Special promotion
November 14 is World Diabetes Day. To help prevent and improve the oral health of people with diabetes, for a month we offer a free check-up and a free oral hygiene kit to people affected by this disease.
Contact us at 93 343 66 41 to request your appointment.
Oral health is not isolated from the rest of the body. All our systems, organs and even each cell interrelate to function, so some diseases that originate in certain parts can also affect our mouth.
This is the case of diabetes, a chronic disease that, according to WHO data, suffer more than 400 million people worldwide, one in eleven.
Diabetes consists of a dysfunction of the pancreas that alters the production of insulin, which affects the ability of our body to process sugar. An excess of sugar in the blood can cause heart, kidney or circulation problems, in addition to oral problems, which are the ones we will deal with in this article.
1. Gum disease
Gingivitis and periodontitis are one of the possible complications of diabetes, since this disease decreases our ability to fight bacterial infections.
Gingivitis is a disease of bacterial origin, which occurs when plaque or biofilm accumulates around the teeth. The bacteria present in plaque attack the soft tissue surrounding the tooth, causing redness, inflammation and bleeding. In a more advanced phase it becomes periodontitis. Diabetes makes us more susceptible to this infection, which exacerbates the problem. Likewise, if the disease is not controlled, despite treating periodontitis, healing and scarring will be affected.
2. Tooth decay
Another possible consequence of diabetes is dry mouth. This dryness can cause discomfort or pain, sores and infections, since the lack of saliva alters the flora that protects our mouth.
Saliva can act as a protector against cavities, by helping to clean our mouth and reduce the acidity of certain foods that attack the flora and tooth enamel. When saliva production decreases, we are more exposed to cavities.
3. Oral candidiasis
Oral candidiasis is detected by small whitish spots that appear in the oral cavity and on the tongue, and that are sometimes confused with food remains, but that do not come off when trying to remove them with gauze.
This infection is caused by an opportunistic fungus that only causes infection when the immune system and the balance of bacteria in the mouth are disturbed, as is the case with diabetes.
Tips for oral health in diabetics
People with diabetes should pay special attention to the care of their mouth and dental health, since any problem can be aggravated by lower resistance to infections and dry mouth.
The most important thing is to inform your dentist of your health status in relation to diabetes, so that he can assess how it affects your oral health, especially before any surgical intervention. In addition, the more controlled your glucose levels are, the better resistance you will have to possible infections and related problems.
- Visit your dentist at least every six months to check the condition of your mouth.
- Strictly follow your dentist's oral hygiene recommendations: brushing, dental floss, interdental brushes and mouthwashes.
- Try to schedule dental visits in the morning, when glucose levels are usually more controlled.
- Pay attention to any symptoms or irregularities, especially if you have undergone any intervention, since diabetes also decreases the speed with which we heal.
Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Remember, prevention is always better!