*This is a sponsored post in association with Colgate Total and Mom it Forward Blogger Network. All my opinions are my own and not swayed by outside sources.*
As most of you know, I am a dentist who obviously is very serious about oral health. On my spare time between reading American Dental Association packets and treating patients, I try to make myself aware of how we could better our oral health as a nation. One of the biggest associations I have learned about since my dental school years, is how someone who is diagnosed with diabetes is twice as likely to develop gum disease.
I am going to take you back to 2002, which was my third year at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. I had a patient named Mr. Stan (name changed for identity purposes) who came to me one day with severe periodontal problems. His teeth were so poorly damaged that he had bone loss, huge periodontal pocketing, mobility in his teeth, and severe dental decay. After going through his medical history, I found the culprit. Mr. Stan had Type 1 Diabetes and although he had his medicines and food intake under control, he was not maintaining control of his oral hygiene, which lead him to see me with a lot of work needed to be done.
Mr. Stan is just one of many examples of patients I have seen through the years who ended up having terrible oral hygiene problems because of diabetes. Because of the huge association of diabetes and oral health, Colgate Total and the American Diabetes Association launched a new campaign called “Watch Your Mouth” to help raise awareness surrounding the often over-looked link between oral health and diabetes. It is very important to make sure if you or anyone you know suffers from diabetes, they get dental care from the start of their diagnosis. People who live with Diabetes are more susceptible to bacterial infections (which could end up leading you straight to the hospital) and less able to fight those germs that invade the gums.
I know I just gave you some bad news about this association between diabetes and oral health, however, there is good news on the way! I am going to give you two easy tips to help make sure your oral health is not suffering if you have diabetes. Even if you do not have diabetes though, these tips can be very useful.
First and foremost, you need to use a toothpaste that is recommended by dentists including myself across the country. I personally and professionally recommend brushing twice a day with Colgate Total. Brushing twice a day with Colgate Total toothpaste, can help improve gums in as little as four weeks. Colgate Total is approved by the American Dental Association (ADA) to help prevent gingivitis, which happens to be the most common form of gum disease. We brush with Colgate Total here since it is known to strengthen enamel, fight cavities, reduce plaque, reduce gingivitis, fight bad breath, and so much more. Take my word from it professionally, that Colgate Total will do the job, it is supposed to do! If you suffer from diabetes, make sure you are using Colgate Total Toothpaste morning and night, and you will see your gums improving over the month.
Second, make sure if you have diabetes (or even if you do not), to visit your dentist regularly and keep him/her updated of your medical history, as well as new medicines. We make sure to ask before any appointment if there has been changes, but if you do not tell us, we will not know. While your doctor and certified diabetes educator plays an important role in helping with your diabetes, so does your dentist. We can guide you on ways to help improve your oral hygiene. You do not need to suffer with periodontal problems if you have diabetes!
It is known that Diabetes is associated with low saliva production and dry mouth, which increases the risk of for enamel demineralization and make enamel more prone to decay. There is help now though! Using Colgate Total and visit your dentist frequently (every 6 months or less if severe perio problems), can make sure you have a healthy mouth for many years to come!
To learn more information Colgate Total visit them on their website, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as the Oral Health/Diabetes page. Let’s start 2014 with great, healthy, and clean mouthes!
It makes complete sense that those living with Diabetes would need to watch their oral care- I never considered that gum disease would be a higher risk. I’ll have to share the Colgate resources with my friends and family who are diabetic, thanks!
I had no clue that diabetes was linked to poor oral hygiene!!
And best to start while we’re young too. I guess we really need to check carefully what we put in our mouths 😀
Wow, thank you! I didn’t realize there was a link to oral health and diabetes.
It’s so wild how everything is linked together!! Can’t slack off in any area!! 😉
I did know about Diabetes and oral care. It’s a factor in low birth weight of newborn babies too. Still, those stats are scary.
I didn’t know about this association. Everything in the body is so connected.
Thanks so much for the info. I am diabetic and did not know there was such a big connection.
Wow! Diabetes runs in our family. This is very important information to know!
Wow I didn’t realize the diabetes and oral health connection!
I had no idea about the connection! This is so helpful!
I was not aware of this connection. Important information to know. Thank you for sharing.
Wow. What great information. Thanks for sharing!
My husband has diabetes and the doctor told us to be extra careful for this.
You really do know first hand the importance of oral healthcare. I have 2 relatives with diabetes, so among other thing I need to be sure my family is taking good care of our teeth.
Wow, I had never heard that there was this link and twice as likely is a LOT! I don’t have any close friends or family members with diabetes but hopefully doctors and/or dentists with diabetic patients are warning them of this.
Wow, My Dad is a Diabetic. This is such a good reminder to make sure he is focused on oral health.
Thanks for the reminder about oral health. I had no idea that diabetes was linked.
I had just read something recently about this very topic. Fortunately neither my husband nor myself has diabetes but we do go to the dentist regularly.
Interesting… learn something new everyday. I wish the news would report more on subjects like this and less on entertainment. Thank You for posting this information, I am going to retweet!
I wish dental health was covered under traditional healthcare. There are so many people who consider this to be a luxury, unless they have a toothache, and yet we know that there are direct correlations between oral health and general health. Good for you for pointing this out to so many, and offering suggestions and ideas!
I didn’t know that there was an association between the two! Definitely thankful to know that I don’t have diabetes and keep up regularly with dentist visits and my oral health care.
As a mom who had bad teeth (genetics and a rare disorder) I take my son’s oral health very seriously!
Ashley is Type 1 diabetic and I make sure to load her up on Colgate Total when she heads to college each semester, and also in her stocking at Christmas. Need to keep that oral health on the up and up!
My mom has Diabetes and does have issues with her teeth.
we have been colgate users for years and years!
Thankfully we do not have Diabetes in our family, but I have always been crazy about clean teeth! My kids have all gone to the dentist since they 2 years old. We all go as a family every 6 months on the same day. It is an all-day event! 🙂