Diabetes and Periodontitis – All You Need to Know

Those who have been diagnosed with hyperglycaemia, or diabetes, are aware of the fact that it can have a negative impact on the rest of their body as well. Diabetes can slowly lead to loss of vision and adversely impact the heart, kidneys and other parts of the body. However, there is one body part that diabetes will target and, unfortunately, not many are aware of this, and that is your mouth.

Diabetics have high chances of developing periodontitis.

For those who aren’t aware of this, periodontitis is a disease in which the bones and the gum supporting your teeth get destroyed over a period of time. Patients who have this problem will ultimately face extremely painful chewing and loss of teeth as well. Moreover, problems like bleeding gums are known to wreck havoc in the lives of diabetics.

What have the results shown?

Research has shown that there is a direct relationship between diabetes and periodontitis. People suffering from poorly controlled blood sugar levels often complain of gum problems. In fact, when a diabetic fails to maintain his or her blood sugar levels, then the gum slowly starts to deteriorate and, as a result, there is eventual loss of teeth.

In fact, if diabetics can continuously monitor and control their blood sugar levels, then they are no more at a risk of developing periodontitis than those who are not diabetics. Even children suffering from insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus have a risk of developing gum problems.

In other words, if you are diabetic and are keeping a strict check on your blood-sugar levels, you are not only protecting your heart, kidneys and eyesight, but you are taking good care of your oral health as well.

How exactly can the two be connected?

First of all, if one is diagnosed with diabetes, one’s blood vessels become thicker, and the supply of important nutrients to the different parts of the body gets restricted. With the gums along with the alveolar bone, not getting the required nutrition, they become weak, and slowly deteriorate.

Diabetes happens when your blood glucose levels go out of control and glucose is a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria.

If you don’t control your sugar levels, the excess amount of glucose in the mouth fluids will allow bacteria to thrive, making it all the more difficult for the already weakened gums and other tissues to take care of your teeth.

If you are a diabetic and also smoke frequently, then we hope you know that you aren’t exactly doing yourself any favor. Diabetics who are also smokers are 20 times more likely to develop periodontists compared to those people who don’t smoke and have their blood sugar levels in control.

Bottom line:

All the research and scientific evidence establish a connection between diabetes and periodontitis. Given that diabetes causes so many other health issues, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

If one is diabetic, one must control one’s blood sugar levels to stay away from getting higher chances of developing periodontitis along with avoiding other health concerns.