Blog Post

Understand Diabetes' Role in Oral Health and Denture Wear

websitebuilder • Feb 29, 2020
People with diabetes have a lot of special health considerations to make in terms of diet, medications, etc. These considerations extend to your oral health as well. If you are diabetic and plan on getting dentures, you need to understand how your diabetes affects your health and your dentures.
How Diabetes Impacts Your Oral Health and Your Dentures
Every person is different, but diabetes tends to cause poor blood circulation and decreased saliva flow - both of which are detrimental to your oral health and to your dentures.
Poor Blood Circulation
Poor blood circulation can lead to bone loss in your jaws. Because dentures are supported by the alveolar ridges - the bony projections that hold teeth and tooth sockets - you need to maintain as much good bone density as possible.
However, all denture wearers, whether they are diabetic or not, will undergo some bone loss over time. This bone loss is known as resorption and naturally occurs in people that are missing teeth. Resorption is a process where bone structures atrophy because no tooth roots exist to stimulate and maintain bone tissue. Every denture wearer experiences resorption at different rates, but poor circulation can speed up that process.
Poor circulation can be a big issue for people who don't get regular denture relines. Dentures that don't fit well can cause pressure sores on your gums. Since your body cannot circulate nutrients and oxygen effectively, these sores can get infected and heal slowly.
Decreased Saliva Flow
Saliva is the mouth's natural cleaning agent since it has antibacterial properties and neutralizes acids from foods. However, people with diabetes tend to suffer from xerostomia, or dry mouth, which decreases saliva flow.
With decreased saliva flow, you are more at risk for gum disease and infections because bad bacteria can build up in the mouth. For instance, fungal infections like candida are twice as common in diabetics as in other patients.
Besides increasing the risk of an oral infection, decreased saliva flow can affect the retention of your dentures. While your alveolar ridges play a role in denture stabilization, saliva also helps to support the appliances since it creates suction between the gum tissue and the dentures. If you don't have adequate saliva flow, then your dentures may feel rocky or feel like they are going to pop out.
While it may be frustrating to see how diabetes can affect your oral health and your dentures, you have lots of ways to prevent complications.
How Diabetics Can Improve Oral Health Care and Denture Care
Here are a few ideas to help you manage poor blood circulation and reduced saliva flow.
Deal with Poor Circulation
Stable blood sugar levels can improve your circulation and improve healing times. Work with your doctor to manage your blood sugar levels so you can decrease your risk of infections from gum ulcers or oral yeast.
As previously mentioned, if you have poorly fitting dentures, you need to visit your dentist or denturist to get them relined. According to Colgate, you should get your dentures relined or replaced every five to ten years.
You can extend the time between relines by keeping your dentures moist at night so they don't dry out and by using only dentist-approved denture cleaners. You should also only use cold water when cleaning your dentures since hot water can warp them and lead to a poor fit.
Deal with Decreased Saliva Flow
To increase your saliva flow you may want to:
  • hydrate more frequently
  • focus on breathing through your nose, not your mouth
  • change medications if one of the side effects is dry mouth
  • chew sugar-free gum
  • limit your caffeine intake and tobacco use
You'll want to look for denture adhesive on the market that is specifically designed to prevent dry mouth. These kinds of adhesives will also help your dentures feel more secure.
Reach out to Dr. Gregory B. Halls Denture Center for more information about dentures.

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