Diabetes and Gum Disease

Diabetes is a metabolic condition that causes all sorts of other health issues, and unfortunately, the gums are not spared. As practitioners of dental sleep medicine as well as general dentistry, we’ve assisted a lot of diabetic patients at the Fullerton office of Dr. Eric Meyer. Our hope is that if people with diabetes are aware of their increased risk for gum disease, they will work with us more closely to protect themselves.

When people have uncontrolled high blood sugar, they are more prone to inflammation throughout their bodies. Although inflammation is a useful immune system response, chronic inflammation in response to a gum pocket infection will not remove a source of tooth decay. It will, however, make the gums painful, swollen, and red, and cause them to bleed. There are other causes of inflammation besides infections, but diabetic people with high blood sugar suffer from weakened immune systems and gum disease is the main cause of their higher rates of gum inflammation.

Recent studies have established that gum disease and diabetes exacerbate each other. As more pathogens grow and are inhaled, the body has more difficulty regulating blood sugar. But there is also some evidence that treating gum disease leads to better-controlled blood sugar, making it especially important for people with diabetes to brush, floss, and maintain regular dental appointments.

Eric M. Meyer, DDS, operates at 2720 North Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, California, 92835. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943 or visit Fullerton Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gum Disease

People with autoimmune disorders need to be especially careful about maintaining their oral health. At the Fullerton dental office of Dr. Eric Meyer, we want our patients to understand their challenges as much as possible, which is why this week’s blog post is dedicated to the connection between gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience inflammation in their joints as a result of the body’s immune system turning on a part of the joint called the synovium. The disease also harms the eyes, blood vessels, salivary glands, and, according to new research, the gums. Severe periodontal disease is six times as common in people with RA as in the general population. RA is believed to be largely caused by genetic factors, and scientists have determined that gum tissue has similar DNA and cellular mechanisms in common with synovium.

That periodontal disease is common even in people whose RA is in its early stage implies that the problem isn’t just caused by difficulty holding a toothbrush. However, people with RA should consider electric toothbrushes and other devices which make oral hygiene easier, as well as artificial saliva to compensate for damage to the salivary glands. People with RA still benefit from maintaining regular dental cleanings, and we have an experienced periodontal team dedicated to helping patients with RA.

Eric M. Meyer, DDS, operates at 2720 North Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, California, 92835. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943 or visit Fullerton Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Root Tip Infections

A lot of studies have come out recently linking dental infections with heart disease and other illnesses, so we thought this would be a good time to educate patients about root tip infections. This type of infection can be extremely dangerous but often goes undetected until patients develop what is called a periapical abscess, which is painful and bad-smelling.

When a tooth is cracked, bacteria may enter the pulp chamber and cause inflammation. Pus, made up of bacteria and dead tissue, accumulates at the tip of the tooth root, and the body may form an abscess, a pocket made of soft tissue, to contain it. However, the infection could still spread, causing loss of bone matter and eventually entering the blood stream. The pain from an abscessed tooth could also spread and come to encompass a large part of the face.

Treating a periapical abscess requires that it be drained and the patient undergo a root canal. They may also need an apicoectomy, which is an operation during which the root tip is removed and replaced. But imaging tests can help us to stop a root tip infection before it gets to that point, and spare the patient a lot of pain and expense.

Eric M. Meyer, DDS, operates at 2720 North Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, California, 92835. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943 or visit FullertonDental.com and fill out a contact sheet.