Home
Patient Information
- Periodontal Overview
- Periodontal Disease and Heart Disease
- Diabetes and Periodontal Diseases
- Periodontal Disease Risk Factors
- Periodontal Complications
- Oral Cancer
- • Biopsy
- Maintaining Periodontal Health throughout a Woman's Lifetime
- Other Diseases and Their Relationship to Periodontal Disease
- Heart Disease: Precautions to be Taken Before Dental Treatment
- Poor Nutrition and Periodontal Disease
- What is "Good Oral Hygiene"?
- How to Brush
- How to Floss
- How to Care for Sensitive Teeth
- Hygiene Products
- • Toothbrush Care
- New Patient FAQs
- First Visits FAQs
Diabetes And Periodontal Disease
If you or someone you know has diabetes, you already know that it is important for diabetic patients to monitor the status of their diabetes and keep it under control with medication, diet and exercise. However, you may not know that good oral health not only keeps the mouth and gums free from infection, but also might have a significant impact on the control of diabetes.
Diabetic patients are three-to-four times more likely to develop chronic periodontal infections. Like any other infection in the body, periodontal infections can impair the ability to process and/or utilize insulin, which can make diabetes more difficult to control. In addition, a periodontal infection may be more severe in a diabetic patient than in someone without diabetes. These infections may cause increased blood sugar that can increase the period of time when a diabetic’s blood sugar level is high. Consequently, it is important for diabetic patients to have their periodontal diseases treated to control or eliminate the infection as one more way to achieve optimal control of their blood sugar levels.
Treatment options for diabetic patients vary depending on the level of control they have over their diabetes and the severity of the existing periodontal damage. For well-controlled diabetic patients, periodontal treatment is similar to a non-diabetic patient’s treatment. In the early stages of periodontal diseases, treatment usually involves scaling and root planning, a procedure in which plaque and tartar are removed from the surfaces of the teeth, both above and below the gums. More advanced cases may require additional treatment combined with antibiotics. Happily, periodontal therapy has been shown to improve blood sugar levels in diabetic patients, and may decrease their need for insulin.
As the research progresses on diabetes and periodontal diseases, it becomes easier to see that the link between them is probably a two-way street. See us today to get on the right side of the street, and ensure that you are headed for a life of good oral and overall health.
