{"id":97,"date":"2019-04-20T12:27:47","date_gmt":"2019-04-20T12:27:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/?p=97"},"modified":"2019-05-01T12:27:57","modified_gmt":"2019-05-01T12:27:57","slug":"your-dentist-on-how-your-diabetes-and-oral-health-are-connected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/your-dentist-on-how-your-diabetes-and-oral-health-are-connected\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Dentist on How Your Diabetes and Oral Health Are Connected"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/AdobeStock_186535110__1556713455_33860-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"person brushing their teeth\" class=\"wp-image-98\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/AdobeStock_186535110__1556713455_33860-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/AdobeStock_186535110__1556713455_33860-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/AdobeStock_186535110__1556713455_33860.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>More than 29.1 million Americans live with diabetes, and nearly 22% of them are also affected by gum disease. Your oral health and overall health may be more connected than you thought. Diabetes can cause symptoms that can negatively affect your oral health and lead to infections and cavities. So, what exactly does your smile have to do with certain health problems\u2014and how can you protect it? Read on to learn about how diabetes can affect your oral health.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Does Diabetes Affect Your Oral Health?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Diabetes can have an impact on your oral health in a few\ndifferent ways. Oftentimes, a key symptom of diabetes is dry mouth, which\nstunts your ability to produce saliva that helps rinse food debris and bacteria\nfrom your mouth. When these particles are left to collect, it can cause tooth\ndecay and infections, which is why people who have diabetes are more\nsusceptible to developing cavities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other symptoms of diabetes that can affect your oral health\ninclude: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Oral infections<\/li><li>Problems tasting food<\/li><li>Inflamed or bleeding gums<\/li><li>Mouth ulcers<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, because diabetes slows down the healing process\nfor cuts and wounds, surgeries like getting dental implants may not be\npossible. High blood sugar levels cause poor circulation and affect your\nnerves, leaving you at a higher risk of developing infections as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the Connection Between Gum Disease and Diabetes? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The simple fact is that diabetes and gum disease impact each\nother. If you have diabetes, you are at a higher risk of developing gum\ndisease, a condition in which excessive amounts of bacterial buildup result in\nirritation and infection. On the other hand, because infections can cause your\nblood sugar to increase, people with diabetes and gum disease can struggle to\ncontrol their blood sugar, making it more difficult to fight off oral bacteria.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Can Someone with Diabetes Protect Their Oral Health? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Letting your dentist know that you have diabetes can help\nthem know how to better prevent you from developing connected oral health\nissues like gum disease. They may recommend fluoride treatments or coming in\nfor more frequent checkups and cleanings. Controlling your blood sugar is the most\nimportant way to maintain a healthy mouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seeing your dentist often if you have diabetes can help\nalert you to early signs of cavities, gum disease, and other problems before\nthey progress into something more serious. Keeping up with your routine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/preventive-and-general-dentistry.html\">checkups\nand cleanings<\/a> can make treating these issues easier and more effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having diabetes doesn\u2019t automatically mean that you\u2019ll also\nget gum disease. If you control your diabetes, maintain your regular oral\nhygiene routine of brushing and flossing, and visit your dentist frequently,\nyou can help prevent serious oral complications. Being proactive instead of\nreactive can save you time and hassle!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Jaclyn Jensen has been practicing dentistry for over a\ndecade. She focuses on providing her patients with a comfortable and welcoming\nenvironment so they can relax while receiving the highest quality of dental\ncare. She keeps up to date with the most recent technological dental advancements\nand looks forward to individualizing your treatment! For any questions or to\nschedule an appointment, visit her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/contact-us.html\">website<\/a> or contact\nRenu Dental at 218-281-1301.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More than 29.1 million Americans live with diabetes, and nearly 22% of them are also affected by gum disease. Your oral health and overall health may be more connected than you thought. Diabetes can cause symptoms that can negatively affect your oral health and lead to infections and cavities. So, what exactly does your smile [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99,"href":"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97\/revisions\/99"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.renudentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}