Diabetes and Oral Health: How Blood Sugar Affects Gum Disease Risk

Diabetes is a disease that can affect your gums more than any other disease. Diabetes occurs when your blood sugar is too high; it is the result of your body not making or using insulin correctly. When this occurs, and blood sugar is not well controlled, the environment is ripe for periodontal disease to begin.

This article describes diabetes, gum disease, and the relationship between diabetes and periodontal (gum) disease.

Understanding Diabetes

High blood sugar is the result of your body either not making insulin or not using insulin correctly. The three types of diabetes are:

• Type 1 Diabetes
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Gestational Diabetes

High blood sugar can make it more difficult to keep your mouth healthy. Managing your diabetes helps prevent gum disease and other health problems.

Understanding Periodontal Disease

Periodontal (gum) diseases are infections of the gums and bone that hold the teeth in place. Gum disease is a problem that can happen if you have diabetes that isn’t controlled well. Also, the body’s response to gum infections can result in blood sugar problems. If left untreated, these problems in your mouth can lead to tooth loss. According to an article in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the CDC, nearly 25 percent of adults in the U.S. with diabetes, ages 50 and older, have severe tooth loss, compared with about 16 percent of those without diabetes.

How Can Diabetes Cause Periodontal Disease?

Changes Your Saliva

One way diabetes can affect your mouth is by changing your saliva, the fluid that keeps your mouth wet. Saliva helps prevent tooth decay by washing away pieces of food so that bacteria don’t grow. Saliva also has minerals that help protect tissues in your mouth and fight tooth decay. When the salivary glands in your mouth make less saliva, the risk for dental cavities, gum disease, and other mouth problems increases.

Changes in Blood Vessels

Diabetes causes blood vessel changes. The thickened blood vessels can reduce the flow of nutrients and removal of wastes from body tissues. This reduced blood flow can make the gums and bone weak. This puts them at greater risk for infection.

Increases Glucose in Your Saliva

Another way diabetes can cause periodontal disease is by increasing the amount of glucose in your saliva. When your blood sugar (glucose) level is too high, glucose can build up in your saliva, feeding harmful bacteria that combine with food to form a soft, sticky film called plaque, which causes cavities. When plaque is not removed, it can build up on your teeth near your gum line and harden into a deposit called tartar, which can cause gum disease.

Smoking is a Significant Factor

Another factor, smoking, is harmful to oral health even for people without diabetes. But a person with diabetes who smokes is at a much greater risk for gum disease than a person who doesn’t have diabetes.

The Most Common Oral Problems Caused by Diabetes

By far, the most common and most serious oral problem caused by diabetes is gum disease. Untreated, the disease advances in stages–from inflamed gums (gingivitis) to infection (periodontitis) and even to tooth loss.

Gingivitis

The first stage of gum disease is gingivitis, or inflamed gums. Gingivitis is a mild inflammation of the soft tissues around your teeth. It develops when plaque and tartar build up near the gum line, inflaming your gums. As a result, your gums may become red and swollen and may bleed easily.

Periodontitis

When gingivitis is not treated, it can progress to periodontal disease, an infection of the gums and bone that hold your teeth in place. Your gums may pull away from your teeth and form pockets that slowly become infected. From the infection, the bacteria in your mouth and your body’s response to it begin to break down the bone and tissue that hold your teeth in place. If periodontitis is not treated, the teeth can become loose and may need to be removed.

How to Know if You Have Mouth Problems from Diabetes

There are signs and symptoms of problems from diabetes to check your mouth for, such as:

• Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
• Receding gums
• Gums pulling away from your teeth
• Loose teeth
• Increasing spaces between your teeth
• Dry mouth is an important sign of diabetes
• Bad breath that doesn’t go away when you brush your teeth

What To Do To Reduce Risks of Gum Disease With Diabetes

Here are some tips to reduce the risks of gum disease when you have diabetes:

• Treating gum disease may help lower your blood sugar over time.
• Regular dental visits are important to prevent problems. Be sure to keep regular dental visits for professional cleanings, X-rays, and checkups. Ask your dentist how often you should have your teeth checked.
• Brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
• Floss your teeth at least once a day.
• Tell your dentist if you have diabetes.
• If your gums are red, swollen, or bleed easily, see your dentist. These may be signs of gum disease.
• If you smoke, take steps to quit. Smoking increases your risk of gum disease and can worsen your diabetes.

Contact Hamby Family Dental Center to Schedule Your Dental Check Up

If you have diabetes and are seeing signs or having symptoms of gum disease, reach out to Hamby Family Dental Center. We have decades of experience with patients who are diabetic or just showing signs of gum disease. Contact us today by calling  919-552-2431 or by filling out our convenient online appointment request form below.