Diabetes affects 830 million people globally, making it one of the most harmful and widespread chronic illnesses we struggle with. Our bodies need blood sugar to fuel our cells, but having too much in the bloodstream, or not enough insulin (a hormone created in your pancreas) to regulate it, causes hyperglycemia and eventually, diabetes.
The results cause major issues throughout the body if not properly treated, including damage to the cardiovascular, urinary, nervous, reproductive, and endocrine systems. It doesn’t stop there, however; your digestive system is also at risk of many problems, starting with your teeth. This National Diabetes Month, we’ll help you see the dental dangers and let you know how we can help.
If you live in the East Village, Manhattan, New York, area and deal with dental issues made worse by diabetes, Dr. Adam Nusblatt and the dedicated team at Nusblatt Dental are here to relieve your symptoms and help your teeth.
A large part of the sugar in our bloodstream comes from the food and drink we ingest, and the digestive process begins in the mouth, where the food is broken down to facilitate its movement through the body. Foods with carbohydrates (starches, sugars, and fibers) get broken down into sugar; the excess is removed by insulin, and the remainder acts as fuel for cells to work.
Diabetes leads to either too much blood sugar or your body developing a resistance to insulin. As a result, you experience problems like excessive thirst and hunger, weight loss, appetite changes, increased need to urinate, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Really high blood sugar levels also cause seizures, confusion, drowsiness, and can put you in a coma.
One direct correlation between dental problems and diabetes is ingesting a lot of foods that break down into sugar and attack the teeth, meaning having this chronic illness raises the risk of oral conditions such as:
Diabetes increases the likelihood of developing signs of gum disease, such as bleeding gums, swelling, loose and missing teeth, and persistent halitosis (bad breath).
This illness also causes a decrease in saliva production, which exposes your teeth to more debris from the food you eat, which sticks to or gets stuck between your teeth.
Both the previous issues and the amount of sugar in foods that lead to diabetes also increase tooth erosion, especially when combined with harmful bacteria. All of these factors result in enamel wearing away and bacteria getting further into dental tissues, causing cavities and tooth loss.
Diabetes also affects how well your body heals, meaning infections are easier to acquire and take longer to go away, causing more damage than in people without this disease.
Fortunately, these problems don’t develop quickly, so even if you’re struggling with diabetes, we can keep your teeth in good shape. Oral exams and digital imaging help confirm tooth problems as they develop.
Removing plaque and tartar through deep cleanings, scaling, and root planing, along with restorative dentistry to mend damaged teeth, all help protect your dental health. This, combined with maintaining your dental hygiene at home and routinely taking your diabetes medications, helps to avoid the complications these conditions can have on your teeth.
Diabetes and dental health are more closely linked than most people think. To prevent its long-term harm to your teeth and gums, make an appointment with Dr. Nusblatt and the Nusblatt Dental team today.
