People with diabetes are more prone to infections, and gum disease is often called the sixth complication of diabetes, especially when diabetes isn’t well controlled.
Diabetes means too much glucose (sugar) in the blood: people with type 2 diabetes can’t regulate insulin, and people with type 1 don’t produce any. It can lead to heart disease and stroke.
How the two are linked
- Higher blood sugar. Moderate to severe gum disease raises blood sugar, making it harder to control, and extra sugar in the mouth feeds the bacteria that worsen gum infection.
- Thicker blood vessels. Diabetes thickens blood vessels so they can’t deliver nutrients and clear waste as well, weakening the gums’ resistance to infection.
- Smoking. Diabetic smokers aged 45 and over are twenty times more likely to develop gum disease.
- Oral hygiene. Without daily brushing and flossing, bacteria feed on sugar between the teeth and spread below the gum line.
Diagnosis and treatment
If you have diabetes, see your dentist at least twice a year for checkups and cleanings. Studies show simple non-surgical gum treatment can lower HbA1c by as much as 20% over six months.
We’ll use your medical and family history and dental x-rays to assess your gums, teeth and jawbone, and work with your other doctors when needed. Treatment usually includes scaling and root planing, sometimes with antibiotics placed in the gum pockets, plus home-care guidance and a prescription mouthwash to keep bacteria from returning.