Dental health & diabetes

Most people are aware of the many foods which are important for healthy teeth and gums, but some people are not aware that uncontrolled diabetes is bad for the health of teeth, gums and the rest of the oral cavity.

Poorly controlled diabetes could mean a reduced defence system, as white blood cells, the body's main defence against bacterial infection, are impaired. Dry mouth and thickened saliva can result from poorly controlled diabetes; some medications will also cause this effect.

Dry mouth can cause mouth ulcers and affects eating, especially of fruits and vegetables. Other oral conditions which can be impacted by diabetes are gingivitis and periodontitis. The oral blood vessels, can be damaged by diabetes, impairing the blood and nutrient flow that promotes healing.

People with diabetes must have regular dental visits to manage their oral health. In addition to the personal oral hygiene such as brushing and flossing, controlling diabetes is paramount to good oral health.

Tips for diabetes control

1. If you are on medication, you should take them as prescribed.

2. Do self-monitoring of blood sugar so you are always in the know about your diabetes status.

3. You should be methodical about your home blood-sugar testing; random testing is not good enough.

4. Get support from your doctor, dietitian/nutritionist and diabetes educator.

5. One major reason for poor diabetes control is poor eating pattern.

6. Foods high in carbohydrates will quickly alter your blood sugar, so understand the foods you eat and how they affect your blood sugar.

7. Have set meal and snack times.

8. Consume foods with similar amounts of carbohydrates at each meal. Your dietitian can show you how to use blood-sugar monitoring to achieve control.

9. Make your diet predominantly unrefined foods.

10. Have a wide variety of foods of varying colours. The pigmentation has a positive effect on blood vessels.

11. Reduce total fats, especially those from animal sources.

12. Eat less salt and processed foods.

13. If you must drink, reduce alcohol intake to one and two drinks for women and men per day, respectively.

Poor oral health will affect your ability to eat, especially fibrous fruits and vegetables. These foods are important to your overall health. Keeping diabetes under control can improve oral health and, subsequently, your nutritional status.

Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/ nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.