How does diabetes affect your oral health?

What is diabetes? 

Diabetes mellitus is a disease that occurs when your body can’t properly process and manage blood glucose. Glucose is our main source of energy. We get it from the foods we eat. When we eat, our bodies produce insulin. It’s a hormone that’s made by our pancreas that which helps our bodies use glucose for energy. If our bodies produce too much or not enough insulin, then glucose stays in our blood and doesn’t get properly used for energy. According to the National Diabetes Association, more than 11% of the US population has diabetes.  

How does diabetes affect your oral health?  

The most common way diabetes affects your oral health is by altering your saliva. Your saliva is there to help keep your mouth healthy. It washes away food to keep your teeth clean and delivers minerals to vital tissues in your mouth.  

Diabetes tends to dry the saliva in your mouth, leaving your teeth and gums without an extra line of defense against gum disease and tooth decay.  

Blood sugar can also show up in your saliva in higher-than-normal amounts, which can lead to plaque and bacterial buildup.  

Here are a few specific oral-related issues to watch out for: 

Periodontal disease 

Periodontal disease is a form of gum disease that the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research estimates affects over 40% of adults in the US. It's caused when plaque and tartar build up on your teeth which leads to inflammation in your gums. Your gums will pull away from your teeth, causing pockets where harmful bacteria can live.  

Periodontal disease is particularly troublesome for people with diabetes because it turns into a bad cycle of infection. It’s harder to fight infection when you don’t have proper control over your blood sugar, and inflammation and disease tend to cause blood sugar to spike. So, if you have periodontal disease, high blood sugar also makes it harder for your body to fight infections.  

• Chronic bad breath 

• Inflamed, swollen, red gums 

• Changes in the way your teeth fit together when you bite 

• Loose teeth 

Thrush 

Thrush—or oral thrush—is when your mouth becomes infected with a fungus called candida. This fungus is a yeast that thrives on the sugar content in the saliva of people living with diabetes.  

Diabetes can also cause dry mouth with creates ideal conditions for candida to grow. Plus, unregulated blood sugar weakens your immune system, making it harder for your mouth to fight off these kinds of germs.  

While thrush is rarer than gum disease in diabetes patients, it can be painful and highly irritating.  

• White patches on the inside of your mouth, gums, and tongue 

• Pain in your mouth or throat 

• Bleeding gums 

• Redness or inflammation 

• Loss of taste 

Dry mouth  

The exact reason high blood sugar causes dry mouth is still unknown, but research has shown a connection between diabetes and a lack of saliva. In some cases, your diabetes medication or treatment may also cause dry mouth.  

Without enough saliva, your mouth is missing a critical tool to fight plaque and tartar buildup.  

Beyond the actual dryness of your mouth, there are plenty of other unfortunate side effects of having an overly dry mouth.  

• Chapped lips 

• Loose teeth 

• Mouth sores 

• Trouble swallowing 

Keeping a healthy mouth with diabetes 

Just because you live with diabetes doesn’t mean you have to live with oral health issues, too. Diabetes management has come a long way. With the help of modern treatments and medicines, living with diabetes has become more manageable than ever, so why should keeping a healthy smile be complicated?  

• Brush for two minutes, twice a day with fluoride toothpaste 

• Floss at least once a day 

• Drink plenty of water 

• Quit smoking! Tobacco and cigarette smoke are both already bad enough for teeth if you don’t have diabetes 

• Visit your dentist regularly and tell them you have diabetes so she knows to keep an eye out for specific diabetes-related issues 

If you have diabetes, be sure to tell your dentist and stay on top of your regular dental check-ups. They’ll check for signs of gum disease and other oral health problems. Gum disease is treatable and even reversible when caught early. Diabetes can also cause dry mouth, ulcers, and infections. Your dentist can help treat and prevent these conditions, too. 

Don’t wait. Schedule your next appointment today. 

Looking for a dentist? Create or sign in to your MySmile® account to search for one near you. You can even filter your results by patient endorsements! 

Sources:  

Diabetes and Oral Health | Diabetes | CDC 

Diabetes and dental care: Guide to a healthy mouth - Mayo Clinic 

Learn About the Link Between Diabetes & Thrush (webmd.com) 

Diabetes, infections, and you - APIC 

Looking for dental insurance plans that covers implants? We offer a variety of plans for individuals and families with different benefits to fit your needs.