Diabetes and Gum Disease: The Two-Way Connection
In today’s world, people are more concerned about spending healthy life. To ensure better health, you will have to make sure that you are paying good attention to your body, mind and mouth.
A recent survey suggests that about 50% of the American adults have periodontal disorder of varying intensity. Most of these adults are over the age of 30. The periodontal infection they have usually results in bleeding of gums, offensive odors, loose teeth, and huge kind of discomfort.
According to a report, people with gum disease are more likely to suffer from the diabetes. As a result, the people with diabetes have co-morbidities which can have a mutual relationship with their blood sugar.
Connection between diabetes and periodontal disease
It is actually the higher blood sugar levels that cause increased risk of infection and bacterial growth. And another reason for the higher blood sugar levels is the periodontal infection. According to some studies, periodontal infections can result in higher blood sugar levels. As a result, diabetic people get more exposed to the risk of developing serious health conditions.
Seeking treatment
In case you have discomfort in the gums, you have to visit your dentist right away. In many cases, only deep scaling can be quite helpful in treating mild to moderate gum infection. The periodontal specialist will treat loose teeth and infection in gingival tissues very easily. This way, you will be able to get the health of your oral cavity back on track. The treatment options in this regard may include gingival grafts, laser treatment, deep scaling, and pocket reduction procedures.
Things you can do at home
Preventing gum disease is the easiest and best thing you can do. All you have to do is to make sure that you ensure best oral hygiene at home.Brush and floss your teeth regularly. Flossing is particularly important because it can help you clean the interdental spaces between your teeth. The food particle and bacteria trapped in those spaces need to be cleared; and flossing is the only way you can ensure it.
Diabetic care
If you are diabetic, you need to take extra care of your teeth and gums. Moreover, you will have to make sure that your blood sugar levels are controlled.70-99 mg/dl is a normal fasting blood sugar level. If you have problem managing your blood sugar levels, you need to visit your health physician to get proper treatment for the issue.
