National Diabetes Week 2020 12th - 18th July

Oral health is vitally important for those with diabetes or at risk of diabetes.

At New Horizons Dental our approach to periodontitis is very comprehensive, emphasizing preventive measures at all stages of treatment. Visit our website to read more information on periodontal treatment: https://newhorizonsdental.com.au/dental-services/#tab5

Having healthy teeth is essential to chew the types of foods that prevent diabetes and promote great general health: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6588038/

Whole foods and fresh foods particularly vegetables and fruits are in this group. It is generally recommended to have at least 5 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit per day. The greater the variety of colours the better: https://foodrevolution.org/blog/eating-the-rainbow-health-benefits/

Not only this, but most importantly is effective plaque control starting with tooth-brushing. Using disclosing solutions to colour and graphically show where the plaque is present on teeth and gums, a tooth-brushing coaching session can improve your removal of plaque. This can make a huge difference to health of gums and teeth- it can also freshen breath.

To avoid diabetes, early diagnosis of pre diabetes or syndrome X, (metabolic disorders) is very useful. The health of the gums can be an early warning sign of more general health problems. https://www.aafp.org/dam/AAFP/documents/journals/afp/Gaddey-AAFP.pdf

So, if your gums bleed when brushing it is essential to see a dentist to evaluate carefully the health of the gums.

Gum inflammation, termed periodontitis can aggravate diabetes and over 50 general medical conditions. (Link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022034519846113) Gum health is essential for good general health.

The use of lifestyle medicine techniques can help improve gum health and also go a long way to avoiding diabetes developing. In fact there is very strong evidence diabetes type 2 can be reversed with the full range of lifestyle measures such as involves thorough oral hygiene, healthy diet, exercise, relaxation and stress relief, good sleep and rest, avoidance of destructive habits such as smoking, excess alcohol intake and similar habits. Additional information is provided here on the Australian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM) website:

If you have any questions relating to diabetes and dental health, contact our friendly dental reception 07 4099 3232 to book a consultation at a suitable and convenient time.