Dentists Helping Detect Diabetes

related: Treating Nerve Damage from Diabetes | Diabetes Breathalyzer Detector

Diabetes: Detection by Dentistry

Cardio-Health A healthy dental checkup can lead to a healthy medical one.” If you think your dental health isn’t important, the latest research could give you a change of heart. Recent studies indicate that the oral bacteria associated with periodontal disease may promote the buildup of artery-clogging plaque, which can lead to heart attacks. Diabetes Detecting Diabetes in the Dental Chair Diabetes affects nearly 16 million Americans. This year, diabetes will be the cause of approximately 190,000 deaths in the United States, and nearly 800,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. According to the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS), helping to detect those new cases may come from an unlikely source—your dentist. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, there is a link between periodontal disease and diabetes. Symptoms of diabetes may appear in the mouth, and 95 percent of individuals afflicted with diabetes have periodontal disease. Patients who aren’t responding to conventional dental treatment may be showing initial signs of undiagnosed diabetes or an impaired glucose tolerance. Periodontal disease—infection of the gums and bone that holds your teeth in place—is often linked to the control of diabetes. When diabetes is not controlled properly, high glucose levels in saliva may help bacteria increase. Because diabetes reduces the body’s resistance to infection, the gums are among the tissues likely to be affected, resulting in periodontal disease. Signs of periodontal disease include bleeding gums when you brush; red, swollen, or tender gums; gums that have pulled away from your teeth; a change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite; and persistent bad breath or an unusual taste in your mouth. Diabetes that remains unchecked or untreated can result in life-threatening complications, including blindness, kidney disease, heart disease, stroke, and nerve disease that could lead to limb amputations. According to the MDS, patients with uncontrolled diabetes are at increased risk for severe periodontal disease, and diabetic patients with severe periodontal disease or poor oral hygiene may have difficulty controlling their blood glucose. Those with well-controlled diabetes can be treated similarly to nondiabetic patients for most routine dental procedures. Antibiotics are not usually necessary for diabetic patients, except in the case of overt oral infections due to a lowered resistance and a longer healing process.   Related: The American Diabetes Association Source 2004: Massachusetts Dental Society http://www.massdental.org/public/wordofmouth.cfm?doc_id=1510

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