It has long been observed that diabetics (especially poorly controlled diabetics) have more gum infections and periodontal disease. Current research is confirming that diabetics are more susceptible to gum disease.
New research suggests that the relationship between gum disease and diabetes goes both ways. Periodontal disease can make it more difficH ult for diabetics to control their blood glucose levels, and people with diabetes tend to have more gum disease. This means that this disease equation is really a double ended arrow – a veritable “vicious cycle”.
It is widely believed that diabetics have a higher risk for developing infections and experience poor wound healing, generally, especially in uncontrolled or advanced stages.
Signs and symptoms of gum disease include:
· Gums that bleed
· Red, swollen and tender gum tissues
· Bad breath
· Loose or migrating teeth
· Elevated C-reactive protein levels
Gum disease is a chronic low-grade infection around the teeth. Infections in diabetics generally impair the ability to process and/or utilize insulin. This can cause blood sugars to be more difficult to manage, and in turn can make the gum infections (or any infection in the body) more severe.
Because gum disease is more common and more serious in people with diabetes, periodontal disease has now been called an “oral complication” of diabetes. In fact, one in three diabetics have chronic gum disease problems. Because gum disease is an infection it represents a significant complication for diabetics.
Physicians are becoming more tuned in to the importance of good periodontal health generally and especially in their diabetic patients. It is important that physicians examine or ask about the oral health of diabetic patients and make a referral to a dentist for an evaluation as necessary. Additionally, dentists should be aware that their diabetic patients require closer supervision. Often dentist and physician must work together to manage the diabetes condition, especially if there is changing or improving oral health conditions which may alter insulin or oral medication needs.
The nature of gum disease is that it is a bacterial infection of the gums and bone around teeth. As such it increases local inflammatory factors producing inflammation in the gums. This also allows bacteria and inflammatory by-products to enter the blood stream and produce systemic inflammation in the body generally. This inflammation is believed to affect the health of blood vessels, tissues and organ systems throughout the body, a condition called “systemic inflammation.”
Increases in inflammation interferes with the body’s natural healing response to infection, of which gum disease is a classic example. Poorly controlled diabetics experience a dysregulation that can contribute to periodontal breakdown and diminished tissue repair capacity. As a consequence, diabetics respond differently to the oral bacterial microfilm that naturally accumulates at the gum line around teeth, compared to non-diabetics.
Effective control of diabetes (good blood sugar control) increases and improves the health of the gum tissues. The improved health of these oral tissues improves the ability to control blood sugars and increasing diabetic control. The good news is that when chronic oral infections are treated and when people have good oral health, the management of diabetes markedly improves. This information should give diabetics and their care-takers another reason to smile, because healthy gums aid in the overall control of diabetes, and vice-versa.
reference : Lee Ostler DDS
(Disclaimer: This information cannot be relied on as medical advice for individual circumstances, nor can it substitute for advice from qualified health professionals. Always consult with your physician, dentist, and/or other health professionals who are experienced with working with diabetic patients.)
