A couple of years ago I had a thought about teeth and the plaque that can build on them. I also wondered why doctors, especially cardiologist, didn't push good dental hygiene.
Our gums can provide the weak points in our bodies to carry infection into our blood stream. It's been known to cause heart disease.
One day I read an article regarding our teeth and gums. It occurred to me that the plaque on teeth could be a huge culprit in raising blood sugar and making it difficult to manage.
I talked to my mom about my epiphany and asked her if I could set her up with a dentist. She had not been to the dentist in 30 years, she had a phobia (no wonder I had one too!) I found a dentist that did sedation dentistry. We had her teeth cleaned and repaired. Immediately we noticed her blood sugar had come down. This was noticeable in the morning when we took a fasting blood sugar test.
From that point on, my mom has her teeth cleaned ever 3 months, 4 times a year. She also uses an electric tooth brush to get her teeth as clean as possible.
Like most people, my mom got a little lazy and didn't brush her teeth before bed. Her blood sugar readings in the morning were higher than normal. I was puzzled.
Since I keep a food log for her, I reviewed what she had eaten and looked at her blood sugar readings before bed; it was 124. In the morning her sugar reading was 139. How could this happen? She didn't eat anything in the evening, she took a melatonin tablet and was out like a light.
Hmmmmm.
Then it occurred to me... it had to be her teeth. I asked her, "Ma, did you remember to brush your teeth last night?" She said, "No." I then said, "I bet your teeth and whatever is on them is raising your blood sugar." She brushed her teeth and has been brushing them every night and morning. Her fasting blood sugar is back into the low 100's.
So... something as simple as brushing your teeth can effect your blood sugar readings. It's true, "good dental hygiene is good for overall health."
Did you remember to brush your teeth today?
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nice post
ReplyDeleteYes, plaque is the real culprit for high percentage of sugar. Tooth decay is caused by plague. Dentists (Greenville, SC) usually extract plaque that is not reached by the toothbrush. Brushing is the first step to attain healthy gums and teeth but it is not enough. In Greenville, SC, dentist always alarm the people that there is a need to have a regular dental check up in order to clean up all the plaque and tartar that may cause major problems in the future.
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