Diabetes and Oral Health.

As you may already know, it is important to have a healthy mouth. A healthy mouth is essential to general health and well-being, and it has a role to play in boosting confidence and self-esteem levels as well. Oral habits play a major role in having a healthy mouth. You can find out more about healthy oral habits by reading previous articles in?this newsletter.?

Okay, to this week’s business! Many factors?make keeping a healthy mouth difficult, and a high level of blood sugar is one of them. One reason for sustained high levels of blood sugar? You guessed right! Diabetes. ?

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What about diabetes??

Diabetes, when uncontrolled, is a major risk factor for oral health problems. It ensures that you have sustained high levels of blood sugar, which affect virtually every part of the body: the eyes, kidneys, brain, and even the mouth!?

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So, what is the link between diabetes and oral health problems??

As stated earlier, when there is poor control of blood sugar, the likelihood of developing oral health problems is higher. This is because?with uncontrolled diabetes, the white blood cells, which act like "soldiers," defending the body against infections—including bacterial infections that occur in the mouth—are weakened. With these "soldiers" weakened, it is easy for bacterial infections to occur in the teeth and the gums. Take that as point 1!?

If sugar levels in the blood are high, then the levels in the saliva are high too. The bacteria that naturally occur in plaque, just as they are happy when you take sugary food and leave your mouth uncleaned, are happy when the saliva is "sugary" too.?They use this sugar as food, which can easily cause cavities in your teeth, which can lead to tooth loss if not treated.?

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What other concerns are there??

A high salivary sugar level isn't the only thing that can cause cavities. Uncontrolled diabetes can also often lead to dry mouth, which is another way for tooth decay to occur. It can also cause mouth ulcers and soreness.?

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Because the white blood cells are weakened, blood vessels become thickened, which slows down the flow of nutrients and waste products in the body. The gums are also affected by this, and it increases the risk of gum inflammation and periodontal diseases. Sometimes, when the inflammation is severe, the gums can bleed spontaneously.?

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The body also generally experiences poor wound healing when diabetes is uncontrolled because blood flow to the injured site is low. This is the same for the oral cavity. So, ulcers in the mouth may take a long time to heal, and if a tooth is extracted, the socket will have to fight a battle to heal.?

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Fungal infections like oral thrush are also likely to occur when diabetes is uncontrolled. This is because, like bacteria, fungi also enjoy high-sugar environments. This becomes even more likely if one wears a denture or frequently takes antibiotics.?

One can also experience a burning mouth.?

That said, what can you do to prevent these from happening?

Find that in the next edition of the newsletter. Kindly subscribe if you look forward to learning more about oral health and your general health.