Oral health and diabetes

Why does oral health matter more for folks with diabetes? High blood sugar can weaken the immune system so it is harder to fight off infections. This includes infections in your mouth like gum disease. People with diabetes have a higher chance of having gum disease, an infection of the gum and bone that hold the teeth in place.

Why does oral health matter more for folks with diabetes? High blood sugar can weaken the immune system so it is harder to fight off infections. This includes infections in your mouth like gum disease. People with diabetes have a higher chance of having gum disease, an infection of the gum and bone that hold the teeth in place.¹

Diabetes also increases the bacteria in your mouth due to high levels of sugar in your saliva. People with diabetes will have a more inflammatory response due to their weakened immune system. This inflammatory response can lead to tooth loss over time.

What symptoms¹ should you look for?

Sometimes people with diabetes notice their gums look swollen and can bleed when brushing or flossing. Others have signs of dry mouth, white patches or just a bad taste in their mouth. All of these are reasons to contact your dentist.

What can you do to prevent oral health issues when you have diabetes?

1. Stay on top of your blood glucose levels
2. See your dentist twice a year and let them know you have diabetes
3. Brush your teeth twice a day
4. Floss your teeth once a day

Another thing you can do is take steps to prevent or delay getting diabetes if you don’t have it or are in the pre-diabetes phase. Over 38 million children and adults have diabetes in the United States.² The national cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2022 was more than $412.9 billion, up from $327 billion in 2017.²

What can you do to help prevent or delay diabetes? Here are five things you can do to help:

1. Join a diabetes education program near you to learn more and get support
2. Increase your daily physical activity – even just a small increase can have an impact
3. Work towards losing 10-15 pounds if you are considered overweight or obese
4. Stop smoking
5. Maintain a healthy diet

Those are just five changes you can make to help improve your health, but there are many other things you can do if those are not of interest. With the help of your doctor you are sure to be able to develop a custom plan that works for you.

This November take a moment to raise your awareness about diabetes. Learning more about the impact of diabetes and how to prevent will benefit your health over the long-term. The American Diabetes Association has some great resources to help - https://diabetes.org/.