Diabetes
and Gum Disease - What's The Connection?
Most people look after and take care to keep the teeth healthy and clean, but the gums are an area that often gets neglected. Gums house tooth enamel and root structures and can quickly get affected if teeth have infections. Gum disease, or periodontal disease, vary from mild to severe and cause an array of symptoms such as pain, soreness, bleeding and tooth loss.
Our dental care center offers technologically advanced gum treatment for patients suffering from gum disease. With the highly effective gum treatment techniques our dentists help to stop or slow the progression of periodontal disease.
An early detection of gum disease becomes crucial in fighting the effects of harmful bacteria. Timely gum treatment can help you save your natural teeth and prevent irreversible damage to your teeth and gums. Dental surgeons advise to give your gums the attention they deserve. This can also take care against serious health problems like oral cancer.
Diabetes and Gum Disease - What's The Connection?
Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is one of the leading causes of tooth loss among adults and is also frequently linked to the control of diabetes. Periodontal disease is an infection in the gum tissues and bone that keep your teeth in place and has also been linked to heart disease, strokes and in some cases to mouth cancer.
Factors That Link Diabetes to Gum Disease
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Studies show that people with insufficient blood sugar control seem to develop gum disease more frequently and more severely than people who have good management over their diabetes. |
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Diabetes slows circulation, which can also make the gum tissues more susceptible to infections. |
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Diabetes reduces the body's resistance to infection which increases the probability of the gums becoming infected. |
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High glucose levels in saliva promote growth of bacteria that cause gum disease. |
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People with diabetes who smoke are far more likely to develop gum disease than people who smoke and do not have diabetes. |
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Poor oral hygiene is a major factor in gum disease for everyone, but it is even more so for a person with diabetes. |
Signs and Symptoms of
Gum Disease
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Prevention
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Red and swollen gums |
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Gums that tend to bleed easily |
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Gums separating from the teeth |
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Loose teeth |
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Frequent bad breath |
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Change in the way
your teeth fit together |
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Change in the way
partials or dentures fit |
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Maintain
good control over your blood sugar levels. |
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Do not smoke |
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Good oral
hygiene and regular dental check ups are
essential in preventing gum disease. |
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Eat a healthy and
well balanced diet. |
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Be sure to tell your dentist and hygienist that you have diabetes so that any signs of early gum disease can be detected by the dentist.
There are two major stages of periodontal disease, gingivitis and periodontitis. Even though people with diabetes tend to develop gum disease more frequently than others, if diagnosed in the early stage (gingivitis), it can be treated and reversed. If treatment is not received, a more serious and advanced stage (periodontitis) may follow which includes bone loss and is not reversible.
How to Prevent Gum Disease
Periodontal Disease can affect more than just our oral health. The American Dental Association states, "There is evidence that bacteria in the mouth which are associated with gum disease may be linked to heart disease, artery blockages and stroke."
The following tips can help you to prevent gum disease:
Difficulty : Easy Time
Required : Daily
Routine
Here's How:
Brush
your teeth properly twice a day. Brushing your teeth
thoroughly removes plaque from the surface before it
hardens into calculus.
Use
a fluoride toothpaste. Using a toothpaste with fluoride
helps to prevent decay.
Floss
your teeth daily. Flossing is the only way to remove
plaque from in between your teeth that a toothbrush can’t
reach.
Use
a mouth rinse. An antimicrobial mouth rinse can provide
extra help in controlling plaque. Listerine is a good
choice and has been approved by the American Dental
Association.
Visit
your dentist for regular check ups. Visiting your dentist
on a regular basis is the best way to make sure that
your teeth and gums stay healthy.
What should you do if you think you have gum disease?
The first thing to do is visit your dentist for a thorough check up of your teeth and gums. The dentist will then decide if a referral to a periodontist is necessary. The periodontist will take measurements of the gum crevices or pockets around your teeth and X-rays are likely to be taken. Following this a diagnosis and detailed advice of any necessary periodontal treatment will be given to you.
What is the treatment for gum disease?
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Regular visits to your dentist are essential if gum problems are to be prevented or recognized and treated. |
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Gum disease treatment will depend on the type of gum disease present and how serious or advanced the condition is. The dentist will instruct and help with specific oral hygiene methods to control the bacteria that collect on our teeth. |
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The dentist or hygienist will carry out meticulous tooth cleaning both above and below the gum line, in order to remove as much of the tartar and plaque deposits. Treatment including prescribing antibiotics may occasionally be used. If the conditions are right these measures will encourage the gums to heal and stop the disease progressing. |
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The gum disease treatment includes removal of hard deposits above and below the Gums. |
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Special Hand Instruments and Ultrasonic Scales are used in periodontal treatment. |
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The mouth is numbed with local anesthesia by the dentist. |
More serious periodontal disease may require the use of a wide variety of surgical techniques. Some of these techniques in certain situations may allow for gum recession to be treated in order to improve the overall appearance.
After the periodontal treatment, a period of ongoing maintenance is almost required to monitor the gums and prevent or treat any areas if the disease returns. A periodontist, hygienist or dentist may provide this care. |
