November is American Diabetes Month

There’s definitely a connection between diabetes and oral health. If you have diabetes it’s extremely important to take excellent care of your teeth and gums. Diabetes increases a patient’s risk for infections in the mouth and the likelihood of the occurrence of periodontal (gum) disease.

Do You Have Diabetes? Please Let Us Know!

It’s important that current and prospective patients let us know if you have been diagnosed with diabetes. Because All About Smiles in Wilmington specializes in holistic dental care, we need to know about any potential ailments like diabetes that you may be facing on a daily basis. Whether you have Type I or Type II diabetes, you should always make sure you share this information with our doctors and team. This is important because specific challenges to your oral health include:

• Dry mouth or decreased ability to create saliva
• Elevated risk for tooth decay and gum disease
• Increased possibility of fungal and other infections
• Threats to the body’s healing process
• Decrease in the sense of taste

What’s The Link Between Gum Disease and Diabetes?

Statistics show that patients who have been diagnosed with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have some form of gum disease in their lifetime. This is in comparison to patients without diabetes. Drs. Lewis Yu can work with you to help manage your diabetes and make sure gum disease doesn’t cause any further health complication such as:

• Your body’s ability to control glycemic levels
• Resistance to insulin
• Increased risk for coronary heart disease
• Hyperglycemia
• Severe periodontal disease
• Susceptibility to recurring infections
• Damage to your gum and jaw bone
• Tooth loss

Food For Thought: How Diet Can Help Control Your Diabetes

Eating healthy is extremely important when you have diabetes — especially if you have Type 2 diabetes. Consuming foods rich in fiber is always a good idea if you’re working to control your diabetes. Some other dietary options you might want to consider are grape seed and cinnamon extracts, onions, garlic, and alpha lipoic acid which has proven beneficial to improve insulin action while preventing diabetic nerve disease.

What Else Can I Do To Manage My Diabetes & Avoid Gum Disease?

Blood sugar levels are definitely harder to control when gum disease is present. This is because the disease creates a cozy home for bacteria to live in gum pockets where it inflammation and infections can thrive. This is why we always stress to all of our patient with diabetes (and those without) that it’s extremely important to keep up with your regular oral hygiene routine.

Don’t forget brush thoroughly twice a day daily and take all the medications that you dentist or doctor prescribes for you. After you complete any tests recommended by your doctor, don’t forget to share the results with us. Also, be sure to maintain your regular appointments with our All About Smiles team for regular periodontal examinations.

We hope you have a better understanding of the importance of the oral/overall health connection and how it also relates to diabetes and gum disease. We are grateful to be a part of your journey to more complete wellbeing. If you’re ever concerned about something or want to talk with us, please don’t hesitate to give our Wilmington holistic dental office a call at (302) 239-1641.