Your gums bleed when you brush your teeth, do you have recurrent gingivitis, white coating in your mouth, feeling dry? Don't be surprised if your dentist suggests you get a blood glucose test. These symptoms could mean that your body is developing diabetes.

More than 2.7 million people suffer from diabetes in Poland, of which 550,000. is not aware of its he alth condition - according to the research presented by the Public He alth Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Sometimes the diagnosis is made by … a dentist. More and more dentists refer patients with suspected diabetes to blood tests or to GPs. Reason? The impact of the disease on the teeth and the he alth of the entire oral cavity is easy to see, even with the usual checkup or removal of tartar in the office.

What a dentist sees in a diabetic

Diabetes gives a fairly distinctive image in the mouth. In addition to bleeding gums, difficult-to-heal wounds and gingivitis, there are also eruptions indicating a yeast infection (candidiasis). A specific symptom of advanced diabetes, namely its complications, the so-called Persistent bad breath is also present in ketoacidosis. You will then notice a strong acetone smell, which is reminiscent of a sweet, fruity scent. The patient may complain of dry mouth, burning, taste disturbances - these are symptoms that may indicate fluctuations in blood glucose levels. Premature eruption of permanent teeth is typical in children. Suspicion of diabetes increases when the patient signals that gum problems are recurring, despite the fact that they are diligently taking care of their hygiene. Especially when he is overweight, he is over 50 and has diabetes in his family.

Effects of untreated diabetes

If the disease is not diagnosed, the consequences can be devastating for the mouth and teeth. People with high blood glucose levels are more likely to develop gingivitis. Diabetics are more predisposed to bacterial infections of soft tissues and oral candidiasis. Dry mouth leads, among other things, to to ulcers, a lack of saliva can also accelerate the development of caries. According to a report by the IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences 1, out of 3 diabetic patients experience periodontal disease, which can accelerate tooth loss. Mouth desolation is just the tip of the iceberg. Diabetes leads to disorders anddiseases throughout the body. Including, among others development of the so-called diabetic foot, stroke, changes in large blood vessels that can lead to, among others, to the development of ischemic heart disease and, consequently, to a heart attack. Persistently high blood sugar can also be responsible for the deterioration or even loss of vision (diabetic retinopathy), the development of skin diseases and diabetic nephropathy, which, if left untreated, leads to kidney failure. A life-threatening complication is a diabetic coma. That is why a patient who is diagnosed with diabetes by a dentist can speak of happiness.

The specificity of treating the teeth and gums of a diabetic

In diabetics, many oral diseases are acute, and their treatment is much more difficult and longer. For example, wounds after dental procedures heal more difficult, and the risk of infection also increases, because high sugar levels lower immunity and prevent white blood cells from fighting bacteria. However, periodontal disease in patients with diabetes should be treated meticulously and effectively, as gum infections complicate diabetes management, impairing the body's ability to control blood sugar levels and impairing the effects of insulin.

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Diabetes