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Type one and tooth pain

Tylers73

Tylers73

Well-Known Member
Messages
223
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Been diagnosed for one year now everything about it still learning. My main concern at the moment is my teeth. All my life had great teeth always go to dentist brush floss etc. but since diagnosed my gums have receded a lot of them are loose but most importantly they causing me terrible pain. Used to get free dental when my husband got working tax credit now that has stopped obviously have to pay. Well the way it's going with me I'm going to be at the dentist constant how am I supposed to finance this. Also disabled so can't work myself obviously my main concern is the pain cause right now can't sleep but also financial side . Any suggestions pls
 
Tylers73 said:
Been diagnosed for one year now everything about it still learning. My main concern at the moment is my teeth. All my life had great teeth always go to dentist brush floss etc. but since diagnosed my gums have receded a lot of them are loose but most importantly they causing me terrible pain. Used to get free dental when my husband got working tax credit now that has stopped obviously have to pay. Well the way it's going with me I'm going to be at the dentist constant how am I supposed to finance this. Also disabled so can't work myself obviously my main concern is the pain cause right now can't sleep but also financial side . Any suggestions pls
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Which country do you live in? I thought the UK had free dental care but I could be wrong. NZ provides basic dental care for free for people on very low income, and hospital dental care is free.

I have gum disease caused by diabetes and I see a hygienist every 6 months for professional cleaning, which is meant to stop it getting any worse. It costs about NZD$90 (about GBP40). I save up for it in between appointments.

Brushing and flossing twice a day helps, along with not eating high sugar foods.

Is the pain coming from one or two teeth or from all of them? I suggest you see a dentist for a check asap, as leaving it will just increase the cost. Extraction is cheaper than root canal. Small fillings are cheaper than large ones too.

If the exam fee is too much, your dentist may let you pay off the cost if you ask about it beforehand.
 
Hi Tylers, I'm a dentist (in New Zealand) where almost all dentistry is privately paid for.
If you have a throbbing pain from 1 specific tooth, you may have a dental abscess, it could be a 'root canal' type abscess from a cavity or crack in a tooth, or it could be a gum abscess, either way the associated infection and inflammation is likely to affect your blood glucose and you should seek attention as soon as possible, especially as the pain is keeping you awake at night.

If you have generalised sore teeth when you eat or clean them, it might be from exposed tooth roots which have been uncovered by the recent gum recession. Sensitive toothpastes can help a bit with that, you can smear a thin layer of the toothpaste on the most tender roots after you have cleaned the teeth (with slightly warm water, if the cold water hurts them). You might find little interdental brushes, or even toothpicks, easier to use than floss.

It would be good to keep as many of your teeth as possible if you can, if you have a lot of extractions then it can be difficult to eat the healthy diet we are supposed to have.

Be careful not to have many diet soft/soda drinks, even though they won't affect you BG levels, they are acidic and they cause tooth decay. Not many people know that, but sugar free fizzy will damage even the cleanest teeth. That said, one of my fave treats is a cold diet Bundaberg ginger beer, but I drink it with a main meal when it will do the least harm.

Good luck.
 
Tylers73 said:
Been diagnosed for one year now everything about it still learning. My main concern at the moment is my teeth. All my life had great teeth always go to dentist brush floss etc. but since diagnosed my gums have receded a lot of them are loose but most importantly they causing me terrible pain. Used to get free dental when my husband got working tax credit now that has stopped obviously have to pay. Well the way it's going with me I'm going to be at the dentist constant how am I supposed to finance this. Also disabled so can't work myself obviously my main concern is the pain cause right now can't sleep but also financial side . Any suggestions pls
Click to expand...

Hi Tylers,

You can see an NHS dentist so the cost of the treatment is far less than going private. If you look them up online through the NHS then they are rated so you can see if they are any good before joining up, their charges are tiered too depending on the treatment required.

I've learnt with type 1 and 2 extractions now that care of your teeth is really important, i've always tried to look after mine but have had a few root canal fillings which have unfortunately now been taken out as I had abcesses on them and it's caused high BG, I wasn't told that dental care was so important when diagnosed, but have learnt over time how important it really is, so good luck finding a good dentist.
 
Its tough following an actual dentist but I have read that tooth problems are common in diabetics, the reason for this is that elevated blood sugars cause excess glucose in the blood, but also in the saliva. This essentially means that your teeth are constantly in contact with you 'sweet' saliva and regardless of brushing and flossing you might as well have been eating candy all day.

I am not sure what you injecting regimen is like, or how your sugars are managed but i would suggest doing all that you can to keep them below 7.8mmol/L. Maintaining normal levels will reduce or relieve any complications by diabetes, as this seems like it is one of them.
 
I have trouble with inflamed gums and they have receded since being diabetic. I have regular check ups and cleaning. On the advice of my dentist I use Corsodyl gel. When I had bleeding I brushed and used the little brushes with it 3 times a day and it cleared them up, I now use it once a day. I brush with normal toothpaste at different times (ad it makes the Corsodyl ineffective).
 
I've never heard of glucose in saliva causing dental decay. A quick google brought up some research into saliva testing for blood glucose levels. On this very site it is mentioned...
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-glucose/pain-free-blood-glucose-testing.html
But it points out that "Saliva, like tears, carries a level of glucose lower than that of blood, about 100 times lower", so I'd be very suprised if high BG levels are the same as eating candy all day. Even if it were, cleaning the teeth would help a bit, it is acid that decays teeth, plaque bacteria use sugar and that makes the acid that causes the damage.
The main issue dentists are told about for diabetics is the increased risk of gum disease and while a hygienist can help by scaling teeth, it is what you do at home every day to clean your teeth that is the important thing. You can't slack off, you have to be twice as fussy cleaning as someone who doesn't have diabetes because the consequences are worse.
Diamattic's advice to try and normalise your blood glucose is sound.:)
 
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