If you are one of the 35 million people in the U.S. that has diabetes, you know that you need to take care of yourself in order to stay healthy. Care of your body includes caring for your teeth as well. Diabetics need to be particularly careful with their teeth. Here is some information about caring for your teeth and gums if you have diabetes.
How Diabetes Affects Dental Health
When you have diabetes, you have too much sugar in your blood. This sugar can affect all of your organs and body systems. One of the ways diabetes affects dental health is that people with diabetes are often very thirsty. When you have a dry mouth, you are giving bacteria in your mouth a chance to cause both tooth decay and gum disease.
Research shows that the bacteria that cause both tooth decay and gum disease can make it difficult for diabetics to regulate their insulin levels. One reason this happens is because of the excess bacteria in your mouth. The bacteria can drive your blood sugar levels higher or lower and make it more difficult to know when you need more insulin or not.
Caring for Your Mouth With Diabetes
There are several things you can do to care for your teeth and gums if you have diabetes. First, you will want to hydrate. Drink plenty of water during the day. This helps to reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth. Second, be sure that you limit your sugar when possible because bacteria thrive on sugar as a food source. Also, make sure you visit a dentist at least twice a year. If you have periodontitis, you will want to visit more often. Many dentists recommend you visit once a quarter for teeth cleaning. The more you care for your teeth and gums, the less likely you will suffer from severe gum disease.
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If you are one of the 35 million people in the U.S. that has diabetes, you know that you need to take care of yourself in order to stay healthy. Care of your body includes caring for your teeth as well. Diabetics need to be particularly careful with their teeth. Here is some information about caring for your teeth and gums if you have diabetes.