Dental Health Care & Diabetes

The maintenance of proper oral health care is important in ensuring that one is as far away as possible from dental problems. Those with diabetes should be doubly careful in making sure that their dental health is taken care of in the best way possible, because dental problems can result in further complications when combined with the presence diabetes.

Diabetes patients have a higher risk of developing the following dental problems, especially when good oral health is not practised or maintained:
• Gum Disease - Those with diabetes have a higher risk of developing problems concerning inflammation of the gums (gingivitis or periodontitis) that are caused by bacterial infections.
• Dry Mouth - Diabetes (and diabetes medications) can result in dry mouth issues, which can in turn result in bad breath, tooth decay and other dental problems.
• Oral Thrush - Taking antibiotics for diabetes-related concerns may cause fungal infections on the tongue and inside the mouth; the fungi thrives on saliva with high sugar levels, causing oral thrush to develop.
• Tooth Decay - When bacteria interact with sugars and starches inside the mouth, plaque may form on teeth surfaces. Without proper oral hygiene, tooth decay may develop.

Tips for Proper Diabetes Dental Health Care:
In order to avoid the above said dental problems, a person suffering from diabetes is required to take a little extra dental care than a normal person. Below are the few important tips that are required to be followed by a diabetes patient so as to ensure proper dental health care.

Regular tooth brushing and dental flossing - Proper and regular tooth brushing will keep the teeth surfaces, tongue, and the inside of the mouth clean - so bacteria will not have a chance to thrive in this environment. The use of dental floss will ensure that the spaces in between the teeth and along the gum line are also free from food debris, which may cause plaque to form.

Monitor and maintenance of blood sugar levels - Blood sugar levels should be strictly monitored to ensure that they remain at normal levels - to prevent complications in dental health from arising.

 Regular dental check-ups - Regular visits to the dentist will help in the maintenance of good oral health. It is also important to keep the dentist updated about your diabetes condition so that appropriate measures can be followed. It is also a good idea to inform the dentist about the diabetes medications being taken, so this can be taken into consideration before any dental treatment can be undertaken.
Though diabetes sufferers are easily prone to dental diseases, regular check-ups and proper maintenance of day-to-day dental hygiene will relieve them from the risk of these dental complications.