Nashville Diabetes Dentist

Dental and Periodontal Treatment for Diabetics

The treatment for periodontal disease requires the control of oral bacteria. While tooth brushing is a good start, much more is required of diabetics. If tooth brushing were enough to control bacterial levels 80% of the adult population (4 out of 5) would not be suffering from gingivitis and/or periodontal inflammation. Clearly something more needs to happen to deal with oral bacteria.

Modern oral hygiene measures and professional therapies must include effective mechanical debridement (i.e. tooth brushing, flossing, water pick, etc) as well as the use of chemical antimicrobrial solutions to combat the growth of the bacteria present in the mouth. Lasers have recently begun to be used to decontaminate periodontal gum disease and to help induce healing in the infected gum tissue.

Cross-professional support is highly recommended, as dentists and physicians must be communicating with each other in support of their mutual patient‟s health. This requires a sufficient amount of understanding on the part of the dentist with regards to diabetes and its clinical management, as well as a willingness on the part of the physician to understand the periodontal implications of diabetes. Often the dentist is the key player in helping the physician to come to these understandings.

Dental Management for the Diabetic Patient

Providing dental treatment to diabetic patients is more complex due to the many number of parallel and co-existing problems inherent with diabetes. Modern medical treatments are making it possible for more people with diabetes to continue productive lives despite the presence of parallel, complex and complicating medical conditions. People are living longer and often have multiple risk factors co-existing which must be taken into consideration when having dental treatment.

Proper dental treatment and effective on-going maintenance of diabetics, of necessity requires a thorough working knowledge of the diabetes condition. Dentists are increasingly being called upon to take active roles as a Diabetic Team Member alongside the primary care physician.

Any dentist desiring to be an active part of this team and who treat diabetic patients should be familiar with the Standards of Medical Care for Patients with Diabetes Mellitus as published by the American Diabetes Association. You may experience changes in your ability to chew your food. Your dentist should be familiar with the nutrition principles and recommendations in diabetes patients. There are situations where changes in your oral health may merit a referral to a diabetic educator or dietitian.

Dentists should become familiar with how to treat diabetic complications that arise during dental treatment, such as acute raises or drops in blood sugar levels. Dental treatment should be structured and planned to reduce anxiety and stress, and to respect the needs for blood sugar control measures. Very often diabetics have multiple co-existing medical conditions which must also be managed and taken into consideration.

Stress and infections, along with epinephrine in local anesthetics has an effect to elevate blood sugar levels. Infections and surgical procedures are also very demanding conditions which may require careful antibiotic and surgical management.

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