Type 1 and Dental Issues

Im a dental nurse and the best advice i can give for gum health is learning to clean your teeth the right way ,pull your bottom lip down look in the mirror and brush along the gum line and small circle motions with a small/medium brush so you get inbetween the teeth.NO SCRUBBING it feels great but just wafts across teeth leaving plaque inbetween teeth.leaving plaque to sit on the gum line causes gums to be irratated then they bleed always brush more where it bleeds people often stay away from these area but thats the way your gums alert you to a problem ,corsodyl mouthwash is good if used properly dont use straight away after brushing leave for say 30 mins as it doesnt work as well if used with tooth paste you can also brush it in the areas that bleed and avoid using for long periods of time as can stain teeth . Acidic drinks like orange juice that my daughter uses fir hypos should be rinses out after with water to dilute the acid and a high strengh fluoride tootpaste is a great idea as strengthens the enamel to acid attacks.
You can not grow gums back they can not be fixed but the damage can be halted with good brushing .hygienist can remove the scale/tartar that is irratating the gums but you can stop it forming in the first place by getting the brush to the gum line especially the tongue side of the lower teeth as this is where is commonly misses being a hard to reach area.dissclosing tablets are great for showing left behind plague as gives you a good idea where is being missed and is a good place to start.flossing is fine tuning toothbrushing needs to be right first
Hope this helps x


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Hale
Your recall from 12 to 6 could just be to check for early signs of decay or to halt it before it starts .if you have frequent sugar between meals for hypos like orange juice coke lucozade etc it can have a negative effect on your teeth no matter how good you are with a toothbrush your mouth can normally only cope with 3 attacks a day like mentioned before.the dentist may paint on a fluoride varnish which will strengthen your enamal to the attacks my chloe goes every 3months now to check on her now her adult teeth have developed she has no decay but she is high risk because of the frequent sugar drinks she has for hypos . If the dentist sees a cavity starting early they can seal it sometimes before it requires drilling


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Shell1 said:

Hale
Your recall from 12 to 6 could just be to check for early signs of decay or to halt it before it starts .if you have frequent sugar between meals for hypos like orange juice coke lucozade etc it can have a negative effect on your teeth no matter how good you are with a toothbrush your mouth can normally only cope with 3 attacks a day like mentioned before.the dentist may paint on a fluoride varnish which will strengthen your enamal to the attacks my chloe goes every 3months now to check on her now her adult teeth have developed she has no decay but she is high risk because of the frequent sugar drinks she has for hypos . If the dentist sees a cavity starting early they can seal it sometimes before it requires drilling


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I do use fruit juice for hypos which I discussed with him, but I use a straw to protect my teeth as far as possible. I know it's not a fool proof method of protection but it's the best I can offer outside of brushing!

I once asked my dentist why I wasn't sent to the hygienist like the rest of my family. He laughed and said its because I haven't left them anything to clean


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Juicyj said:

On a different subject has anyone had dental implants ? I've looked into this as they could support a bridge if I do lose any more teeth, but again would require brilliant BG control to minimize the risk of infections.

Would love to hear about anyone with this to find out how they managed ?

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I had two dental implants (molars) about 2 years ago and have had no problems with them... except for a large cavity in my wallet

The biggest problem is that we are asked to look after our feet and have our eyes photographed. However for the last 10 years dental research has proven the need for good dental hygiene for T1 & T2's. Please read Susan Bissett's BMJ 2013 paper on diabetes and periodontitis. Susan is championing this issue so that doctors advise the need for good dental health. Does yours? If not ask why!

Thats right hale a hygienist is there to remove plaque build up thats hardened and cant be removed by a toothbrush also to look after gum problems more in depth than a dentist may have time to do and if you haven't got issue or tartar theres not much else for them to do but advise on dental health .your obviously doing a great job


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Juicy j
Regards to implants To be considered for implants, your mouth must be in a healthy condition, with no untreated tooth decay or active periodontal (gum) disease. If implants are fitted in the presence of active periodontitis, there is a danger that an infection will develop around the implant, which will lead to its failure and loss.u will also need to take anti biotics before and after the procedure.
Implants are fantastic and the next best thing to real teeth the only downside is there expensive id have to win the lottery haha !
If you have any bone loss due to old infection there is also possibility of bone grafting which also cost more.does your dentist to implants or will he refer you


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Juicyj said:

I also believe that diabetics should be given better information on dental care as it's so important to preserve your teeth as best as possible,.

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I quite agree Juicyj.