Does Diabetes Cause Gum Disease? Or Does Gum Disease Cause Diabetes? Understanding the Link
According to the American Dental Association, there is a bidirectional relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease. This two-way relationship means uncontrolled diabetes can increase the risk of gum disease. Similarly, advanced periodontal disease can result in difficulty controlling body sugars, starting a destructive cycle in the body.
The team at Kelli Brady DDS embraces the concept of the mouth-body connection, recognizing that oral health is intrinsically linked to overall health. We acknowledge that conditions like gum disease affecting the mouth can have far-reaching implications for the rest of the body and vice versa. So, if you would like to learn how periodontal disease and diabetes are interconnected, you are in the right place.
Diabetes and periodontal disease defined
Diabetes occurs when your blood sugar is too high. Often, this happens when the body produces less insulin or can’t use the available insulin. On the other hand, periodontal disease is an infection of the gums and the surrounding structures. Left untreated, gum disease can cause gum recession, tooth loss, and other problems.
The link between diabetes and periodontal disease
Research has shown that the two conditions can worsen each other if they are not well managed. The following shows the bidirectional link between gum disease and diabetes.
How gum disease affects diabetes:
- Systematic inflammation: Gum disease is an inflammation of the gingival tissues, which can spread to the rest of the body without proper treatment. Systematic inflammation can cause insulin resistance, increasing your blood sugar.
- Worsening diabetes control: Poor gum health can lead to an increase in blood sugar, making it harder to manage diabetes. Uncontrolled blood sugar levels lead to a cycle of worsening health for both conditions.
How diabetes affects gum disease:
- High blood sugar: High blood sugar levels provide a suitable environment for harmful bacteria to thrive, increasing the risk of gum infections.
- Weakened immunity: Diabetes weakens the white body cells, which protect your body from infections. Since diabetes suppresses your immunity, this makes you susceptible to oral infections, including gum disease.
- Reduced saliva production: Diabetes can decrease saliva production, leading to a dry mouth. Saliva helps wash away food particles and unwanted bacteria, so its reduced secretion increases the risk of gum disease.
- Reducing healing capacity: Diabetes can cause blood vessels to thicken, reducing blood flow to the gums and delaying healing after injury or infection.
Achieve total health with periodontal treatment
The two-way relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease can start a destructive cycle in your body. We aim to break this cycle by encouraging optimal oral hygiene and gum disease treatment that will help maintain blood sugar within a healthy range. Want to learn more about the relationship between diabetes and gum disease? Call (201) 806-6866 (Norwood, NJ) or (646) 692-0227 (New York ) to talk to Dr. Kelli Brady.
