I go to the dentist about 10 times a year, no joke.
I have had about 5 or 6 root canals already (I’ve honestly lost count)…
I’ve had one tooth pulled…
and I am constantly getting cavities.
I brush my teeth morning and night and even floss!
Tonight, as I was flossing, I noticed that my gum looks like it’s receding at the top of one of my eye teeth.
I am so depressed over this.
I am only 27 and worry that I’ll have dentures by the time I am 40. 
Does anyone else here have dental problems??
First of all what are your blood sugar numbers look like on typical day?
lol, You are not alone I am 27 also and I thought about the whole denture thing…hahah I know that being a diabetic you are at risk for periodontal diseases. I kinda have the same issue as you do but I don’t have to go to the dentist as much…I think alot of my issues with my death occured around the time I was DX I just didn’t know what was going on…Now, I am fixing everything and trying to keep tight BG control…
I found a link for you to check outit may help answer your questions… http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/1998/03/01/1111.html
Hi Jen -
I have had gum and tooth problems in the past (before diagnosis) but haven’t since I started using a prescription flouride toothpaste and getting 4 cleanings a year. Diabetes does increase the risk of dental problems especially if your blood sugars aren’t well controlled - its the same healing issue as foot problems - just on the other end of the body.
Has your dentist provided any guidance or help on this? You need a doc who thinks about prevention rather than treating your mouth as an annuity.
Maurie
A dental hygenist congratulated me on how many teeth I had left for a 60 year old diabetic. I was so insulted! Carbs turn to sugar the instant they hit saliva. Keep cleaning.
I don’t have the whitest looking teeth around but at 57 years old I still have all my teeth. I believe that heredity may play a big part in the quality of a persons teeth. Also what people eat, their general health, how much dental maintenance they do and so on.
But of course, you must also have well controlled diabetes. What will be a small problem for a non diabetic can be a huge problem for an uncontrolled diabetic.
My dental or I should say gum problems started when I was in my early thirties after spending several years in S. Korea. I’ve had root planing and scaling done twice in the past 5 years, most recently a year ago. I, however, was very naughty and smoked for many, many years which made it worse. I’m due to go back to the dentist next month and since I just moved here I need to find a new one (I loved my last one). I am dreading this follow up as both my parents were wearing dentures by the time they were 40. Genetics plays a huge role in dental health.
Like diabetes, teeth issues are due to genetics, but I don’t think high bloodsugars help with anything.
Jen, I feel for you completely. I too have had many dental problems. I have not had the best luck with dentists either. I also should mention that I have a great fear of dentists. I have more root canals and crowns than I would like to admit. 15 to be exact and 14 have had to been done twice. My first dentist turned out to be a drug addict and did them all wrong. Many of them got infected. It was a very long drawn out procedure. I was in the dentist every 2 weeks for longer than I want to think about to get it all done.Though things were thought to have been done right by the new Dentist…but he is no longer in business…sued 2 times and gone now records and all. I also have gum disease and see a specialist for that every 4 months and have been for years. I now have two active and outward infections that are a result (they think) of two cracked teeth with root canals that were done, you guessed it …wrong. so it looks like implant time. A lot of dentists will blame dental problems on Diabetes which does have some validity, but my blood sugars are not always in perfect control, but not totally imperfect either. I will concur with the genetics. I have my Mothers mouth 100%. Everything that I am going through she also went through in her lifetime although she died at 80 with all her own teeth. My Father has gum disease as well. I just finished having all four quadrants root planing done…not fun and I now take Valium prior in order not to freak out in the dental chair even though I like and trust my Gum Dr. Do not automatically assume that you will have dentures. A lot has changed in dental care and you often have a choice of implants or bridges if it comes to that. There is a medication called Doxycycline at a low 20 MG dosage.which is used long term to help with gum disease. You might want to ask your Dentist about it.I also have never had problems healing from Dental work despite the Diabetes or any other procedure non dental. Keep brushing, flossing and seeing all the Dentists and Dental specialist as needed (which granted will most likely be more often than a non diabetic. A good Dentist or Dental Specialists will work with you to make sure that you can keep your own teeth for as long as possible. Good luck. I feel your pain and anxiety over this because of all my teeth issues.
