Peridontal disease occurs more frequently in people who have diabetes, as well as older people in general.
Periodontitis is inflammation and infection of the gums and bone surrounding your teeth.
It can be prevented with habitual brushing twice daily, flossing, and dental cleanings.
According to the results of three studies, preventing or treating periodontitis might help maintain good blood sugar control.
In an article published last month in the Cochrane Database Systems Review, workers at the Edinburgh Dental Institute of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland reported the results of putting together information from three studies on periodontal disease and diabetes.
Patients in all three studies had diabetes and periodontitis.
Those who received care consisting of dental procedures, oral hygiene and, in some cases antibiotics, had lower HbA1c levels than those who went untreated.
HbA1c is a measure of glucose, or sugar, in your red blood cells.
Since the red blood cells live about 120 days, the HbA1c percentage measures the amount of sugar in your blood over a period of about 4 months, and gives a better picture of overall blood sugar control than one measurement of fasting blood sugar.
Periodontitis has several signs.
They include:
It is thought to start with plaque, which is a film formed on your teeth when bacteria react with carbohydrates and sugars in food.
When plaque is not removed by brushing and flossing, it becomes hard and is called tartar, which can only be removed by a dentist.
Plaque and tartar can cause inflammation and pockets of plaque, tartar, and bacteria can form under the gums, eventually advancing to periodontitis and even loss of teeth.
Diabetics are thought to be at risk for periodontitis, so it is possible that a vicious circle develops with diabetes causing periodontitis and periodontitis making diabetes and blood sugar levels go out of control.
Other factors include use of tobacco, diseases that damage your immune system, poor nutrition, substance abuse, and pregnancy.
The authors of the article warned that the information obtained so far is preliminary, but preventing periodontitis is a good goal for anyone, so why not make a point of brushing and flossing regularly after meals and seeing your dentist for a cleaning twice a year? Other ways to avoid periodontitis include getting proper nutrition, not smoking or abusing drugs, and taking special care during pregnancy.
Peridontal disease should be taken care of for the simple reason that it makes dealing with type 2 diabetes more difficult.
Periodontitis is inflammation and infection of the gums and bone surrounding your teeth.
It can be prevented with habitual brushing twice daily, flossing, and dental cleanings.
According to the results of three studies, preventing or treating periodontitis might help maintain good blood sugar control.
In an article published last month in the Cochrane Database Systems Review, workers at the Edinburgh Dental Institute of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland reported the results of putting together information from three studies on periodontal disease and diabetes.
Patients in all three studies had diabetes and periodontitis.
Those who received care consisting of dental procedures, oral hygiene and, in some cases antibiotics, had lower HbA1c levels than those who went untreated.
HbA1c is a measure of glucose, or sugar, in your red blood cells.
Since the red blood cells live about 120 days, the HbA1c percentage measures the amount of sugar in your blood over a period of about 4 months, and gives a better picture of overall blood sugar control than one measurement of fasting blood sugar.
Periodontitis has several signs.
They include:
- swollen, red or purplish, tender bleeding or receding gums
- new spaces between your teeth
- bad breath
- bad taste
- loose teeth, or
- a change in how the top and bottom teeth fit together
It is thought to start with plaque, which is a film formed on your teeth when bacteria react with carbohydrates and sugars in food.
When plaque is not removed by brushing and flossing, it becomes hard and is called tartar, which can only be removed by a dentist.
Plaque and tartar can cause inflammation and pockets of plaque, tartar, and bacteria can form under the gums, eventually advancing to periodontitis and even loss of teeth.
Diabetics are thought to be at risk for periodontitis, so it is possible that a vicious circle develops with diabetes causing periodontitis and periodontitis making diabetes and blood sugar levels go out of control.
Other factors include use of tobacco, diseases that damage your immune system, poor nutrition, substance abuse, and pregnancy.
The authors of the article warned that the information obtained so far is preliminary, but preventing periodontitis is a good goal for anyone, so why not make a point of brushing and flossing regularly after meals and seeing your dentist for a cleaning twice a year? Other ways to avoid periodontitis include getting proper nutrition, not smoking or abusing drugs, and taking special care during pregnancy.
Peridontal disease should be taken care of for the simple reason that it makes dealing with type 2 diabetes more difficult.
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