Centre for Distinctive Dentistry Blog - Dr. Ned Nippoldt
St. Paul, Woodbury, Minneapolis, Hudson, Lake Elmo, Stillwater, Minnesota
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Periodontal Disease and Diabetes
This journey started out with a blog about diabetes and periodontal disease – and will end with diabetes and periodontal disease. In the middle I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole while navigating my way through the internet with my Google and Bing searches – morbidity, mortality, galactose, AGEs (from the food we eat, and the internal production of them in the body), glycation & circulating inflammatory marker levels – just to name a few detours. Phew! Nasty stuff! Suffice it to say – none of us want to get diabetes.
The incidence of diabetes – especially Type 2, is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate. In 1997, 124 million people had diabetes. At that time they estimated that the numbers would reach 221 million by 2010, instead the numbers climbed to 285 million. In the United States alone, 8.3% of the population or 25.8 million people have diabetes.
Periodontal disease is the sixth complication of diabetes, along with neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, and micro and macro vascular diseases. In English (part of my journey), that translates to renal failure, blindness, heart disease, and damage to the small blood vessels which leads to impaired wound healing and foot amputation.
There is a very strong relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease. Diabetes slows down the healing process in the body, making the diabetic more prone to low grade infections like periodontal disease. Because the healing process is slowed down, the periodontal disease tends to be more severe in a diabetic, and even with good oral hygiene diabetics have a harder time controlling their periodontal disease.
You might think that it’s just an infection in the mouth – how much can that effect? I read that the area affected by periodontal disease would cover about 75 cm (about the size of the surface area of the palm). An infection this size allows a lot of oral bacteria to enter the bloodstream, along with inflammatory proteins from unresolved gum infections. The stress of this on the body makes it harder to control the blood sugars and it becomes a vicious cycle. The diabetes causes periodontal disease, and periodontal disease makes it harder to control the blood sugar levels.
If you are a diabetic and a heart patient, it’s even more important to keep your gum tissue healthy. Diabetics with periodontal disease are seven times more likely to die from heart and kidney disease than diabetics without periodontal disease.
If you have diabetes it is essential that you have immaculate daily home oral care, and that you have regular professional cleanings and exams. If you’re diabetic you may need four or more dental cleaning visits each year in order to control your periodontal disease and better manage your blood sugar levels.
I read (in a couple of searches) that there are some medical insurance companies that are already providing coverage for periodontal treatment to diabetic and heart patients. Even insurance companies have realized that improved gum health lowers overall costs for other medical care. Check with your health care provider about your coverage, this might be a false rumor.
Maintaining oral health must be given top priority for diabetics. It can be a matter of life and death. Talk with your dentist, hygienist, and your doctor about your health concerns, and be willing to follow their advice. The mouth truly is connected to the rest of the body. - Kathy Barnes, Registered Dental Hygienist for Centre for Distinctive Dentistry, Ned A. Nippoldt, DDS, PA.
If you are interested in being evaluated and treated for periodontal disease and/or general dentistry and live in the Woodbury, St. Paul, Minneapolis, MN, or Hudson, WI, areas, please contact the Centre for Distinctive Dentistry-Ned A. Nippoldt, DDS, PA, at 651-739-8573. We will be happy to help you schedule an appointment. Should you have periodontal disease, we do utilize laser therapy in our treatment.
The incidence of diabetes – especially Type 2, is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate. In 1997, 124 million people had diabetes. At that time they estimated that the numbers would reach 221 million by 2010, instead the numbers climbed to 285 million. In the United States alone, 8.3% of the population or 25.8 million people have diabetes.
Periodontal disease is the sixth complication of diabetes, along with neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, and micro and macro vascular diseases. In English (part of my journey), that translates to renal failure, blindness, heart disease, and damage to the small blood vessels which leads to impaired wound healing and foot amputation.
There is a very strong relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease. Diabetes slows down the healing process in the body, making the diabetic more prone to low grade infections like periodontal disease. Because the healing process is slowed down, the periodontal disease tends to be more severe in a diabetic, and even with good oral hygiene diabetics have a harder time controlling their periodontal disease.
You might think that it’s just an infection in the mouth – how much can that effect? I read that the area affected by periodontal disease would cover about 75 cm (about the size of the surface area of the palm). An infection this size allows a lot of oral bacteria to enter the bloodstream, along with inflammatory proteins from unresolved gum infections. The stress of this on the body makes it harder to control the blood sugars and it becomes a vicious cycle. The diabetes causes periodontal disease, and periodontal disease makes it harder to control the blood sugar levels.
If you are a diabetic and a heart patient, it’s even more important to keep your gum tissue healthy. Diabetics with periodontal disease are seven times more likely to die from heart and kidney disease than diabetics without periodontal disease.
If you have diabetes it is essential that you have immaculate daily home oral care, and that you have regular professional cleanings and exams. If you’re diabetic you may need four or more dental cleaning visits each year in order to control your periodontal disease and better manage your blood sugar levels.
I read (in a couple of searches) that there are some medical insurance companies that are already providing coverage for periodontal treatment to diabetic and heart patients. Even insurance companies have realized that improved gum health lowers overall costs for other medical care. Check with your health care provider about your coverage, this might be a false rumor.
Maintaining oral health must be given top priority for diabetics. It can be a matter of life and death. Talk with your dentist, hygienist, and your doctor about your health concerns, and be willing to follow their advice. The mouth truly is connected to the rest of the body. - Kathy Barnes, Registered Dental Hygienist for Centre for Distinctive Dentistry, Ned A. Nippoldt, DDS, PA.
If you are interested in being evaluated and treated for periodontal disease and/or general dentistry and live in the Woodbury, St. Paul, Minneapolis, MN, or Hudson, WI, areas, please contact the Centre for Distinctive Dentistry-Ned A. Nippoldt, DDS, PA, at 651-739-8573. We will be happy to help you schedule an appointment. Should you have periodontal disease, we do utilize laser therapy in our treatment.
Labels: Diabetes, Family Dentist, Family Dentistry, General Dentistry, Periodontal Disease
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