How Diabetes Changes Oral Care And What You Need To Know Now

Posted on: 13 February 2019

If you have received a recent diagnosis of diabetes, you may be surprised at how many different ways this affects your body. For example, your dental and oral hygiene routines are going to change dramatically. It will take some getting used to, but once you know how diabetes affects dental/oral care and you get into the habit of treating the condition and changing your routines to accommodate the disease, it gets a little easier. Here is how your dental and oral hygiene are about to change.

​More Frequent Brushing

​People with diabetes have significantly more issues with gingivitis and healing than people who do not have diabetes. If you end up with a severe case of gingivitis while you have diabetes, it is almost impossible to cure, to treat, and to reverse. Your gums will bleed a lot more, and tooth loss is common among diabetes with gingivitis. Ergo, when your dentist tells you to brush more after learning that you have diabetes, it is very good advice to follow. 

​Brushing with a Super Soft Bristle Brush

​If you are one of those people that has enjoyed brushing your teeth and gums almost raw with a hard bristle or medium bristle toothbrush, it is time to stop. Your skin and your gums can no longer take that kind of forceful action. It can cause infections to start in your mouth, and diabetes prevents these infections from healing and going away properly. Your dentist will want you to switch to a super soft bristle brush to prevent sores and infections from developing. 

​Using an Artificial Saliva Spray

​Diabetics also have trouble producing enough saliva. They become dehydrated much more often as their bodies try to dump all of the sugar in as much urine as the body can flush out. A drier mouth leads to more cavities in your teeth, and more chances for infections. Hence, a third preventive measure that will change your oral/dental hygiene practices is the addition of an artificial saliva spray. It is not real saliva, but it mimics it and encourages your mouth to create more of its own saliva. Not only does more saliva help with cavity and gum infection prevention, but it also makes it easier to chew and swallow food and prevent other medical and health problems associated with a lack of saliva (e.g., medications to treat diabetes, heart disease, etc., often list "dry mouth" as a side effect).

For more information, contact a company like Cross Creek Family Dental today.

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