Connection between diabetes and dental healthImage Credit source: Getty Images
Many people think that diabetes affects only blood sugar. but it’s not like that. Diabetes can also affect your teeth and gums. And the special thing is that the connection between these two is from both sides. This means that having diabetes can increase the risk of teeth and gum problems. If oral health is not good, it can be difficult to keep blood sugar under control.
When blood sugar remains high for a long time, the amount of sugar in saliva also increases. This gives the harmful bacteria present in the mouth a chance to grow. Due to this, plaque can accumulate on the teeth, tooth decay can occur and gum disease can also occur.
reduced saliva production
Dr. Shikha Sharma, Dental Surgeon says that due to diabetes, saliva production in the mouth of some people also starts decreasing, due to which the mouth starts remaining dry. Saliva helps in clearing small pieces of food and bacteria from our mouth. Therefore, when saliva is produced less, the risk of tooth cavity and mouth infection may increase.
Apart from this, in diabetes, the body may take a little more time to recover. Therefore, even after minor gum problems or any dental treatment, recovery may take longer time. But its effect is not only on one side. If gum disease worsens, there may be persistent swelling in the body.
insulin not working properly
This can make it difficult for insulin to work properly and it can also be difficult to control blood sugar. This means that many times a cycle is created in which uncontrolled diabetes increases gum disease and gum disease makes it more difficult to control blood sugar.
Therefore, taking care of teeth and gums is not only important for a good smile, but is also an important part of managing diabetes. Brush twice a day, clean between your teeth daily, visit the dentist from time to time and try to keep your blood sugar within the range recommended by your doctor. This can improve not only your teeth and gums but also your overall health.
