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• Posted November 14, 2024

Gum Disease & Diabetes: A Strong Link

Periodontal (gum) disease and diabetes are locked in a grim partnership aimed at undermining your health, experts warn.

“Recent research has shown that diabetes is not only a major risk factor for periodontitis but that the relationship between the two conditions is bidirectional, meaning they both influence and exacerbate one another,” said Dr. Anton Sculean, chair of periodontology at hte University of Berne in Switzerland.

The relationship might even become deadly over time: Moderate or severe cases of gum disease have long been linked to a heightened odds for death from heart disease or death from any cause, said Sculean. He's also chairman of EuroPerio11, the annual meeting of the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP).

Diabetes is now thought to affect more than 800 million people worldwide, and it occurs when the body either fails to produce enough insulin (the hormone that regulates blood sugar) or the body's cells become less sensitive to the hormone.

Besides its many other complications, diabetes triples the odds for severe gum disease, the EFP said in a news release.

In fact, as a diabetic person's loses control of blood sugar levels, gum disease severity rises.

Why is that so? As Sculean and colleagues explained, poorly controlled blood sugar levels can weaken your immune system, which then finds it tougher to fight periodontal infections.

Diabetes can also put the body into a pro-inflammatory state, further exacerbating the damage to gum tissues.

These ill effects also work in the opposite direction: As periodontal disease worsens, it triggers a systemic inflammatory response that makes it even tougher for cells to remain sensitive to insulin, the EFP explained.

Severe gum disease can even be a kind of "tipping point," pushing people into a diabetic state, the experts said.

All of this sets up a "vicious cycle" where gum disease and diabetes work on each other to wreak havoc on blood sugar levels.

On the flip side, treating gum disease could help bring diabetes under control.

According to the EFP statement, "This finding reinforces the need for dental professionals to work closely with other healthcare providers, ensuring that patients receive comprehensive care that addresses both their oral health and diabetes management."

Right now, it's estimated that more than 1 billion people worldwide have severe periodontal disease, the EFP said.

“The EFP places great importance on addressing the link between diabetes and gum disease, as it affects not only oral health but the overall well-being of millions of people worldwide,” said Dr. Eduardo Montero, an expert in dental surgery at the University of Madrid in Spain. “Raising awareness among the public, health professionals and policymakers is essential. We need to move towards more holistic health systems that recognize the bidirectional relationship between diabetes and periodontitis and integrate oral health into global health strategies.”

More information

For more on gum disease, head to the Cleveland Clinic.

SOURCE: European Federation of Periodontology, new release, Nov. 13, 2024