The Secret Between Periodontitis and Diabetes

Unit: Department of Stomatology, Nangang Street Community Health Service Center, Huangpu District, Guangzhou Author: Wang Linyan

In the diagnosis and treatment of primary community health service centers, many patients with periodontitis are also diabetic patients. However, many people do not know that there is a close connection between periodontitis and diabetes. What kind of "secrets" are hidden between these two seemingly unrelated diseases? Why are diabetic patients more likely to suffer from periodontitis, and how does periodontitis aggravate the condition of diabetes? In this regard, this article will explore the close connection between the two, uncover the unknown secrets between them, and help everyone better understand these two diseases.

Basic concepts of periodontitis and diabetes

1. What is periodontitis?

Periodontitis is a common oral disease that mainly affects the tissues around the teeth, especially the gums and alveolar bone. The early symptoms of periodontitis include bleeding gums, loose teeth and bad breath. If not treated in time, periodontitis may lead to serious consequences such as tooth loss.

2. What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar levels, which is mainly divided into type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is mainly caused by insufficient insulin secretion and is an autoimmune disease; type 2 diabetes is caused by the combined effects of insulin resistance and insufficient insulin secretion.

The bidirectional relationship between diabetes and periodontitis

In short, diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by elevated blood sugar levels, which is mainly divided into type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Some studies have shown that periodontitis has a direct impact on blood sugar control, and diabetic patients with poor blood sugar control are more likely to suffer from severe periodontitis. This is mainly because high blood sugar can directly reduce the body's immune ability, making the gums and other oral tissues more susceptible to bacterial infection, thereby inducing or aggravating periodontitis.

On the contrary, as a chronic inflammatory disease, periodontitis often increases the release of inflammatory mediators, which, when entering the blood circulation, further affect the action of insulin, making blood sugar control more difficult. In other words, there is a mutually aggravating two-way relationship between periodontitis and diabetes.

How does diabetes lead to periodontitis?

Clinically, a high blood sugar environment can easily lead to bacterial growth, and due to long-term high blood sugar in the body, the oral environment of diabetic patients is relatively "sweet", which provides rich nutrition for the growth of oral bacteria. The bacteria in the mouth will form dental plaque and tartar at the junction of teeth and gums, which are the main "culprits" of periodontitis.

At the same time, diabetes will actually change the body's blood supply capacity, making the blood circulation of gum tissue worse and the ability to repair gums and other oral tissues weakened, which is one of the reasons why diabetic patients with periodontitis are difficult to cure. In addition, high blood sugar will interfere with the patient's immune response, reducing the body's ability to fight infection and further aggravating periodontitis.

Mechanisms of periodontitis exacerbating diabetes

It can be said that periodontitis is essentially a chronic bacterial infection. Its presence will continuously release inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines and interleukins, etc. These inflammatory mediators will cause inflammatory reactions throughout the body after entering the blood circulation. Some studies have shown that these inflammatory mediators will directly affect the function of human insulin receptors, leading to insulin resistance, and the increase in insulin resistance will make it more difficult for diabetic patients to control blood sugar.

In addition, periodontitis may also affect the complications of diabetes, such as diabetic foot, diabetic retinopathy, etc. This is mainly because the chronic inflammation caused by periodontitis will accelerate the progression of diabetic complications, further deteriorate the overall health of diabetic patients, and actually affect the health and condition of patients.

Strategies for prevention and management

Finally, for the prevention and management of periodontitis and diabetes, we need to adopt a comprehensive strategy. Specifically, diabetic patients should strictly control their blood sugar and maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. Secondly, oral hygiene is also an important part of preventing periodontitis. Patients should brush their teeth and use dental floss every day, and perform regular oral examinations and cleanings. Third, in daily life, actively quitting smoking and reducing stress also play a positive role in preventing periodontitis. Finally, if you have unfortunately suffered from periodontitis, patients should receive professional treatment in time to avoid further deterioration of the disease.

In summary, diabetes and periodontitis, two seemingly unrelated diseases, are actually closely related. Blood sugar control affects periodontal health, and periodontitis, as a chronic inflammation, will aggravate the condition of diabetes. Only through joint efforts can people gradually uncover the secrets between diabetes and periodontitis, break the vicious cycle between the two diseases, and bring more hope and health to patients.