Diabetes?
Check Your Mouth for Clues
Warning signs include bleeding gums and bad breath.
Consumer surveys show 75 percent of the general population
- including 71 percent of baby boomers - don't know
bad breath and bleeding gums are often a strong indicator
of diabetes. Dentists are key overall health care partners
and can play an important role in the early detection
of diabetes, reports the Academy of General Dentistry
(AGD).
Researchers believe diabetes often manifests
itself in the mouth, making the dentist a
key player in diagnosis.
Oral symptoms related to diabetes such as bad
breath, bleeding gums and dry mouth, can
cause increased tooth
decay. Receding gums occur more frequently
in moderate and poorly controlled diabetic
patients because plaque
responds differently in diabetics.
Also, diabetics are more susceptible to oral
infections and periodontal disease than those
who do not have
diabetes. Oral infections tend to be more
severe in diabetic patients than non-diabetic
patients,
making
the dentist important in the detection and
treatment of the disease. And, diabetics
who do not have good
control over their blood sugar levels tend
to have more oral health problems.
Approximately 17 million people in the United
States have diabetes. According to the
American Diabetes Association,
one third of them are unaware that they
have the disease.
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which
the body can no longer produce or use insulin
properly. Insulin
helps convert certain foods into energy
such
as sugar and starches. There are three
major types of this disease:
Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational.
Ninety to 95 percent of diabetics suffer
from Type 2 diabetes. With the onset usually
occurring
after
age 45, baby boomers are at high risk.
Pay attention to the oral health symptoms
that may occur in the mouth, as they
can indicate
Diabetes.
Discuss concerns about oral and overall
health with the dentist. Any changes
in dental conditions
may indicate
or aggravate other health problems.
Provide the dentist with updates to
current changes in medical and dental
history.
Visit the dentist every six months.
AGD Offers Free Diabetes and Overall
Health Brochure
Consumers interested in obtaining
a free diabetes and overall health
brochure
can call 1-877-2X-A-YEAR
(1-877-292-9327).
General information on oral health
for
people of all ages also is available
on the Academy's
Web site (www.agd.org).
