How Blood Sugars and Gum Disease Relate

Whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, you are most likely aware that it can cause harm to your heart, nerves, kidneys, eyes and other symptoms in your body, including your mouth. Unfortunately, people who have been diagnosed with diabetes are at a higher than normal risk for developing periodontal disease. Today we will look at some of the symptoms of periodontal disease, and how you can help lower your risks.

Diabetes and Gum Disease

Just like with the other complications associated with diabetes, if you have poor control over your blood sugar levels, this can lead to complications with your oral health. Unregulated blood sugar levels (BSL) or poor control of your BSL can lead to not only periodontal disease but to tooth loss as well. Monitor your BSL regularly either by using a traditional glucose monitor or a continuous glucose monitor. Some of the more recent CGMs can even communicate directly to your phone via an internet connection, setting off alarms if your BSL is too high or too low. Regularly monitoring your BSL and keeping it close to the levels that your physician recommends is the first step in preventing periodontal disease in diabetics.

Another complication of diabetes is the thickening of the blood vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients to the body. These vessels all over the body, including the mouth, also help carry away the waste products created by the tissues in our mouths. When these vessels are thickened, it becomes more difficult for the body to deliver the good things and get rid of the bad. For this reason, if you have diabetes, you should absolutely monitor your sugars regularly to make sure that you are staying within your normal ranges. This ensures that your vessels stay healthy.

Our dentists are very knowledgeable and specialize in diabetic dentistry. Give us a call today and together we can make sure that your diabetes doesn’t add any unnecessary complications to your oral health.