"When your diabetes gets out of control it actually leads to some pretty significant problems with your mouth along with your heart, lungs, kidneys and all your other functions" -Dr. Kuiper

Today, we’re going to talk about the connection between diabetes and your oral health. Your teeth are part of your body! Diabetes has a significant impact on your oral health as well as the rest of your body. That being said, a person who is able to manage his/her diabetes effectively can live life just like any other person who does not have diabetes. Thus, the oral impacts are often minimal. 

When diabetes is out of control, however, it can lead to significant impacts on your mouth, lungs, kidneys, liver, and all other functions. The problem that dental professionals most commonly see with unmanaged diabetes is something called periodontal disease. Because diabetes is out of control and the blood sugars are all over the place, it creates an amazing opportunity for the bacteria in the mouth to grow and create a gum tissue infection that eats away and erodes the bone around the teeth. There are statistics that state those with diabetes have an incredibly higher chance of developing periodontal disease and also have greater risk for problems with their teeth, such as loose teeth, and bleeding gums. Some other issues that can present due to unmanaged diabetes include lack of saliva flow, which leads to more decay. In patients with unmanaged diabetes, cuts, scrapes, and wounds often experience delayed healing and have greater chance of becoming infected. It’s very important to manage the blood sugars and come see us for all of your dental related health needs! We want to aid you in proper management of your diabetes and prevent further issues before they become out of control and in turn, become much more expensive to fix. 

If you have further questions, we’d love to help! Please give us a call!

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