Event to Focus on Foot and Tooth Health RANDOLPH – For most,
feet and teeth are essential to daily living and must be kept
healthy, but a diabetes diagnosis can mean added foot and dental
problems and thus a need for extra vigilance. Gifford Medical
Center’s seventh annual free Diabetes Education Expo on March 23
focuses on foot and teeth health for diabetes, with special
presentations from Randolph dentist Dr. John Lansky and Gifford
podiatrist Dr. Kevin McNamara. “So many people don’t realize the
importance of particularly dental health when it comes to
diabetes care. High blood glucose can lead to more bacteria on
your teeth, increasing one’s chance of developing tooth and gum
disease,” says Gifford certified diabetes educator Jennifer
Stratton. “We’re hoping to bring dental care to the forefront in
this year’s expo and talk about another important topic: feet.”
Long-time high blood glucose damages one’s feet in three ways:
it can damage nerves (causing a lack of feeling or neuropathy),
can affect blood fl