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Periodontal Disease Complicates Type 2 Diabetes and It's Control

Dell Ariel Goodrick, DDS, FAGD, FALD.

A recent publication from the American Diabetes Association identified critical links between periodontal (gum) disease and the development of type 2 diabetes, as well as the development and progression of its complications.

Nearly 21 million Americans have diabetes, a group of serious diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels that result from defects in the body’s ability to produce and/or use insulin.  Diabetes can lead to severely debilitating or fatal complications, such as heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, and amputation.  It is the 5th leading cause of death by disease in the U.S.  Type 2 occurs mainly in adults who are overweight and ages 40 and older.

Periodontal disease is an infection and chronic inflammatory disease of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth.  It is a major cause of tooth loss in adults.  In gum disease, unremoved plaque hardens into tartar, gums begin to pull away from the teeth, and eventually destroy the bone support for the tooth.  Many people are unaware, symptoms include bleeding gums and bad breath, but it is generally painless.
One of the many complications of diabetes is a greater risk for perio disease.  If you have this oral infection and inflammation, it’s much more difficult to control blood glucose levels.  People with periodontal disease are twice as likely to have insulin resistance as those with out such disease.

Just as periodontal disease makes diabetes worse, the reverse is also true.  Improvements in controlling and reversing periodontal disease benefits diabetes control.  Intensive periodontal treatment significantly reduces levels of A1C, a measure of the glucose control over the prior two to three months.

If you have a family history of diabetes, or are diabetic, and are finding that your glycemia has been difficult to control, please consider the last time that you had your visit with a dental hygienist.  Staying up to date with your hygiene program may make a big difference in your ability to stabilize your diabetes.

For more information on the oral-systemic connection, please visit www.drdell.com, or call A Unique Dental Experience®, (661)254-4000, for a free consultation in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Valencia, Hollywood, or Santa Clarita, California..