Supposedly I “brush too hard” and am pushing back my gums. I just bought an enamel-building mouthwash and know that I need to get better at flushing and “brushing softer”? I have always had soft enamel even before my DM so I am just resigned to working a littler harder and having lots of oral surgeries
Sodas contain acids that will dissolve tooth enamel. Switch to water – without lemon or acidic flavorings or carbonation.
Rinse and, if needed, brush and floss after every meal (especially after fibrous meals that gunk up your teeth like steak, chicken breast, nuts, popcorn, oatmeal, gummy breads, etc.)
If you can’t brush/floss immediately after a meal, swish and rinse, swish and rinse, swish and rinse.
Diabetes impacts your saliva output and the acidity of your mouth – make up for it by swishing and drinking 100% pure water throughout the day.
Bathe your teeth and gums in WATER, not soda, not coffee, not juices, not acidic lemon slices or lime slices.
Water. Pure water.
Do you use a soft-bristle brush? One trick is to get one of the highest-quality electric toothbrushes with the timer and follow the instructions to the letter. The Oral B is good – check out Consumer Reports for ratings.
Gentle circular motions preserve gums – sawing back and forth while pressing hard will remove enamel and damage gums.
Brushing your tongue will remove bacteria and improve oral health, too.
Yes, my father, uncle and cousin are dentists and my sister is a dental hygienist – and I worked in my dad’s office for several years. Why do you ask? ;0)
You are correct – genetics plays a role.
So does nutrition – in utero and during childhood, when we lay down our calcium in our bones and teeth – and later in life, too.
I was blessed to be raised in an area with “hard” water (LOTS of minerals in our water) and to have a dad and an uncle who were dentists and took care of my teeth growing up.
But our oral care as adults plays a huge role. Drink water, y’all, not diet sodas, not coffee drinks, not lemonade or lemon slices in water – acid dissolves enamel. Hello!!!
Rinse, rinse, rinse in pure, clean water.
Excellent point. I take omeprazol every day, too – prescribed by my doctor. I had damage to my lower esophagus that showed up during an endoscope exam – related to a genetic weakness in the juncture between my stomach and my esophagus (lower esophageal sphincter).
You are absolutely correct: reflux can definitely impact oral health, not to mention esophageal cancer. Yikes!
My mom won’t take anything on a daily basis for her reflux – in fact she aggravates it with drinking too much Sherry – and consequently has TERRIBLE teeth. Don’t go there. If you have reflux, take one of the daily proton pump inhibitors – they work.
Don’t feel bad. I lost 1/3 of my teeth already. And I still have to get more PULLED.
They cannot be fixed. The rot no matter how much I brush them. My gum are receding.
I guess pretty soon you will have to call me snaggletooth?
Then toothless.
And my blood sugars up to now were terrific. They are all over the place now…
I have also had a lot of cavities , bridges,and and three root canals, some gum problems ( receding) I am so grateful that I have good dental insurance through my employer. Factors playing in:
-Having no fluridated(sp?) water in my small south Ga town until I was 18 and moved away.( My 10 and 12 year younger brother and sister have perfect teeth. My older brother and I are long-term visitors to the “root canal-pull-fill” dental city)
-diabetes for 43 years
.Maybe these in combination gave me tooth problems?
I have always taken pretty good care of them; flossed, cleaned ; Parents took me to regular dental appts even back in the day as a child. Headed to the dentist today, BTW. A central incisor ( front tooth) that had ben repaired many years ago,has been dislodged, and I AM Snaggle tooth (LOL)…If i went to work today the children would run away laughing and crying simultaneously: I am so funny AND scary looking they would not be able to hear anything I say or would or try to teach them… Praise God for sick days!!
God bless,
Brunetta
haha no Oral B and soft tooth brush. I guess it’s time to invest
Last time I went to my dentist he asked if I was a choc-aholic, I replied and told him that I was a Diabetic, and he said ‘Yes, that explains it’. Obviously if you’ve got a high level and lots of sugar floating around it gets in all sorts of places?
Well, I think with my tightened control I am eating far less sugary snacks, and keeping my levels more balanced, so hopefully my teeth will thank me!
Like you I brush and floss all the time, but have had loads of fillings in my back teeth even though I am just 23.
Dental Implant is in, and I am a smilin!!!
God Bless
Brunetta