How Dental Health Impacts Diabetes Negatively.
My maternal grandmother suffered from type 2 diabetes, and I saw how it impacted her overall health. I also saw how it’s affected other people I know. It’s not a disease to trifle with at all. I made up my mind not to give it an inroad into my life.
Do you know that your dental health can actually negatively impact your diabetes?
It also plays a key role in overall health.
You are probably wondering why it impacts diabetes.
Here’s how:
🎯Chronic gum inflammation increases insulin resistance:
It’s been discovered that inflammation is a major root cause for long-term diseases. Inflammation isn’t all bad, as there are two types: Chronic and Acute.
Acute is short-term and occurs when the body is traumatised, e.g., a cut. Then healing takes place.
Chronic is long-term and very damaging to our bodies. It’s almost like the body being permanently on fire.
Periodontitis, a dental disease, is a chronic inflammatory disease (’itis’ at the end of any word means inflammation). When gums are inflamed, they release cytokines, which are inflammatory molecules (they inflame your body).
That is why periodontitis is often described as a diabetes “complication” and also a condition that can make diabetes management more difficult.
Today’s focus is on the latter.
These cytokines can cause or worsen insulin resistance, which is said to occur when insulin is unable to do its job. It works as the key that unlocks the cells to carry excess blood sugar in and provide energy.
This raises blood sugar levels (a terrible symptom of diabetes).
🎯Poor oral or dental health can cause bacteria enter the bloodstream:
Inflamed or bleeding gums allow bacteria to slip into circulation and trigger inflammation in the body. The liver responds by releasing more glucose, leading to high levels of blood glucose.
This results in elevated blood sugar levels, which is a symptom of diabetes, EVEN WHEN YOU ARE EATING A GOOD DIET OR ON MEDICATION.
That is why treatment of periodontitis is a MUST, as it improves blood sugar control.
Research has shown that treating it lowers HbA1c (high blood sugar) readings by 0.3–0.6% and, surprisingly, also that it’s just as effective as your doctor adding another medication to your daily diabetes meds. This blew my mind!!
So instead of having another diabetes medication added to your routine, improve your dental health.
Here are some signs of dental problems that may be a sign of diabetes issues:
- Gums that bleed easily.
- Persistent bad breath.
- Loose teeth.
- Gum recession.
- Recurrent oral infections.
- Slow healing after dental work.
- Slow healing is usually a complication of diabetes.
I have a few questions for you:
📍Do you go for regular dental checkups?
📍Do you brush your teeth twice a day?
📍Do you floss once or twice a day?
📍Do you use a tongue scraper once or twice a day?
DIABETES-2 is a LIFESTYLE DISEASE that can go into REMISSION (heal) NATURALLY.
It’s a grave error to think you can treat diabetes just by taking your meds without lifestyle & dietary changes. The consequences are horrible!
Next week, I’ll share part -2 which is how diabetes impacts dental health.
Follow me on my social media platforms.
