Taking Care of Your Teeth as a Diabetic: Important Tips to Remember

Being diabetic means that you have to be more attentive to every aspect of your health, including your oral health. People who have uncontrolled blood sugar are more likely to have issues with their teeth, their gums, and the overall health of their mouth. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes just like 29.1 million other people in the United States, you will have to take certain steps to protect your teeth. Here are a few important tips to remember.

Be Vigilant About Dental Checkups

As much as one out of five cases of total tooth loss can actually be linked to diabetes, which is a scary statistic to face if you are one of the people who have the condition. Seeing your dentist on a regular basis for checkups and cleanings will help protect your teeth and gums from the effects diabetes can have on them. Visit your dentist twice a year for deep cleaning and make sure you are getting checkups annually.

Watch Closely for Signs of Gum Disease

Gum disease is one of the biggest reasons diabetics have trouble with their teeth because the gums protect the teeth and hold them securely in the gum line. People with diabetes are more prone to gum disease and often have problems with inflamed or bleeding gums, which has an impact on the health of the teeth. Research has suggested that having your gum disease treated and getting good cleanings regularly can actually help lower blood sugar levels.

Avoid Smoking or Smokeless Tobacco

As someone who has diabetes, the environment in your mouth may already be somewhat disrupted from what it should be. When you introduce something like tobacco smoke or fluid from smokeless tobacco, the risks to your smile can grow even higher than usual. Smoking actually raises the temperature inside of your mouth encouraging bacteria to grow and making infections in soft tissues even more plausible.

Even though having diabetes can leave you at higher risk for developing dental problems, many of these problems can be prevented. Reach out to us at Fishinger Dental if you would like to know how we can help you keep on smiling in spite of your diabetes diagnosis.