.

Diabetes on the rise
Unfortunately, the number of people with diabetes continues to rise dramatically. In 1985, an estimated 30 million people worldwide had diabetes. Just one decade later in 1995, the World Health Organization and International Diabetes Foundation estimated that 135 million people suffered from diabetes. Today, it is estimated that over 177 million people worldwide have diabetes and one-third to one half remain undiagnosed.

There is also significant concern about the growth in prediabetes. Prediabetics have blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be considered as diabetics. Over 350 million people worldwide are believed to have prediabetes. Recent research shows that long-term damage to the body, especially the heart and circulatory system, may already be occurring during prediabetes.

How diabetes impacts oral health
People who do not properly treat their diabetes suffer from under-controlled blood sugar levels. Over a long period of time, this damages the white blood cells in the body, which is the main defense against infections. When the white blood cells are unable to function properly, any bacteria, like that from gum disease, can enter the bloodstream and cause infection. And since people with diabetes have 50% greater risk of gum disease, this risk is a reality.

People with diabetes—particularly those who do not properly control their blood sugar levels—are more susceptible to the development of gum disease and other oral infections than those who do not have diabetes. Nearly 64 percent of diabetics already have some level of gum disease, versus 50 percent of non-diabetics. But it has been proven that proper treatment of diabetes lowers the risk of gum disease to that equal of the non-diabetic.

Diabetes slows healing and increases the risk of infection. Therefore, in the event oral surgery is required, diabetics, particularly those whose blood sugar is poorly controlled, are faced with a higher risk of complications.

The relationship between diabetes and gum disease is bi-directional . Diabetes can worsen gum disease and, at the same time, gum disease can make diabetes harder to control. For instance, once an oral infection or gum disease is present in a diabetic, the progression of the condition is typically much faster than for a non-diabetic.

As a diabetic or prediabetic it is important that your oral routine includes the following:

• Thoroughly brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss every day. Since a Sonicare is clinically proven to reduce gingivitis, it's a perfect choice.
• If you smoke, it's important that you quit. If you are diabetic, smoking increases your risk of gum disease significantly.
• Visit your dentist every 6 months. Be sure to tell your dentist that you have diabetes.
• Also, contact the dentist if you notice soreness in your gums, dry mouth, white patches or a bad taste in your mouth.
• Maintaining control of your blood glucose is equally important for oral health as it is for your overall well-being.