Brush your teeth twice daily if you are suffering from diabetes

Diabetes and oral health are interlinked so take care of your blood sugar levels to keep your teeth safe and vice versa.

Debjani Arora | Published: August 21, 2018 8:15 pm

Tags: Complications of diabetes diabetes care Oral Health

Talking about diabetes, we usually keep the discussion limited to managing blood sugar, proper diet and the importance of exercising. But the condition needs more attention than you think. It affects every organ in your body and at times leads to other complications, such as a kidney or heart problems. In fact, diabetes can also affect your oral hygiene.

Diabetes and oral health are interlinked. High blood sugar can be a trigger for various gum diseases and infections. On the other hand, gum disease can make it harder to control diabetes. Over time plaque collects on the surface of your teeth, hardens to form tartar and settles on the gum line. It makes cleaning between the teeth difficult leading to painful, inflamed gums. Moreover, the glucose present in saliva also affects the health of your teeth and the tissues of your tongue, roof and the back of the mouth. So brush twice daily and floss at least once a day. Rinsing your mouth after every two hours will also help you keep your mouth healthy. Here are 10 tips to improve oral health in a diabetic.

The American Diabetes Association suggests that the relationship between serious gum disease and diabetes is two-way. Not only are people with diabetes more susceptible to serious gum disease, but serious gum disease may have the potential to affect blood glucose control and contribute to the progression of diabetes. People with diabetes are at higher risk for oral health problems, such as gingivitis (an early stage of gum disease) and periodontitis (serious gum disease). People with diabetes are at an increased risk for serious gum disease because they are generally more susceptible to bacterial infection, and have a decreased ability to fight bacteria that invade the gums.

If your blood glucose levels are poorly controlled, you are more likely to develop serious gum disease and lose more teeth. Like all infections, serious gum disease may be a factor in causing blood sugar to rise and may make diabetes harder to control. Other oral problems associated with diabetes include thrush, an infection caused by a fungus that grows in the mouth, and dry mouth which can cause soreness, ulcers, infections and cavities. This is why it is imperative for a diabetic to keep their teeth clean and shining to avoid complications of diabetes.

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Published: August 21, 2018 8:15 pm

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