Not just a beautiful smile: this is what oral health tells you about your sugar

Gum pain or dry mouth may seem like a minor problem, but for many living with diabetes, it is an invisible daily struggle. While diabetes treatment plans usually focus on the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves, the mouth is sometimes neglected – despite being one of the areas most affected by the disease.

With predictions that the number of adults with diabetes will reach 853 million by 2050, experts emphasize the need for a deeper understanding of the interrelationship between oral health and blood sugar regulation. This relationship, beyond achieving a “beautiful smile”, directly affects the general health and quality of life, according to a report published on the science website “ScienceAlert”.

How does diabetes affect the mouth?

When blood sugar levels are high over time, blood vessels and nerves are damaged, and the immune system weakens. As a result, the mouth, with its soft and hard tissues and the natural bacterial clusters, becomes a more sensitive environment for health problems.

Among the common complications in diabetics are dry mouth due to a lack of saliva, increased caries, gum disease and the accompanying inflammation, bone loss, fungal infections such as “oral thrush”, difficulty chewing or using dentures and changes in the sense of taste. These problems may eventually lead to tooth loss, damage to nutrition, self-confidence and even difficulties in controlling blood sugar.

New research findings

A dangerous relationship

Gum disease is one of the most common complications of diabetes, and the relationship between them is mutual: high blood sugar increases the sugar levels in saliva, which feed bacteria that secrete acids that irritate the gums. On the other hand, gingivitis and bone loss make it difficult to control blood sugar. As the inflammation progresses, teeth may loosen or fall out, but the situation can be significantly improved by regulating sugar levels and maintaining oral hygiene.

treatment options

Dental implants are an option for replacing missing teeth, but their success depends on careful control of blood sugar levels. High sugar slows wound healing, increases the risk of infection and makes it difficult for the bone to fuse with the implant. Dentists evaluate each case individually before starting treatment.

Faisan emphasizes that improving oral health in diabetics helps in making eating easier, improving control of sugar levels and improving quality of life. According to her recommendation, it is important to brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride-rich toothpaste, visit the dentist regularly, take care of denture maintenance, treat dry mouth with adapted saliva or mouthwash substitutes and control sugar levels as much as possible.

According to her, awareness is the first step to breaking the “magic circle” between diabetes and oral problems: “Oral health is not a luxury – it is an essential part of diabetes treatment.”