Diabetes is disease that can affect everybody, any parts of your body- including your mouth. People with diabetes is at higher risk of facing oral health problems. Some of the common oral health problems that people with diabetes are likely to have been cavities, dry mouth, thrush, and gum and bone infections that hold your teeth due to reduced blood supply. And for people who are in the age of 50 or higher, the risk is even higher.

People with diabetes face a higher risk of:

• Dry mouth: Both diabetes and age affect the production of your saliva (specially for women). Saliva makes the enzymes that attack the bacteria, without its bacteria can grow unchecked.
• Gum inflammation (gingivitis) and periodontitis: Besides having a weak supply of white blood cells, diabetes can also cause the thickening of blood vessels. These types of diseases cannot be reversed or treated with brushing and flossing alone. Your dentist needs to be involved and might send you to a specialist when it gets worse.
• Thrush: People with diabetes who frequently take antibiotics to fight various infections are very prone to developing fungal infection of the mouth and tongue. Fungus thrives on high glucose levels in the saliva of people with uncontrolled diabetes.

Preventive measures for Oral Health Problems:

Being aware of the impact of the diabetes to oral health and taking proper dental care can save you from having severe oral health problems. Below are some tips for people with diabetes.

• Take diabetes and oral care seriously
• Make a commitment in managing diabetes
• Have your teeth and gums cleaned and checked by your dentist at least twice a year.
• Prevent plaque build-up by brushing and flossing regularly after every meal.
• If you wear dentures, remove them, and clean them always before sleeping
• Look for early signs of gum disease and have it treated as early as possible once detected.
• Quit smoking

Diabetes management and oral care are equal in importance and is a lifelong commitment. Properly managing both can lead you to a healthier and stress-free life and save you the bucks from getting costly dental treatments for severe dental problems. MS Dental provides excellent preventive dentistry measures or treatments to minimize and prevent the spread of oral problems and infections.

Need to have your dental check-up soon?

Call our nearest practice to learn what’s the best preventive dental care for you! MS Dental offers Family friendly Dental Services in Cardiff, Singleton, Fletcher, and Mayfield. Our highly trained and experienced team is dedicated to ensuring that each patient enjoys the experience in our dental clinics as we always aim to build and maintain long-term caring relationships and trust with all our patients; every detail is covered carefully from the moment of bookings.