Plaque is not just words from toothpaste advertising. It is destructive to teeth and gums. Studies show that the higher the sugar level in saliva, the more plaque builds up. For people with diabetes, this means one thing – you need to be proactive!
How can diabetes affect oral health?
Diabetes affects oral health in several ways.
The first is a deterioration in the absorption of minerals and a violation of the blood supply to the gums, which together leads to insufficient supply of the teeth with the necessary amount of calcium and makes the tooth enamel thinner and more fragile.
The second direction of influence is associated with the development of harmful bacteria in the oral cavity. With problems in compensation, the level of glucose is increased not only in the blood, but also in other body fluids. A higher concentration of glucose in saliva is observed in the vast majority of patients with diabetes. As a consequence, saliva sugar promotes the growth of pathogenic oral microbiota.
High sugar = plaque?
According to the Information Center of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the United States, elevated glucose levels are correlated with more intense plaque formation and, as a result, tartar.
Dental plaque consists of the so-called dental plaques – it is a soft layer of dead bacteria cells and food debris that is tightly fixed on the teeth. Over time, this plaque hardens and turns into tartar, which can only be removed using professional dental products (for example, sandblasting).
Plaque can create an acidic environment that demineralizes tooth enamel. With the formation of dental plaques, saliva cannot penetrate the biofilm to compensate for the acidic environment and resist negative processes.
All these effects lead to the development of diseases of the teeth and gums. To counter the negative effects, high-quality diabetes compensation and careful and regular oral hygiene are necessary.
Remember that with diabetes, healing processes are much slower. Gum disease can be more severe and take longer to heal, and in turn, having gum disease can make it difficult to control blood glucose levels.
What happens if plaque is not removed?
If plaque is not removed, over time it hardens into tartar and collects above the gum line. This makes it difficult to brush your teeth in general, especially in the interdental space. The gums become red, swollen and bleed easily – signs of unhealthy or inflamed gums – gingivitis. Also, tartar begins to move the gum down, exposing the tooth more and more. If you do not treat gingivitis and do not respond to the situation with tartar, later periodontitis develops.
With periodontitis, there is a violation of the connection between the gums and teeth – they form spaces called pockets in which inflammation and the infectious process occur.
Infection of periodontal pockets can last for a long time. The body fights bacteria, but tartar still spreads and grows below the gum line. Both the bacteria and your body’s response to this infection begin to destroy the bones and tissues that hold your teeth in place. If periodontitis is not treated, the tissues that support the teeth are destroyed. Teeth may become loose and may need to be removed.
What can be done to reduce the formation of plaque?
- Drink fluoridated water or use toothpaste and mouthwash to prevent cavities.
How to use dental floss:
1.Move the floss up and down in the interdental space and then curve it around the base of each tooth along the gum line
2.Use clean sections of floss when moving from tooth to tooth.
- Visit your dentist twice a year for a cleaning and checkup. Your dentist may suggest more visits if you need them for oral health or hygiene reasons.
In diabetes, it is worth using products that have been clinically tested for effects on specific problems with the oral cavity in this disease. So the DiaDent line of the Russian manufacturer Avanta is recommended for use by endocrinologists.
Products brand DiaDent The regular is designed for everyday use.
DiaDent Active is used in courses of 14 days during periods of exacerbation of inflammatory processes and bleeding gums.
These are fluorine-containing products aimed at enamel remineralization . The gentle abrasive system of pastes helps to gently remove plaque from tooth enamel. Antiseptic agents suppress the development of pathogenic microflora. The pastes also contain regenerating and anti-inflammatory complexes.
Products of the Active series not only help reduce bleeding gums, but also contain the substance betaine, which actively moisturizes the oral cavity.