Diabetes is a chronic medical condition that affects your body’s relationship with natural sugars like glucose. Your pancreas naturally produces a hormone called insulin to regulate the amount of glucose in the blood. It moves the sugar from your blood into your cells where the sugar converts into energy. The lack of insulin production can cause a type of diabetes to form. It’s so common that as of 2021 more than 38 million Americans are affected by diabetes, while 97.6 million adults aged 18 years or older have prediabetes.

Diabetes and Teeth

The connection between diabetes and oral health lies in high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). Whether you have Type I diabetes (insulin deficient) or Type II (insulin resistant), high blood sugar is a strong contributing factor to the state of your oral health. Elevated blood sugar levels can put a strain on your body, including the immune system, impairing white blood cells from finding and fighting off infection and reducing their healing capacity. This weakening of the immune system, along with elevated glucose levels in your saliva, can cause inflammation and encourage the growth of plaque and detrimental oral bacteria that can cause gum diseases. There are various stages of gum disease ranging from gingivitis to periodontal disease. As gum disease progresses, the gums may recede and teeth may become loose, causing them to fall out or need to be removed.

Another common symptom of diabetes tends to be dry mouth. With increased blood glucose levels, comes more sugar in the saliva and very dry mouths. Talk about a double edged sword! Excess sugar in the saliva significantly enhances the growth of decay-inducing bacteria and acids, leading to enamel erosion; pair that with reduced saliva flow, which makes washing away food and acid less effective, this combination increases the likelihood of dental plaque build up on teeth, which can lead to tooth decay and infections. According to Cleveland Clinic, medication side effects can also cause this symptom. Dry mouth can:

• Make it hard to taste food
• Increase the risk of cavities
• Lead to salivary gland infections
• Cause bad breath
• Increase risk of thrush

What You Can Do

While all of this may sound a bit scary, hope is not lost! There are a few simple things you can do to help care for your oral health. The obvious being to monitor your blood sugar levels and keep them in your target range and brush and floss your teeth twice daily. Also, remember to stay hydrated. Drinking more fluids and chewing sugar-free gum can help increase your saliva production. Small strides like this can make a big difference.

If you’re dealing with any of these symptom, please make sure to consult both your doctor and dentist. If you would like to learn more on how diabetes can affect your dental and vision health, click the image below!