In ongoing meeting of American Diabetes Association (ADA) participant researchers have said that dental diseases may worsen diabetes. According to them, those who are already diabetic and have problem in gum and teeth have low controlling blood sugar level. Researchers said that dental diseases are one of the early warning signs of diabetes. According to them these two are linked, infections and inflammation weaken the tissue around the teeth diabetes becomes worse.

 

The researchers are of opinion that people with periodontal disease are twice as likely to have insulin resistance as those without it. George Taylor associate professor, Dentistry University of Michigan says that aggressively fighting the gum disease reduces blood sugar levels and when untreated puts patient at greater risk for kidney disease and death. He further adds that just as periodontal disease makes diabetes worse, the reverse also appears to be true, and improvement in periodontal disease increases diabetes control.

 

Maria Ryan director clinical research, School of Dental Medicine Stony Brook University, New York says that periodontal disease develops when plaque builds up on the teeth and hardens into tartar. The gums pull away from the teeth and form pockets where infections can fester. The condition, a major cause of tooth loss, can be hard to detect because it is usually painless. Finally, she suggests that when patients have hard-to-treat diabetes, doctors should ask if they have recently seen the dentist and if they have gum disease.