Routine Dental Visits Are Even More Important When You Have Diabetes: Here's Why 

Because November is National Diabetes Month, our team of expert dentists at the Smile Design Studio of Bethesda wants to focus on a diabetes topic that isn’t often discussed: the importance of your routine dental visits.

Read on to learn how diabetes affects your oral health and why routine dental visits are so important.

How diabetes affects your oral health

When you have diabetes, your body struggles with insulin — a hormone that moves glucose out of your blood and into your cells. You either don’t make enough insulin (Type 1) or don’t use insulin quite right (Type 2). 

In either case, it leads to higher-than-normal levels of glucose in your blood. High blood sugar levels can affect your blood vessels, your eyes, and even your feet.

High blood sugar levels can also affect your oral health in several ways, including:

Increased risk of gum disease

Your body’s ability to fight off infections, including gum disease, weakens when you have diabetes. Unfortunately, if you have diabetes, your risk of developing gum disease is two to three times higher than those without diabetes. 

Gum disease is a serious condition that can lead to receding gums, wiggly adult teeth, and permanent tooth loss. Even mild gum disease, or gingivitis, can quickly advance to more serious periodontal disease, periodontitis.

During your routine dental visit, we examine your mouth for the earliest signs of gum disease. The sooner we detect it, the sooner we can get started with treatment. 

This is particularly important because while the earliest stage of gum disease is reversible, the later stages aren’t. So, in this case, routine care could save you from gum disease-related tooth loss.

Increased risk of oral infections

Diabetes weakens your immune response, which makes it easier for bacteria to thrive in your mouth. This can lead to infections and abscesses. 

Abscesses, or pus-filled pockets caused by bacterial infections, don’t go away on their own. They require treatment, either drainage or antibiotics, and without treatment, they cause pain, fever, swelling, and bad breath. 

Good oral care, which includes professional teeth cleaning and at-home care, reduces your risk of developing an oral infection.

Dry mouth and cavities 

A dry mouth doesn’t sound like much more than a nuisance, but it can increase your risk of cavities. Saliva is your mouth’s natural cleanser, and without it, sugars and acids can wear down your teeth more quickly. 

Unfortunately, diabetes can contribute to dry mouth, and that means you’re at an increased risk of cavities.

During your routine exam, we can suggest treatments for dry mouth and help protect your teeth from decay through fluoride applications or recommendations for products that boost saliva production.

If you have a cavity, we can detect it during your exam. A filling stops the spread of decay and can help prevent the need for more complicated treatments later on.

Your routine dental visit doesn’t just affect your mouth

Your oral health — including your oral microbiome — isn’t isolated from the rest of your body. What goes on in your mouth affects your overall health too. It’s all part of your mouth-body connection. 

For example, oral infections can quickly spread to other parts of your body, especially if your immune system is weakened by diabetes.

In this way, taking care of your oral health can help protect the rest of your body too.

Getting ready for your routine dental exam

Whether or not you have diabetes, your routine dental care should have three goals: 

• Identify any potential issues
• Treat any current issues
• Take steps to prevent future issues from developing 

At Smile Design Studio of Bethesda we begin your exam by reviewing your medical history, including any recent changes in your diabetes management, to understand how it might affect your oral health. 

Next, we conduct a close examination of your gums to check for signs of gum disease, assess any dryness in your mouth, and look for any signs of tooth decay. We might take X-rays to catch any hidden signs of decay, including small cavities that can hide between teeth. 

After the initial examination, we clean your teeth to remove any plaque or tartar buildup that can increase your risk of complications. If you need any further treatments, such as scaling and root planing to address gum disease or a filling, we discuss that with you.

Take action this month

Use National Diabetes Month as a reminder to schedule your next checkup and make dental care an essential part of your diabetes management routine. Call our Bethesda, Maryland, office or use our online portal to request your next dental cleaning appointment.