Many people don’t associate their smile with a healthy life, but mens sana in corpore sano includes a healthy mouth.

Diabetes can strike anyone, from any walk of life. It affects the body’s ability to process the sugars in foods we ingest. Severe to mild diabetic individuals secrete less saliva than non-diabetics from certain medication taken to treat diabetes. Less saliva affects the taste of food, but one of the important role of saliva is to protect your teeth from cavities and from plaque formation. So, as a diabetic you are more likely to get cavities, plaque buildup, and you will have an increased risk of dental infection.

That brings us back to dental hygiene, as you should know, it is recommended to brush the teeth twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste and floss. And regular cleanings with your dentist are essential to remove plaque.

A poor dental hygiene leads to the creation of fertile ground for plaque and bacteria development. If they are not removed daily you will produce calculus. Calculus is hardened plaque that cannot be removed by flossing and brushing. Only the dentist will be able to remove it. It will make your gums swell and bleed more easily. In the worst case you could develop what we call periodontitis (a mouth disease). Periodontitis destroys the bone that supports your teeth in such a way that progressively, your bone will recede and your teeth will fall out.

Periodontitis is not painful at all, making it hard for the the most of people to detect it early enough; until your teeth are too damaged and have to be removed.

The best way to know if you are developing or already have periodontitis is to visit your dentist regularly.

To prevent tooth loss and to improve your overall smile and the whiteness of your teeth be aware of your consumption of sugar, limit alcohol and smoking, drink water and eat healthy and fresh food.