November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and we’d like to take some time to talk about how living with diabetes can affect your oral health. Patients living with diabetes already have a lot on their plate. They keep track of numbers and what they eat all day long. They are constantly on alert for changes in their bodies, and the smile is not exempt from that attention. Let’s take a look at the relationship between diabetes and oral health, because the connection is very real.
The Risk
The number one risk between diabetes and oral health is the fact that diabetes patients have a lowered resistance to infection. One of the most common infections in the United States is gum disease, which means that patients with diabetes will be at more risk for developing gum disease. If it isn’t prevented or caught early, these patients will risk the loss of their teeth.
Prevention
In order to keep this from happening, patients need to closely follow the preventive measures of oral hygiene. This begins on a daily basis with your daily oral hygiene routine. Flossing, brushing, and using a mouth rinse will each work to remove dangerous bacteria from your mouth. You will also need to maintain routine dental exams and cleanings every six months. For patients struggling to keep gum disease under control, we might recommend that you come in every 3-4 months.
Gum disease requires a lot of attention from the patient, and there’s rarely any sort of let up. Prevention is the name of the game, and preventive oral health care will protect your teeth from oral infections like gum disease. Contact us for more information, and let us know how we can help you feel more confident in your healthy smile.
