The link between diabetes and gum disease is pretty straightforward: Have one, and you’re more likely to have the other.
Both conditions are rampant in the US, with about half of all adults having some degree of gum disease and 34.2 million having diabetes. Another 88 million have prediabetes.
Naturally, this has consequences – health, social, and financial burdens explored in a new PBS documentary, Blood Sugar Rising. The film follows the diabetes epidemic in the US, putting a human face on the statistics as we hear from families struggling with this illness.
The whole thing is available for streaming now:
While the movie is sobering viewing to say the least, it’s also a good reminder of just how powerful prevention can be. The choices you make to support oral health – like practicing good oral hygiene, eating a healthy diet, and drinking plenty of water, – also support your overall health. When you give your body the nutrients it needs, as well as plenty of quality sleep and exercise, you defend against not only diabetes and periodontitis, but all manner of other disease and dysfunction, as well.
And if you already have type 2 diabetes or gum disease, those same healthy choices – along with regular professional cleanings or other treatment – may reduce your symptoms or even reverse your condition altogether.
That all makes for a much happier ending.
