How is Oral Health impacted by Diabetes?
This week I was joined by Dr. Katie Lee to talk about all things oral health related to diabetes. This topic was so interesting to me because I have never had a dentist talk with me about diabetes and I didn’t realize that this could impact my oral health. It seems obvious that all functions in the body would be connected but I don’t hear very many people discussing this.
Luckily, Katie has a whole book on it called “Saved by the Mouth” which talks about many different areas of the body in relation to oral health. Katie became passionate about oral health after a serious injury at 14 years old that left her with nine surgeries to rebuild her jaw and dental implants. Since then she has made it her mission to improve overall health through a whole body approach to oral health.
Diabetes and Oral Health
In Katie’s book “Saved by the Mouth”, she talks about a patient struggling with inflamed gums and mouth pain, along with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. Her A1C was above 12 and this made it difficult to treat her because of the risk of infection. Elevated blood sugars can cause excess sugar in the saliva which can lead to rapid tooth decay. This patient was losing her teeth quickly and in a lot of pain.
Despite the risk, Katie put together a treatment plan to remove her teeth and put in dental implants. Luckily, she healed up great and within six weeks her A1C had also improved significantly. The surgery and medications helped heal the infection in her mouth and in turn, made it possible for her to control her diabetes.
Research shows that oftentimes, periodontal disease and type 2 diabetes occur together. Additionally, when periodontal disease is not under control, this can make it very difficult to control blood sugar. Gum therapy can help reduce A1C by .4%.
Improving Oral Health
Here are some tips from Katie to improve oral health:
Vitamin a, vitamin c, vitamin d3 with vitamin k2, magnesium, and fish oil are great supplements to consider.
Take a saliva test to find out what bacteria are present in your mouth. If your dentist doesn’t offer this, you can book a telehealth appointment with Katie here.
Schedule cleanings every 3 months.
Use an electric toothbrush
Floss morning and night
Tongue scrape
Chew gum with xylitol (this helps protect the teeth)
Avoid mouthwash with alcohol in it
Recommended toothpastes: Toms, Boca, and toothpastes with a high level of arginine for sensitivity
If you’d like to listen to the podcast episode with Dr. Katie Lee you can find it wherever you listen to podcasts, titled “#37 Oral Health and Diabetes with Dr. Katie Lee”.
Connect with Katie on instagram @katieleedds or her website is katieleedds.com.
You can buy her book “Saved by the Mouth” on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
This is not medical advice. Consult your doctor before making any changes.