Oral Health and Diabetes
Diabetes has affected about 5 million Indians till date Diabetes can cause problems with your eyes, nerves, kidneys, heart and other parts of your body. Diabetes can lower your resistance to infection and can slow the healing process.
Oral health problem associated with diabetes
1. Tooth decay
2. Gum disease
3. Salivary gland dysfunction
4. Fungal infections
5. Infection and delayed healing
6.Taste impairment
Gum Disease
After you have a meal, snack, beverage your teeth get covered with plaque( a sticky film of bacteria).
When diabetes is not controlled properly, high glucose levels in saliva may help bacteria thrive.
If this is not removed plaque eventually hardens into calculus.This leads to chronic inflammation and infection in the mouth.
Prevention
1. Brushing twice a day
2. Use of floss / inter-dental cleaner helps remove decay-causing plaque.
Connection Between Diabetes And Gum Disease
Diabetes reduces the body’s resistance to infection and gums are the tissues likely to be affected. Patients with inadequate blood sugar control appear to develop periodontal disease more often and lose more teeth in comparison to normal people.
Prevention
1. Professional cleaning at dental office /clinic at interval of six months is recommended
2. A well-balanced diet and controlled sugar levels are very important.
3. Use of chlorhexidine mouthwashes is helpful.
4. Brushing twice a day with the use of floss is highly recommended.
Dry Mouth
A diabetic dental patient usually has a complaint of dry mouth.
This condition greatly increases the risk of tooth decay. constant dryness irritates soft tissue making them inflamed and painful.
Treatment
1. Your dentist may recommend salivary substitutes. using sugarless gums/mints are helpful
2. Taking frequent sips of water or melting ice chips may reduce the condition of dry mouth.
3. Restricting intake of caffeine and alcohol also help.
4. Your dentist may recommend the use of fluoride rinses or topical application of fluoride on teeth to prevent tooth decay.
FUNGAL INFECTIONS
ORAL CANDIDIASIS appear to occur more frequently among persons with diabetes including those who wear dentures
Treatment
Your dentist may recommend antifungal medication to treat this condition.
Lichen Planus
It involves painful ulcers that erode surface tissue.There is no permanent cure although your dentist may recommend tropical anaesthetic or other medication to reduce and relieve the condition.