Oral Health & Diabetes

Bleeding gums, dry mouth, fungal infections, cavities -- these oral signs might clue your dentist into a serious health issue: diabetes. And these symptoms also might suggest other serious conditions, such as HIV and leukemia.

"Diabetes is the one disease that we know can have a direct impact on infections in the bones and gums around the teeth," says Sally Cram, DDS, consumer adviser for the American Dental Association.

Diabetes and your mouth have blood sugar in common. If blood sugar levels are out of control in your body because you don't know you have diabetes, they're out of control in your mouth. With sugar to feed on, bacteria find a happy home in which to grow and thrive. The bacteria then attack the protective enamel layer on your teeth, and over time as the enamel breaks down, cavities develop -- one of the dental signs of diabetes.

A person with diabetes has more mouth woes to worry about: Uncontrolled diabetes reduces the body's first line of defense against infection -- white blood cells -- which can then put a person's oral health at risk. With bacteria teeming around the gums from high blood sugar levels, periodontal or gum disease is an easy next step.

Unfortunately, because diabetes lowers a person's resistance to infection, managing periodontal disease isn't easy.

"If you have diabetes, and periodontal disease, you have to get your blood sugar levels under control, for both the sake of your body and your mouth," says Cram.

Your dentist should be one of your best friends if you are among the 20 million Americans living with diabetes. Frequent professional cleanings are important in helping prevent or control periodontal disease, and home care requires flossing and brushing after every meal.

Oral Health & Heart Disease

If on your last visit to the dentist you were told you had gingivitis or gum inflammation, cavities, missing teeth, molar infections, and/or decay so severe it's left only the roots of a tooth, your dentist may say your mouth isn't the only thing being attacked.