What Is the Link Between Diabetes and Gum Disease?

Mainly manifested as gum atrophy, multiple teeth caries at the same time, sensitive to hot and cold stimulation, pain. When this symptom occurs, you should go to the dental department in time under the premise that the blood sugar is controlled. If treatment is not timely, it is likely to cause pulpitis and periapical periodontitis, making treatment more difficult.

Diabetic oral lesions

The occurrence of diabetes not only causes pathological effects on human organs, tissues, cells, etc., but also causes a certain degree of damage to the oral cavity, especially when the diabetes is not well controlled, it is more likely to cause oral diseases. If oral diseases are not controlled well, diabetes can be further exacerbated.

Features of diabetic oral lesions

Dental caries root caries

Candida albicans infection of the oral mucosa of diabetic oral lesions

This disease is also called thrush. People with diabetes, the elderly, infants, or the weak are vulnerable to infection. The clinical manifestations are milky white or off-white pseudo-membrane in the cheek, tongue, and palate of the oral cavity, with a narrow redness around it and a clear boundary. The pseudo-membrane is removed, and the red eroded surface is below, with pain and mouth inflammation symptoms. In the case of this patient, it should be rinsed or smeared with amphotericin B or nystatin solution in time.

Loose teeth in diabetic oral lesions

Teeth loosening is one of the common complications in patients with diabetes. Because diabetic patients are often accompanied by chronic destructive diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis, especially alveolar bone resorption, they often affect the stability of the teeth, cause teeth to loosen, shift or misalign the jaws, and then induce periodontal infections. Severe cases can cause tooth loss. Teeth loosening in diabetics has multiple loosenings and progresses slowly, but the degree of loosening gradually increases. Therefore, it may not be noticed early. Once in the late stage, the amplitude of loosening is quite large, and the alveolar ridge is heavily absorbed. Not only affects human health, loss of chewing function, but also affects appearance.

The earlier the treatment of this disease, the better. To save the teeth as much as possible, the loose teeth can be fixed with splints, and the drifting teeth can be corrected and reset. Never remove the teeth easily. For teeth that cannot be preserved, tooth extraction should be performed after the hyperglycemia is controlled without obvious symptoms of acidosis. Due to the poor anti-infective ability of diabetic patients, antibiotic treatment should be given before and after tooth extraction.

Alveolar bone osteoporosis

A common complication of diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, is systemic osteoporosis, some of which are limited to alveolar bone. There are no obvious symptoms at the beginning of the onset. The main manifestations are: decreased bone density of the maxilla and mandible around the teeth, obvious absorption of alveolar bone, bone looseness, difficulty in occlusion, weak occlusion during eating, chewing without breaking, and some roots. When exposed, the gums shrink.

This disease requires simultaneous medical treatment and dental treatment, mainly taking calcium and phosphorus drugs under the guidance of a doctor, removing tartar and plaque, avoiding hard food, and regular dental care. To prevent this disease, you can stick to oral dental exercises: After physical exercise in the morning, perform dental empty bite exercises 30 times, the first 20 times for rapid impact occlusion, and the last 10 times for strong continuous occlusion to improve the chewing strength of the chewing muscles. , Stimulate the root and alveolar bone, increase their bone density. You can also massage the gums. After washing, gently massage the inner and outer sides of the gums with your thumb and forefinger, with your thumb on the inside and your index finger on the outside, 30 times on each side to promote periodontal microcirculation and strengthen the mucosa. resistance.

Specific manifestations of diabetic oral lesions

Diabetic oral lesions oral mucosal lesions

It is characterized by dry oral mucosa, dry mouth, thirst, and burst of red lips. Erosion of the gums, tongue mucosa, small ulcers, pain, prone to infectious stomatitis, oral candidiasis.

Dental caries

It is widespread in patients with diabetes.

Alveolar bone resorption in diabetic oral lesions , loose teeth

It is more common as the patient gets older.

Diabetic oral lesions gingivitis, periodontitis

Diabetic patients often experience gum hyperemia, edema, erosion, bleeding, and pain. Periodontal abscesses, periodontal pocket formation, and purulent exudation can occur in the periodontal area.

Inflammation of the palate with diabetic oral lesions

Progressive dental caries and gingivitis spread to multiple teeth, causing symptoms such as fever, pain, swelling, and swallowing pain.

Diabetic oral lesions other

Prone to prolong the healing time after tooth extraction, pain and inflammation after tooth extraction.

Diabetic oral disease

Diabetic patients often have low blood coagulation function, poor anti-infective power, and often have many chronic complications. For example, easy tooth extraction may cause more bleeding, worsening or spreading infection, and even cause sepsis, exacerbating complications, and worsening the condition.

However, long-term hard to cure dental disease will also aggravate the condition, and tooth extraction should be implemented if necessary. It must be noted that you should go to a regular hospital to find a full-time dentist during tooth extraction. You should make adequate preparations before tooth extraction, including:

For a detailed medical examination, flush the inflamed periodontal pockets, incision and drainage of the abscess gums, and give systemic anti-infective treatment, or use insulin if necessary.

Patients usually need to add vitamin C and vitamin B, and strictly control blood sugar levels, and control blood sugar below 8.9 mmol / L before tooth extraction.

Care of diabetic oral lesions

For diabetic patients, the prevention of periodontitis and other oral diseases is focused on controlling blood sugar. At the same time, pay attention to personal oral hygiene, brush your teeth sooner or later, rinse your mouth after meals, and massage your gums. Massaging the gum dozens of times a day can promote gum blood circulation and enhance metabolism, but it should be avoided when the periodontal is red and swollen. It is recommended that people with diabetes visit the dental department on a regular basis, and the doctor can perform targeted treatment according to the situation, such as filling teeth, cleaning calculus, and washing periodontal pockets, etc., which is conducive to oral health. When periodontal damage is severe, it is not easy to cure, and it affects healthy neighboring teeth, follow the doctor's advice to remove it early. Blood sugar should also be controlled during tooth extraction to prevent infection and prevent wound healing. People with diabetes who use movable dentures should remove their dentures daily, rinse their mouths, and rinse their dentures after meals. Before going to bed at night, they should carefully brush and wash their dentures. As long as the diabetic patient actively and persistently controls blood sugar and consciously pay attention to personal oral health care, he can effectively prevent the occurrence of oral diseases.