Medicine, Dentistry & Diabetes...

I’ve always thought it interesting how dentistry evolved separately from medicine.  Before you specialize in various medical fields, a person first needs to graduate as a general physician.  From there you could specialize in dermatology, internal medicine, and orthopedics and so on.   While the “specialty” of diseases of the oral cavity (mouth) and teeth developed separately form general medicine, the interrelationship of what goes on in a person’s mouth and the rest of your body is a close one.  More and more research is demonstrating links between various diseases ( such as heart disease) and gum disease.  There are even signs in your mouth that may signal to a dentist that an underlying undetected medical condition needs attention.

Let’s briefly discuss an increasingly frequent disease seen in our society today- diabetes.

Along with heart and kidney disease, nerve and eye damage that can develop in diabetics, there is also a strong relationship between oral health and diabetes.

How well the diabetic controls their blood sugar and therefore their diabetes affects the severity of dental complications that are commonly associated with diabetes.

Periodontal (gum) disease is an inflammatory disease caused by bacteria in plaque and tartar which results in infections of the gums and destruction of the bone supporting the teeth. 

Poorly controlled diabetes is associated with more advanced gum disease and can negatively affect the ability to treat the infection.  As periodontitis advances, swollen bleeding gums, bad breath and loose teeth can result.  The importance for diabetics to follow a proper diet is more difficult if gum disease is an issue.

High levels of glucose found in the saliva of diabetics will result in a higher incidence of decay.  Oral soft tissue problems including fungal infections, denture sores, dry mouth and of course delayed healing are diabetic complications too.  Nerve damage common to diabetics can manifest as burning mouth or tongue sensations, and orofacial pain. 

The importance of regular dental check ups cannot be stressed enough for controlling diabetic complications.  Sudden changes in oral health such as the ones discussed can be an indication for a dentist to refer a patient for medical examination, aiding early diagnosis of diabetes.

In the future we'll I'll write more on the interrelationship of medicine and dentistry.