(BPT) - It’s no secret that diabetes often goes hand-in-hand
with other chronic conditions, like heart disease, and can cause
a range of serious complications including nerve damage and limb
amputation. When it comes to understanding how diabetes can
affect oral and visual health, however, many people may feel
they are in the dark. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) recently found that one out of every two
Americans 30 years or older has periodontal (gum) disease. Gum
diseases are infections of the mouth that affect the tissue and
bone that hold a person’s teeth in place and can lead to bad
breath, abscesses and tooth loss. The risk for gum disease is
even higher for the 26 million Americans living with diabetes.
Gum disease can make it hard to control blood sugar levels, and
high or uncontrolled levels of glucose in the body can worsen
mouth infections. This cycle can cause painful gums and tissue
that can eventually result in tooth loss. In fact, gum disease
may be a first indicator that a