Issuu

04 issue

nov ‘21

Generations of Smiles Oral Health Means Better Health

At Every Age and Every Stage

Dentists Make the Difference Managing Diabetes

Why You & Your Dentist Should Talk About Diabetes You can probably guess what your dentist thinks about sugar. That sweet stuff, after all, is linked to cavities. But did you know that your dentist is equally concerned about your blood glucose (blood sugar)? Unmanaged blood glucose in people with diabetes is associated with inflammation and major organ complications, including oral health problems. The reverse is also true: infections in the mouth can cause blood glucose levels to rise, affecting the health of people living with diabetes. To help people break free from this vicious cycle, dentists and endocrinologists can work together on an approach that addresses the Mouth-Body Connection®. Doctors can review patients’ dental charts to keep track of possible bacterial infections that could affect blood glucose levels. And dentists can advise their patients on ways to include oral health in their diabetes management. People with diabetes can regulate their blood glucose levels and see their dentist on a regular basis. People with diabetes are at increased risk of periodontitis, or gum disease, treating oral health issues early can make a big difference in maintaining overall health. So, forget sugar. Taking care of your diabetes and oral health could result in better health and a healthier smile. Nothing could be sweeter. Until next time,

Carolyn Ghazal, DDS Smile Generation®-Trusted Dentist

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A healthy smile can can fight diabetes

Contents What Your Dentist Says About Diabetes

page 6

How Untreated Diabetes Can Affect Your Oral Health

page 10

Gratitude

page 12

3-Point Plate Plan

page 14

Take the Risk Test

page 16

Smile Stories: Eddie’s story

page 18

It’s hard to talk while having dental work done, but don’t let that stop you from discussing diabetes with your dentist.

Learn about the link between gum disease and diabetes. Gratitude can have a greater impact on your health than you may have realized—find out how. Quick tips to keep Turkey Day from derailing your diet. In as little as 60 seconds, you can learn your risk and what you can do to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Meet Eddie, an inspiring friend and patient at The PDS Foundation® Dentists For Special Needs.

WHAT YOUR DENT

DIAB Both diabetes and gum disease are linked to high blood glucose levels, diet and inflammation. 1

That is why getting a handle on oral health can make a significant impact on a person’s diabetes management. In fact, researchers in Europe found that brushing three times a day or more is linked to an 8% lower risk of developing diabetes.2 On the other hand, just having an oral disease is associated with a 9% increased

I S T S AYS A B O U T:

ETES risk of developing diabetes. And for people missing 15 or more teeth, this risk increases to 21%. Why? It comes down to inflammation and blood glucose regulation. Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the pancreas loses the ability to properly use or make insulin, a hormone that regulates

blood glucose levels. As a result, blood glucose levels can run dangerously high, putting people at risk of organ failure and death. When the body confronts disease, it does so through an inflammatory response. In the case of gum disease, that response sets off a reaction in the body that makes it difficult 7

to control blood glucose levels. Which explains why treating gum disease and reducing inflammation3 is so critical to hyperglycemia and diabetes prevention.

What Dentists Can Do The American Diabetes Association® even states that dentists can detect signs that you may have diabetes. According to the American Diabetes 4 Association website : Did you know that your dentist can refer you to your doctor to get screened for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes?

A study published recently in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care found that nearly 1 in 5 people with severe gum disease had type 2 diabetes and didn’t know it. In addition to prevention and detection, your dentist can play a role in the management of diabetes by providing deep cleanings. Deep cleanings address the pockets that can develop between the teeth and gum, where bacteria can fester and become infected. The process5 involves scaling, to remove tartar, and root planing, to smooth out teeth roots.

The American Diabetes Association The moving force behind the work is a network of nearly 530,000 volunteers, their families and caregivers, a membership of thousands of health care professionals, as well as more than 250 staff members.

Learn more at diabetes.org

In a small study6 out of Spain, researchers found that people with diabetes who received deep cleaning and other oral health interventions lowered their A1C, a test that reflects a person’s average blood glucose levels over the last three months. “This highlights the significance of the connection between oral health and diabetes management and prevention,” said Dr. Deepika Dhama (South Corona Dental Group). “It’s important for people to know that, just like diet and exercise, good oral

health care is an important step to keep people from developing complications of diabetes.” “A diagnosis of diabetes is serious and life-altering,” Dhama said. “Talk to your dentist if you have diabetes or are at risk of developing the disease.

We’re part of your health care team, and we’re here to help.”

We suggest getting your dentist involved in detecting signs of diabetes early. 9

How Untreated Diabetes Can Affect Your Oral Health

We know that poor oral health can lead to or worsen a host of ailments in the body. 10

These include: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and more.1 The reverse is also true: Certain diseases or medical ailments can spur or even exacerbate oral problems. Like diabetes, for instance. Poor oral health, specifically periodontitis, has been viewed as an early sign of diabetes2 and may serve as a risk indicator.

