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In regards to preventing and managing diabetes, the last thing that probably comes to mind is your own teeth and gums... but your oral health is in fact an incredibly important element in your body's ability to remain well.

Does keeping your teeth and gums healthy decrease your risk of developing diabetes, but it could also allow you to keep diabetes under control.

What Makes Cosmetic Disease so Dangerous?

Gum disease is remarkably common, affecting about 80 percent of adults throughout their lifetimes. [1] In its most basic level, gum disease is caused by the bacteria in plaque, which may cause the gums to become swollen.

At first this contributes to gingivitis, which causes red and swollen gums that are prone to bleeding readily. If handled in this stage (with a trip to the dentist and focus on proper oral hygiene in the home), the condition can frequently be reversed.

However, if left untreated gingivitis can progress into periodontitis, a sort of gum disease where plaque spreads and grows under your gum line. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, the bacteria in the plaque produce toxins that stimulate a chronic inflammatory response in the human anatomy, which destroys tissues and bone that support your teeth. [2]

It is bad enough that this frequently results in tooth loss, but much more serious it might spread throughout your system, leading to chronic diseases like heart disease, respiratory disease and diabetes.


Signs and Symptoms to Watch Out For

In Case You Have diabetes or pre-diabetes, you should be on the lookout for warning signs of gum disease, for example:[3]


Red, swollen or painful gums
Bleeding when flossing, brushing or eating hard foods
Receding gums
Loose or separating teeth
Sores in your mouth or pus between your gums and teeth
Persistent bad breath

In addition to diabetes, if you smoke, are under serious stress, are pregnant or are taking certain drugs your risk of gum disease might be further increased.


The Way Your Oral Health Impacts Diabetes

Gum disease causes an inflammatory condition in the human anatomy, and inflammation is intricately connected to the development of type 2 diabetes. Gum disease may also impact insulin sensitivity and cause your blood glucose levels to rise, producing your diabetes harder to control.

When you have diabetes, making you more prone to disease, in addition, it increases your risk of developing gum disease, especially if your diabetes isn't under control. People with diabetes generally have a harder time fighting off bacterial diseases, making them particularly susceptible to gum disease.

For those who already have diabetes, keeping blood glucose levels well under management will cut down on your risk of developing gum disease. Further, does gum disease treatment hurt? should take the steps listed at the end of this article to keep their dental health in prime condition.


Your Oral Health and Your Heart

One of the most serious diabetes complications is an increased chance of heart disease. People with diabetes are twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke than people without.

But, gum disease also increases your chance of heart issues, by as much as double compared to individuals without. It's believed that gum disease raises heart risks both by increasing inflammation and leading to clot formation in your blood vessels. Gum disease can also cause any existing heart problems worse, which is a particularly significant issue for diabetics, who are already at increased risk of these problems.

So in the event that you have both diabetes and gum disease, you should know that your heart problems have been exponentially improved, and getting both circumstances under management could be a matter of life and death.

Unhealthy Teeth and Gums Even Make Pre-Diabetes Worse

In case you have pre-diabetes, which impacts an estimated 54 million Americans, your glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be tagged as type two diabetes. If left untreated, the majority of people with pre-diabetes will create the full blown disease within 10 years.

Gum disease complicates the issue even further, as research shows that pre-diabetes not just worsens periodontitis, but periodontitis results in deterioration in glucose metabolism which may promote the development of type 2 diabetes. [4]

Tips for Prevention

Maintaining oral health is essential for all of us, but in case you have type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes or risk factors for diabetes (overweight or obese, insufficient exercise, metabolic syndrome, higher blood pressure, family history, etc.) you had best keep a close eye on your teeth and gum health.

To best stave off gum disease, such as the more Severe periodontitis:


Brush your teeth at least twice a day (or Better Still, each time you finish eating)
Floss at least once a day
See your dentist regularly for cleanings and checkup (about once every six weeks)
Replace your toothbrush at least every four months, and consider an electric toothbrush, which may help remove plaque and tartar more efficiently

You might even help prevent this condition by keeping your diabetes under control (and also vice versa, it is possible to help prevent diabetes by keeping your teeth and gums healthy).