Routine dental checkups can help detect diabetes. Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, nearly seven million more don’t even know they have it and another 79 million are at high risk to develop it. There is a relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease, and routine dental visits and good oral hygiene habits can help diabetic patients maintain good oral health. Through awareness of this connection, regular visits to the dentist can alert patients who may be at risk, as well as early intervention can help prevent gum disease and reduce pain and costs associated with it and other forms of dental diseases.
Your oral health is a part of your overall wellness and dentists play an important role in early detection of serious systemic diseases. Preventative check-ups with your dentist may identify or stave off more serious health problems. Oral examinations screen for oral cancer and research shows that more than 120 other diseases, including diabetes, can cause signs and symptoms in the mouth of serious health issues elsewhere in the body.
During American Diabetes Month® talk to your dental provider to be sure you are doing everything possible to achieve your best oral health. If you’ve been diagnosed with periodontal disease, tell your medical provider. Periodontal disease is a transmissible, bacterial infection and can be controlled.