How Diabetes Can Affect Your Smile When someone has diabetes, it means their blood glucose (blood sugar) raises higher than someone without diabetes. If your blood glucose level is high, then it’s high in your saliva too3. And just like sugar and eating sweets are not good for your teeth, neither are high amounts of sugar in your saliva. If untreated, it can lead to tooth decay, cavities, gum disease and more. Diabetes can also affect your mouth by causing your gums to bleed and become inflamed or can weaken white blood cells4, which is the body’s way of fighting infections. In both cases, gum disease or any infections in the mouth could take longer to heal.

Someone with diabetes who has bacteria or plaque in their mouth could have a higher inflammatory response5, which could cause the gum area around your teeth to be eroded, leading to tooth loss. Furthermore, someone suffering from diabetes also produces a lack of saliva, which can often lead to a dry mouth. If not enough saliva is being produced, the food, drink or bacteria in your mouth doesn't get washed away as easily6, plus it can cause further tooth decay, soreness or infections7. It sounds scary, but there are things you can do. The CDC has recommendations on how to prevent or manage your diabetes (see below).

You Can Prevent or Manage Your Diabetes 1. Eat healthier. Cut back on unhealthy foods and make a long-term plan to eat better.

4. Manage your blood glucose. Check your blood glucose every day and treat it, if needed.

2. Lose weight. Even if you’re just a few pounds heavier, it’s important to get down to a healthy weight.

5. Prepare for the long run. This is not a short-term problem, so find support in family, friends, your doctor or with online resources.

3. Exercise. Even just 20 minutes of activity per day is helpful. We would add, let your dentist know if you have diabetes so that he or she can recommend any additional oral health treatments. We want your teeth to look sweet. We just don’t want high blood glucose to ruin them!

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Gratitude.

It does a body good and can even help with diabetes.

You probably know that gratitude can have a great effect on emotional well-being. But did you know it could impact your physical well-being too? The key link appears to lie in a good night’s sleep. And the key to that? Gratitude!1 The link also extends to diabetes management. Simply put: more gratitude = better sleep = better self-care, which is a critical part of managing diabetes. The CDC has reported that optimizing sleep duration and quality may help improve blood glucose management in persons with type 2 diabetes.2 As it turns out, gratitude does a body good in more ways than one!

More Gratitude =Better Sleep

= Better Self-Care

I took a step into a healthy future. It started with a simple test.

smilegeneration.com/mbc/diabetes

Both diabetes and gum disease are linked to high blood glucose (blood sugar) levels, diet and inflammation. That is why getting a handle on oral health can make a significant impact on a person's diabetes management. The key to prevention is knowing your risk. Learn your risk by completing the free 6-second prediabetes risk test below.

Take the Risk Test In as little as 60 seconds, you can learn your risk and what you can do to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Start Now

Smile

Meet Eddie! And find out how he found a dental home. One of the biggest challenges facing the 52 million people in the U.S. with a disability is simply finding a good, local dentist. See how Eddie’s beating the odds and inspiring us all.

Generations of Smiles A Smile Generation Magazine

LET'S DO THIS AGAIN! The Smile Generation exists to connect you with trusted dentists in your area and to offer education on the critical link between oral and overall health. We’d love to know what you think of our magazine.

DROP US A NOTE!

Sources The Inflammation Conversation: Discussing Diabetes with your Dentist

1. National Center for Biotechnology Information, Oral Health and Diabetes 2. Study links frequent tooth brushing to lower risk of diabetes while dental disease and missing teeth associated with increased risk, DIABETOLOGIA 3. Oral health: a neglected area of routine diabetes care? British Journal of General Practice 4. Diabetes and Oral Health, American Diabetes Association 5. Deep Cleaning Your Teeth: When To Do It, Colgate.com 6. Diabetes: Look after your teeth to look after your blood glucose, Medical News Today

How Untreated Diabetes Can Affect Your Oral Health 1. SmileGeneration.com 2. Periodontitis as a possible early sign of diabetes mellitus, BMJ Journals 3. CDC.Gov, Diabetes and Oral Health 4. CDC.Gov, Diabetes and Oral Health 5. Diabetes and Oral Health, American Diabetes Association 6. Diabetes and Oral Health, American Diabetes Association 7. Cleveland Clinic Oral Health Problems and Diabetes 8. CDC.Gov, On Your Way To Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

How Untreated Diabetes Can Affect Your Oral Health 1. SmileGeneration.com

2. Periodontitis as a possible early sign of diabetes mellitus, BMJ Journals 3. CDC.Gov, Diabetes and Oral Health 4. CDC.Gov, Diabetes and Oral Health 5. Diabetes and Oral Health, American Diabetes Association 6. Diabetes and Oral Health, American Diabetes Association 7. Cleveland Clinic Oral Health Problems and Diabetes 8. CDC.Gov, On Your Way To Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

Gratitude 1. Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation, Can, Gratitude Improve Health? 2. CDC.Gov, Sleep and Chronic Disease

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