Diabetes and Oral Health : How type 2 diabetes affects your teeth?
Type 2 diabetes has always been associated with whole bunch of health complications such as heart diseases, kidney problems, stroke and much more. But, there's one such health complication that sometimes goes unnoticed, but is very common among with people suffering with diabetes, and that is bad oral health.
Diabetics are sometimes seen complaining about noticing gum and teeth related issues, especially if they fail to keep proper care of their oral health. But what different happens to our oral health if we are a diabetic?
Is there any connect between type 2 diabetes and bad oral health. Let's try to find out this and much more related to this topic and see if their's really a connection and if yes, then what can be done to prevent bad oral health in diabetes. Let's get started!!
How does type 2 diabetes affect your oral health?
Diabetics often experience irregular blood sugar levels in their body. Sometimes extremely high aka Hyperglycemia and sometimes very low.
People with diabetes who have irregular blood glucose levels are more susceptible to tooth problems and gum disease because their body has low resistance to infection or in other words, they have a low ability to fight off bacteria that can cause gum and teeth infections.
This problem escalates more if you smoke and have diabetes. So, a clear answer to the question - does diabetes affect your teeth is YES!! it might affect.
Hence, it's important to note that if you're someone suffering with diabetes and especially type 2 diabetes, you need to pay extra care and attention to your oral and dental care, alongside controlling your blood glucose levels.
Does diabetes cause gum problems?
Poor blood sugar levels puts diabetics at a higher risk of gum related issues. Gum problems caused due to diabetes may occur anytime and perhaps can go unnoticed if they are not that severe. Some key symptoms of diabetes teeth and gum problems that you should keep an eye at includes:
- Bleeding in gums
- Chronic bad breath even after brushing
- Gums that appear to pull away from the teeth
- Loosening of permanent teeth
- Red or swollen gums
Visit your dentist immediately if you experience any of the above symptoms and even if you don't, it's advisable to visit dentist on regular basis for advice on how to keep and maintain good oral health in diabetes.
Why do diabetics have bad breadth?
Bad breadth is a common issue that very often diabetics come across. It not only affects you socially but also causes a big impact on your psychological health. But, how exactly diabetes related with bad breadth. Let's find out.
Diabetes causes rapid fluctuations in the blood sugar levels, thereby increasing glucose levels in the body and saliva. This provides ideal environment and proper food to the bacteria in the mouth and leads to the build-up of dental plaque. If plaque is not removed effectively via proper brushing or by any other method, tooth decay and gum disease may occur which also causes halitosis. This is also how diabetes and tooth decay might be connected with each other.
Not just that, people with diabetes are likely to have a dry mouth, which sometimes intensifies bad breadth. Hence, always make sure that you brush your teeth at least twice a day and never forget to scrape your tongue, an ideal breeding place for foul-smelling bacteria.
In addition to that, Drink more and more water so as to keep your mouth moist and last but definitely not the least, try keeping your blood sugar levels in the target range.
Can you loose your teeth due to diabetes?
Diabetes and teeth loss are not very often related but from the all above mentioned information, it get's very clear to our mind that diabetes and oral health are related with each other.
Having high blood sugar levels along with bad oral hygiene can severely affect your teeth and gum health. Hence, if we don't take proper care of our oral health, this may result in mouth infections, tooth decay or building up severe cavities which may eventually result in loosing of teeth.
So, in order to avoid this situation, it's essential that we keep proper care of our oral health via brushing and keep blood sugar levels in control via exercises, diet, so as to keep our teeth and gum healthy, even if we are someone with diabetes.
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