Diabetes: The Periodontal Saga

Diabetes holds the distinction of being one of the few diseases which is as prolific in the causes that lead to it, as the conditions which it, in turn, brings about. When mismanaged, the disease leaves virtually no part of your body untouched, beginning at your heart and kidneys and moving forward to your eyes, teeth and even your nervous system. However, while these facets of diabetes are relatively better known, a large majority of people all over the world are still in the dark about the effect diabetes has on their teeth. Periodontal disease, which is a bacterial infection of the gums and the bone which fasten your teeth to your mouth, damages them, thus promoting decay and eventually a permanent loss of teeth. This infection further goes on to hamper your diabetes management, thus forcing the victim to deal with further diabetes complications, while also struggling to keep his periodontal disease in control.

Periodontal disease begins when the plaque which coats your teeth develop bacteria, which in turn cause your gums to become inflamed. This can occur in a single tooth, or in all your teeth; however, the high blood glucose levels which diabetes imposes does put you at a higher risk of contracting this disease. This is because the impaired circulation of blood in your body, brought about by the diabetes induced thickening of veins, reduces the supply of oxygen and nutrients to your teeth, making them more vulnerable to disease. Also, if your diabetes is mismanaged, the amount of glucose in your blood will be a lot higher than that of a non-diabetic. This sugar is a fertile breeding ground for bacteria, which then herald periodontal disease.


Like most other forms of infection, periodontal disease has distinct phases of development, developing into the more mature phases quickly and surreptitiously when given the opportunity to do so. The first stage, where the bacterial infection affects the gums and aggravates them is known as Gingivitis. This phase is relatively easy to overcome and can be dealt with by simply brushing and flossing everyday while also getting your teeth regularly cleaned by your dentist. On the other hand, if these basic measures are not followed, the disease soon proceeds to its next phase, which is a far more difficult one to correct.

At the second phase, the plaque on your teeth grows harder and denser and accumulates under your gums, pulling them away from your teeth. This creates gaps, or pockets of infection that may even destroy the bone anchoring your teeth, leading to tooth loss. The progression from Gingivitis to periodontitis is barely imperceptible and waiting for pain and loose teeth will mean that you have already let this disease advance to its more mature phase. And so, if you do find that your inflammation and bleeding do not subside after meticulous cleaning, it is advisable you visit a periodontist for specialized treatment.

Treating periodontitis involves loosening the plaque and infected tissue off your teeth and gums, so that your healthy gum tissue can re-attach itself to your teeth. This treatment is only successful if you follow it up with regular brushing or flossing, else your periodontist will need to surgically operate your gums and thus try to rid your teeth of the infection. This process, though painful and tedious plays a very critical role in saving your teeth, without which, the only recourse available to you is to extract the tooth to prevent the infection from spreading to other, unaffected teeth.

As a victim of diabetes, it is essential you discuss your treatment and diabetes control with your dentist, as your insulin dosage and meal schedule may need to be altered as per your periodontal treatment. A more foolproof course of action would be to have your physician talk to your dentist prior to your treatment to ensure that the treatment of one condition does not interfere with that of the other. Your dentist may also recommend that you postpone your periodontal treatment in case your diabetes is poorly managed as it may cause certain challenging complications.

The healing process that follows periodontal treatment may be elongated and delayed in case of diabetics on account of the poor blood circulation. Poor diabetes management may make the process even more tedious, thus making it even more important that you stick to your oral hygiene regime to avoid any complications from the gingivitis phase. Diabetes can be a dangerous foe to harbor if you don't pay attention to keeping your condition under your control however, terrific diabetes management also means that you may never have to face these untoward consequences. If you still haven't taken stringent measures to curb your diabetes, it's time to do that right now! Take control of your diabetes today and tomorrow will be a brighter and a much healthier day!

About the Author

Julia Hanf author of the book How To Play the Diabetes Diet Game and Win Through a real life crisis Julia figured out how to live diabetes free. Visit www.yourdiabetescure.com and learn more about your solution for diabetes.

Rating: Not yet rated

--Choose-- 0 1 2 3 4 5

by: healthar Total views: 14 Word Count: 823 Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 Time: 1:51 PM 0 comments