Is Tooth Extraction Advised If You Are Diabetic?
Your tooth comprises two parts. One part is visible above the gum line and is called the crown, while the other part is set in the jaw remaining invisible and called the root. The crown and root have various roles within and contribute towards different tasks which they help us perform when eating and enjoying our food.
The tooth enamel is the hardest part of the body, and the protective layer on the crown gives the tooth a white color. Beneath is the dentin, which is sensitive and protected by the enamel. Deep inside the tooth is dental pulp, a soft tissue containing blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue that supply blood to the tooth from the crown to the end of the roots. The tooth is held by a cementum connected by periodontal ligaments. When chewing, the periodontal fibers absorb the shocks and movement of the jawbone. The mouth’s moist tissues help keep the mouth wet and are called oral mucosa. The gums are the soft tissues surrounding the tooth and bone.
Tooth Removal
Your teeth are expected to last for a lifetime if you take good care of them. However, tooth extraction might become necessary due to various reasons because of problems like tooth decay and infection. In addition, poorly aligned teeth, gingivitis, and injuries also make tooth removal necessary.
Many factors are responsible for tooth decay, including a faulty lifestyle. For example, if you consume starchy and sugary foods and do not pay proper attention to good oral hygiene, it results in decay, which makes you prone to tooth extractions.
Diabetes
One of the most common lifestyle diseases prevalent among all ages and classes is diabetes. This condition is characterized by the body’s lack of ability to utilize blood sugar for energy. Insulin is produced and released by the body from the pancreas. Insulin is the key to allowing yourself to use it when processing blood sugar and converting it into energy. When insulin is not released by the pancreas, it causes an increase in the sugar levels in the body to affect your internal organs adversely and, in some cases, fatally.
Tooth Extraction and Diabetes
If you have diabetes, it doesn’t make you immune from dental problems that might require tooth extraction eventually. However, diabetic patients must ensure their blood sugar levels are within the limit and not higher if they must have a tooth or two removed.
The Peoria dentist does not perform tooth extractions on diabetic patients with uncontrolled blood sugar levels. Instead, they recommend taking proper medications as advised by your healthcare provider and keeping the blood glucose under control to ensure you recover quickly. People with diabetes are recommended to keep their blood sugar levels in control before and after tooth removal, especially if they want their gingival tissues to react normally after tooth removal.
Do Diabetics Take Longer to Heal after Tooth Extraction?
The extraction wound may require more time to heal if you have high blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar is not controlled, cytokines, a harmful protein in the gingival tissue, can block the growth protein that heals the wound. High blood sugar interferes with clotting of the blood, making dental work complicated and healing challenging.
How Does Diabetes Affect Dental Treatment?
If you have diabetes, you must be careful if you are advised tooth extraction. The removal procedure leaves your gums exposed to infections. In addition, the condition may cause hyperglycemia and mobilize fatty acids to result in acidosis. These conditions make controlling blood sugar incredibly challenging.
Do I Have To Tell My Dentist I Have Diabetes?
If you visit the dental offices near me and suspect the dentist might recommend tooth extractions due to any conditions mentioned earlier, you must ensure that you inform your dentist about your diabetic condition. The dentist will want to monitor your blood sugar levels for at least two weeks before proceeding with tooth removal.
The dentist wouldn’t want to expose you to the problem of the healing and other complications that might arise by performing tooth extractions if you have uncontrolled diabetes. Approximately 22 percent of people with diabetes also have gum disease increasing their risks of dental treatments. In reality, severe gum problems can cause blood sugar levels to spike and cause additional problems.
Tooth extraction is advised for people with diabetes if necessary to safeguard their oral and overall health. However, dentists perform tooth extractions on people with diabetes only when they have controlled blood sugar levels.
If a senior member of your family must have a tooth or two extracted and has diabetes, please schedule an appointment with Westbrook Village Dental, where experienced dentists evaluate your family member before performing the removal.