Teeth !

Thankfully, I have not had quite as bad trouble.

However, when I was first diagnosed, I had some gingivitis which is very unusual for me. When I told the dentist about the diabetes he said this was likely to explain it - when we have high BG, our body tries hard to get rid of the excess glucose by any means necessary. The most well known means is through our wee. I also read about problems with eye sight with high BG due to the glucose in our tears changing the focal length. And, as you've probably guessed, it also comes out in our saliva which leads to tooth decay.

It was the tears that intrigued me most: when I was first diagnosed, I had a few teary moments. They didn't last log because the tears would drip down to my lip and as I licked it off, I realised my tears were sweet which I found incredibly.

I have only six teeth left all lower ones so yes. Also I cannot use the dentures provided so am hoping to come up on the lottery so as can buy implants, not much chance of that though.

I had to have nearly all of my back teeth pulled two years ago. The dentist was absolutely vile and told me that I would lose all of my teeth if I didn't stop eating sweets. He wouldn't believe me when I told him that my sweet intake was minimal due to being diabetic and made me feel awful. In hindsight, I wasn't aware how diabetes could impact oral health and wish that I could have given him what for!


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I have all my back teeth removed many years ago and have partial plates top and bottom.
I do have receding gums which my dentist has said it's diabetic related

Bad gums and lost quite a few of the back teeth. Got referred by dentist to hospital to see if all teeth can be removed under general but answer is no. So thinking now about my choices. Already paying out alot for things NHS do not provide and a bit miffed at the moment about my teeth. Hey ho.

Total empathyfor anybody with teeth and gum problems.

I’m with all of you. Around 10 years ago my teeth, which I’d always been proud of and had checked 6-monthly, started to fracture and needed to come out. My dentist said that suddenly my teeth looked like I was eating 6 Mars Bars a day! He sent me to the dental hospital and a consultant there did give the condition a name (which I’ve forgotten), it was diabetes related and he’d seen it only a few times in his career. He said as I slept glucose was coming down from my gums onto the teeth and seriously damaging them. Still can’t figure that one out as my HB1Ac was and remains at around 5.6 – 6.

Since then most have fractured and been removed and I’ve now got partial plates top and bottom.

Bill

I was told someting similar yesterday about excessive saliva due to gums....
And also everything is "diabetes" related..

I've bee a T2 for over 3 and a half years now and earlier this year had my first dental appointment in probably getting on for 10 years, and I was expecting a real bollocking when I went for that! Dentist and hygienist were both very surprised (and so was I!) that I had no issues with my teeth other than needing a bit of cosmetic filling where a couple of front teeth were receding. I was quite an enthusiastic eater of sweet things until diagnosis but since then I've just used erythritol and stevia, and eaten a little dark chocolate... But I think my saviour may have been my trusty electric toothbrush!

Robbity