DIABETES UPDATE – PART 2

Last week we discussed the role and effect that diabetes has on oral health. It is not something that should be taken lightly. If you missed this column, please visit www.thetowncommon.com.

After reading last week’s column, it may seem frightening that there is no way out of the partnership of horrors between diabetes and severe gum disease. There are solutions. Just as poor oral health can compound a diabetic’s plight, proper oral health can come to the rescue.
Clinical studies confirm that treatment of gum disease reduces oral inflammation, which removes the factor that triggers the body’s inflammatory response which, in turn, plays a major role in compounding the effects of diabetes.

Dental treatments that fight gum infections also help improve control of blood sugar levels in diabetics.

If you are pre-diabetic, your dental team may actually be able to help prevent diabetes. If you already have diabetes, your dental team may be able to help you keep it under control, improve your quality of life and reduce the risk of premature death.

There’s even better news. It’s never too late to improve oral health care. Even if you already have severe gum disease or other dental problems, proper treatment can help stop it in its tracks. In many cases, this treatment can even reverse the damage done to your teeth and gums as well as manage the metabolic elements of diabetes. And, if you haven’t yet developed any symptoms of diabetes-related oral health problems, your dental team can start a prevention program that will help you stay in control of your diabetes, maintain better health and enjoy a better quality of life.

This is not something that requires exercise, taking a pill, giving yourself a shot of insulin, or sticking to a special diet, although some or all of these things may be necessary to also help control diabetes. From an oral health perspective, all you need to do is to start seeing your dentist and talking to him or her about your particular situation. Through the guidance of an exceptional dental team, you will be put on a path to better health. It will require you to alter your routine, but change is what is needed.

There may be varying degrees of participation from dental teams, depending on their knowledge or “philosophy” of care, when it comes to partnering with you and your physician to manage the oral health issues in regards to diabetes or pre-diabetes. The best team approach is between the doctor, the patient and the dentist (including the hygienist). If one of these team members does not participate, the battle cannot be won.

Sometimes it is the patient who is not doing the things that he or she needs to do to properly manage the problem. There needs to be open discussion on where things are falling short and follow-up to assess progress. If the dental team doesn’t seem too concerned about your diabetes, and isn’t giving you feedback at every visit on the status of your oral health, it might make sense to find a more progressive dental team.

Diabetes and pre-diabetes is a serious issue. You can take control of it but it needs to start with you wanting the improvement in your life. Your medical and dental teams are there to help make it happen.