More than 29 million Americans struggle with diabetes. That’s one of every eleven US citizens with an additional 86 million living with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes according to the American Diabetes Association. Those numbers are astronomical. While diabetes prevention and treatment is important, our intent here is to help you in understanding the importance of paying close attention to your dental health if you’ve already been diagnosed with the illness. Regular maintenance and enrolling in an individual dental insurance plan are two key steps to staying ahead of the illness in the area of your oral health.
What’s the big deal with teeth and diabetes?
Diabetes increases your chances of developing oral issues like gingivitis and periodontitis. It can also cause your blood vessels to become thicker making it more difficult for your body to circulate both nutrition and waste products through your vasculature like it’s supposed to. This increases your risk of deadly conditions like a bacterial infection since your body can’t fight off oral bacteria like it should.
The other bad news: serious gum disease like periodontitis is believed to contribute to worsening diabetes.
Stay on top of your oral health.
This isn’t all doom and gloom: preventative maintenance (brushing and flossing), regular checkups and professional cleanings, and covering yourself with an individual dental insurance plan will do wonders in keeping your teeth and gums healthy and heading off diabetic complications caused by poor dental hygiene.
Communicate with your dentist.
Make sure your dentist is aware of your condition so that he or she can take the extra precautions necessary to keep you healthy. This may include extra cleanings and screenings and will certainly mean that your dentist will need to be kept in the loop about your medical condition (undergoing dental treatments with uncontrolled blood sugar levels can be dangerous).
The good news: you have the ability to take control of your health by enrolling in an individual dental insurance plan, maintaining your dental hygiene, and keeping your dentist well informed.
Contact My Generation Benefits for more information on individual dental insurance plans and more.