Gum Disease and Early Diabetes Detection
In many cases it's the dentist - and not the physician - who has the first opportunity to detect diabetes early, because diabetics are especially prone to dental health problems.
Swollen, tender, receding and bleeding gums, loose teeth, and a sore tongue may not just be signs of poor dental hygiene. They may be danger signals for diabetes, too.
If you have any of these symptoms, you may be one of the estimated 11 million people in North America who already have diabetes, or you may be one of the 600,000 who will be diagnosed this year.
Diabetes occurs when a gland called the pancreas fails to produce sufficient amounts of the hormone, insulin, to regulate blood sugar levels. In other words: Diabetics have too little insulin and too much sugar in their blood.
When this happens, the body tissue can't convert the sugar it needs into energy. The blood stream then fills with this unused sugar and the result is diabetes - a disease medical journals often describe as the "forever" disease.
A serious illness which respects neither age, sex, race nor income level, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in people 20 to 65 years old and can lead to kidney failure, heart attacks and even death.
But outside the dental community, few people realize that diabetics have more than their share of tooth and periodontal (gum) problems. This fact is especially true for undiagnosed diabetics or those who have failed to control their disease adequately with insulin and/or diet and exercise.
Periodontal disease among diabetics progresses rapidly, recurs frequently, and heals slowly. The resistance to treatment can lead to loosened teeth and premature tooth loss.
Your regular dental office visits provide the best chance for early detection of many health problems, including diabetes. If you have a diabetic tendency, your dentist may very well refer you to your physician - another good reason to keep your prescribed dental recall and dental cleaning appointments faithfully!
If you are diabetic, it's important that you keep your dental health history up-to-date, exercise regularly, and eat a diet that provides good nutrition:
- Have regular meals and snack times. Don't skip meals.
- Avoid sweets (cake, candy, pie, ice cream).
- Limit use of animal fats and trim fat off meats. Avoid butter, cream, egg yolks.
- Bake and broil rather than fry foods.
- Don't use alcohol, wine, or beer without your doctor's permission.
- See your dentist regularly so small dental problems can be taken care of with a local anesthetic.
Teeth don't heal themselves, so small problems turn into big ones if left untreated. Major oral surgery requires a general anesthetic which means "no food prior to surgery" - a problem for diabetics.
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.
Bleeding Gums
If you have bleeding gums, you may have periodontal disease. We're learning more about this common infection all the time. Below are some of the latest findings. It should help you understand why it's so important that you take action with your periodontist to eliminate periodontal disease, the sooner the better.
Some patients think swollen gums aren't as critical as tooth decay, but that's just not so. Periodontal disease begins as a minor infection and, if it doesn't show signs of stabilizing, is bound to get worse. Untreated, it can eventually result in tooth loss.
Type I periodontitis (gingivitis) consists of tender gums and a little bacteria-filled pocket between your tooth and gum. The disease is very treatable at this point. But if the infected pockets are allowed to enlarge, the inflammation extends to the bone beneath, which begins to erode.
There's another reason to take periodontal disease seriously. The Journal of the American Dental Association recently reported on a study of nonsmokers. Researchers found that periodontal disease was a stronger risk factor for heart disease than such typical symptoms as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Also, periodontitis in pregnant mothers has been linked to premature and low birth-weight babies.
Your periodontist's concerns for your health don't stop with your teeth. That's why it's important, if you're suffering from gingivitis, that you schedule an appointment and get it treated. When you do, make sure you let your dentist know if you are also being treated for heart disease by your medical doctor.
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.