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Diabetes effect on oral health often overlooked by Erika Murtaugh Dietietic Intern So your doctor just diagnosed you with diabetes mellitus. You receive education about how to control your blood sugars, counting carbohydrates, and the importance of checking your feet for ulcers. But what about the importance of oral health in relation to your new diagnosis?   Diabetes makes all tissues in your body more susceptible to infection, including the tissues in your mouth. However, there are many oral health problems associated with diabetes including tooth decay, periodontal disease, salivary gland dysfunction, fungal infections and delayed healing, taste impairment, burning sensations, and xerostomia (dry mouth). Caring for the mouth is often overlooked when controlling for other associated problems with diabetes.   Diabetes that is not controlled properly can result in high glucose levels in saliva, which helps bacteria thrive. A sticky film of bacteria, known as plaque, forms on the teeth following a meal containing sugars or starches. This bacteria then releases acids derived from dietary sugars that in turn attack the tooth enamel. The enamel eventually breaks down with repeated attacks resulting in cavities.   Another result of uncontrolled blood sugars is periodontal disease, which involves the inflammation and loss of bone and supporting tissue of the teeth. One-third of people with diabetes have periodontal disease with the loss of attachment of gums to teeth measuring 5 millimeters or more. Persons with well-controlled diabetes lose fewer teeth as a result of periodontal disease than persons with less-controlled diabetes.   There are other oral conditions associated with diabetes that are not influenced by blood glucose control. Oral candidiasis, a fungal infection in the mouth, as well as lichen planus, a skin disorder that produces lesions in the mouth, both appear more frequently in people with diabetes. Some people with diabetes have reported taste impairment, specifically a diminished taste for sweets, which may influence food choices in favor of sweet-tasting foods and in turn increase their risk for dental caries.   So, it not only is important to keep track of one’s blood sugars when it comes to diabetes, but it is crucial not to disregard one’s oral health. Source: American Dental Association: Diabetes and Your Oral Health Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.ada.org/public/topics/diabetes_faq.asp. Copyright 1995-2006.     Friday, April 14, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island papers at 849-1778, ext. 201.