Posted on November 2, 2009 in Diabetic Complications
Diabetes is an autoimmune disorder. It means that when such an ailment affects our body, it loses the ability to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy cells in our body. The mechanism responsible for protecting our body starts killing healthy cells in our body along with the harmful cells. This causes poor functioning of the tissues and organs of the body over the time. Possibilities of several body ailments arise as a result when a person has high blood sugar levels. This article tries to understand how research relates an oral infection called periodontitis with diabetes.
What is Periodontitis: The food we eat is grinded in to small bits by our teeth. Bits of the food eaten get stuck in the gaps of our teeth. Over the time, bacteria grow in these locations in the form a layer called plaque. In diabetic patients, these bacteria grow rapidly because of the high sugar level in their blood. These bacteria later cause swelling and bleeding in these location when the patient brushes his teeth. These sweeling and bleeding in the teeth and the surrounding gums is called periodontitis.
Symptoms of Periodontitis due to Diabetes:
- Red swollen gums
- Bleeding in the gums
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- Eroding of gums
- Teeth lose
- Bad breath
Research done on the relationship between Periodontitis and Diabetes:
- The research study was conducted at the Division of Prosthodontics, Marquette University School of Dentistry, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (dated December 2001).
- The study found that diabetes causes worsening of Periodontitis.
- It do not allow the repairing of the sweelings, and the killing of harmful bacteria.
- There is no protection provided to the teeth and gums from the harmful substances released by the bacteria.
- Diabetes inturn brings changes in our body which allow the healthy growth of the harmful bacteria responsible for the swelling.
- These body changes are brought in the diabetic patients by high levels of cholestrol.
- Diabetic patients have high cholestrol levels even when their blood sugar is under control making them prone to heart diseases easily.
- Research has found out that their is a two way relationship between high cholestrol levels and periodontitis in diabetic patients.
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