Contents:
- Medical Video: The Effects of Diabetes on Your Teeth
- Diabetics are prone to tooth and mouth problems
- So, can diabetics pull out teeth?
- How do you prevent dental complications from diabetes?
Medical Video: The Effects of Diabetes on Your Teeth
In diabetics (people with diabetes), uncontrolled blood sugar levels can make them susceptible to complications from any type of surgery. No exception for tooth extraction surgery. Given that people with diabetes have uncontrolled sugar levels, can diabetics pull out teeth? Know the answers in this article.
Diabetics are prone to tooth and mouth problems
According to the American Diabates Association, diabetics (people with diabetes) have a higher risk of developing dental and oral health problems than those who don't have diabetes. In uncontrolled diabetes, high blood sugar and damage to blood vessel walls due to diabetes make the healing process longer. In addition, the risk of infection is also higher.
Well, because of this, people with diabetes are very susceptible to complications from dental problems if they don't control their blood sugar properly.
So, can diabetics pull out teeth?
Basically, tooth extraction in diabetic patients can be quite complicated. Because the procedure is related to the type of diabetes and various types complications which will be experienced by diabetics after tooth extraction, such as non-stop bleeding and a long wound healing process. In addition, there is also the risk of the spread of odontogenic infections against fascial space infections that can be life threatening in diabetic patients if uncontrolled sugar levels.
However, that does not mean removing teeth for diabetic patients should not be done at all. In most cases, diabetic patients can perform a tooth extraction procedure using the same method as patients who do not have diabetes. With the condition that the blood sugar is operated on is not high.
That is why, if it is necessary to take tooth extraction, the doctor generally first checks HbA1c. HbA1c (hemoglobin A1c) or glycated hemoglobin is hemoglobin which binds to glucose (sugar).
This examination is important to see how well the treatment of diabetes controls blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. HbA1c cannot be used to monitor blood glucose levels per day or routine blood sugar tests. However, this examination will describe the average blood sugar over the past two to three months.
If your blood sugar level is well controlled for three months, then the HbA1c level will decrease compared to the previous 3 months. However, if you are not disciplined in maintaining a good diet and taking medication regularly, of course HbA1c levels will remain high which ultimately increases the risk of diabetes complications.
How do you prevent dental complications from diabetes?
The best way diabetics can do to prevent complications associated with diabetes is to maintain optimal control over your blood sugar levels. Check your blood sugar regularly and let your doctor know if you cannot control your sugar levels with diet, drinking medicines, or insulin.
You also need to be careful in your dental care. Brush your teeth regularly in the morning and evening before going to bed. But remember, don't be too hard when brushing your teeth because it can irritate your gums. Besides that, you can also do it flossing teeth at least once a day.
No less important, you must routinely conduct dental examinations to the dentist. In fact, you might need to ask your dentist to do more checks than recommended. If you see signs of gum disease, seek treatment for your teeth immediately.
