Tips for Diabetics from Your Local Dentist

If you are a diabetic, our dentist office can help you to stay in good oral health. Diabetics are at greater risk for oral health issue, making it extremely important to take steps to prevent infections. Bacteria is more likely to cause gum disease and tooth decay in a diabetic than a non-diabetic due to the body’s decreased ability to create bacteria fighting white blood cells. Our goal is to educate and inform our patients on how they can stay healthy. Here are our favorite oral health care tips for diabetics: • Keep your blood sugar levels under control. This is one of the most important things for a diabetic to do. When blood sugar levels spike it directly impacts white blood cells and your ability to fight infection. Keep it under control through diet and medication so that you avoid being at a higher risk for oral health issues and health problems in general. • Drink water. Substitute sugary drinks for water. It will help you to stay hydrated, won’t impact your blood sugar levels, and won’t deposit sugar onto your teeth and gums. • Carry a toothbrush. Bring a soft travel toothbrush with you and use it after every meal. Diabetics should brush their teeth more often in order to get bacteria off of their teeth quickly. • Use toothpaste with fluoride. Your teeth can be strengthened by brushing with a fluoride toothpaste. Strong teeth are less likely to get cavities. • Floss daily. Don’t forget this essential step for removing food particles and bacteria from in between your teeth. • Carry mouthwash. Instead of eating breath mints rinse your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash. You will be able to freshen your breath and kill bacteria at the same time. • Healthy diet. Keep your diet healthy by eating balanced meals with green leafy vegetables, dairy, whole grains, and lean protein. This will improve your overall health, prevent spikes in blood sugar, and the green leafy vegetables can help to strengthen your teeth. • Visit the dentist regularly. Your teeth should be cleaned at least twice a year so that we can remove bacteria, tartar, and plaque from your teeth and gums. Since diabetics have a harder time fighting bacterial infections, it is even more important to remove the bacteria before it causes one. When you visit our dentist office make sure to let us know if you have had any recent hypoglycemic episodes or if your blood sugar has been out of control in general. This is extremely important information because we recommend putting off any major dental procedures until your blood sugar is evened out. The only exception is emergency dental work. Otherwise, you could be putting yourself at a greater risk for complications. Diabetics need to also keep in mind that it may take longer to recover from dental procedures than non-diabetics. We will go over recovery times, potential complications, and preventative care steps at every consultation. Before you undergo any dental procedure, we will evaluate your current health and advise you as to whether you should have the procedure completed now or at a later date. Our goal is to help our patients to stay healthy, and we will work with you to create a plan for improving your oral health.