Why do diabetics need to see a dentist?
Diabetic patients, especially those who have poor blood sugar control, are not only at risk of eye, kidney, heart, and foot problems, but also have an increased risk of oral problems. On the other hand, people who have oral infections, especially gum disease or gingivitis, may also have problems controlling their blood sugar.
Oral diseases and diabetes have many similar risk factors. Ways to prevent oral diseases include eating healthy foods that are high in fiber, reducing ยูฟ่าเบท starch and sugar, exercising, not smoking, not drinking alcohol in excess of the recommended amount, and managing stress in life. These are things that people with diabetes should do on a regular basis. Just add cleaning your teeth (both real teeth and dentures), gums, and tongue to your daily lifestyle. The last thing is to make regular appointments with your dentist for early checkups and treatment.
For daily oral care. It can summarize as follows:
1. Brush your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush it can reach deeper into the teeth and the bristles are not so hard that they can wear away the tooth neck or cause receding gums.
2. Brush your teeth twice a day, morning and before bed. Using toothpaste that contains fluoride will also help prevent and treat tooth decay. You must brush for at least 2 minutes without rinsing with too much water. After brushing, spit out the foam and rinse with as little water as possible. If the toothpaste you use does not contain irritating ingredients such as SLS or is too spicy, there is no need to rinse with water. This is to allow the medicine, especially the fluoride that coats the teeth, to work most effectively.
3. Cleaning between teeth: In cases where the gaps between teeth are very small and the teeth are very close together, dental floss should be use. Which must wrap around the teeth as much as possible. Dental floss is used to remove plaque that is stuck to the teeth. If it does not wrap around the teeth, it may only remove large pieces of food stuck to the teeth, but it will not be able to remove all plaque on the tooth surface.
4. In the gaps between the teeth that are large enough, it is recommended to use an interdental brush, especially for the elderly, who can use an interdental brush to clean instead of dental floss.
5. For dentures, remove them
brush them with liquid soap and water. Brush both the outside and inside. If there are hooks, brush the hooks clean as well.
6. Brush your tongue with a toothbrush or a brush made specifically for brushing the tongue. Brush but do not scrape the tongue.
7. If you feel dry mouth, have sores or white patches on your tongue or in your mouth, it is recommended that you inform your dentist to correct the cause or continue with medication.
Diabetes and oral diseases are related in both ways. That is, if diabetes can be controlled, gums will be healthy and teeth will not be at risk of decay easily. If gums and teeth are well cared for, without inflammation or infection, diabetes can be controlled better. All diabetic patients should therefore see a dentist to consult on disease prevention methods and receive regular detailed oral health checkups.