Are Your Teeth Getting Bigger?

Signs and symptoms of periodontal (gum) disease include bleeding gums; red, swollen, or tender gums; gums that have pulled away from your teeth (this makes your teeth look bigger); pus between the gums when they are compressed; persistent bad breath or bad taste in the mouth; permanent teeth that are loose or moving apart; any change in the way the teeth fit together when the patient bites; and any change in the fit of dentures. Most people with diabetes do not experience pain with periodontal disease, however, and some can have periodontal disease and be asymptomatic (no symptoms).

People with diabetes are three times more likely than persons without diabetes to have destructive periodontal disease (gum disease), such as periodontitis. Periodontal disease progresses more rapidly and often is more severe in individuals with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Gum disease is a bacterially induced chronic inflammatory disease that destroys non-calcified connective tissue and bone supporting the teeth and can lead to tooth loss. Recent research suggests a two-way connection between diabetes and periodontal disease. Not only are people with diabetes more susceptible to periodontal disease, but the presence of periodontal disease can worsen blood sugar control. In fact, proper care of the mouth can help people with diabetes achieve better blood sugar control.

Who Relies On DentistryForDiabetics©?

Frankly, a lot of diabetics are just not sufficiently motivated to do everything possible to manage their disease and maintain the best possible health for themselves. But a lot of patients tell us how glad their spouses and family members are that they explored the ways DentistryForDiabetics^® doctors and dental health programs can help. After all, you don't deal with your diabetes in private. It worries and affects all those who care about you, live with you, travel with you, and rely on you. And you certainly do not want to be a burden to your loved ones - but, truth is, that's the reality, if not now in the future, if you fail to control your diabetes as best you can for as long as you can. Its nasty side effects can put you in a wheelchair with amputated limbs.... put you on dialysis for kidney failure....or incapacitate you with stroke. Diabetes sharply raises such risks - and poorly controlled diabetes raises these risks sky-high. Our patients tell us they understand these things and, rather than fear them or deny them, want to be aggressive and thorough in battling them - so they want the oral health advantage that only comprehensive care from a dentist thoroughly knowledgeable about the special needs of diabetic patients can provide!