Patients with diabetes know that the disease can hurt many vital organs and systems, such as the eyes, nerves, kidneys, and heart. You might not have known this, but diabetes can damage your mouth. Imagine if it happened to a child. Everyone should take care of their teeth, but it can be more challenging if you or your child have high blood sugar. 

Everyone needs to keep their mouths healthy. Prevention is the most important thing you can do to take care of a diabetic child’s dental health. It is suggested that the child see a dentist as soon as possible for their first checkup. This article will focus on helping diabetic children with their dental health.

Diabetes and Dental Health

Taking care of your child’s mouth is essential for their health and well-being, and it can even boost your sense of self-worth. Tooth and gum disease can cause pain and infections that can be relieved by good oral hygiene habits. If you or your child has diabetes, taking care of your teeth is even more critical. White blood cells can be hurt by having too much sugar in the blood. When you manage diabetes, you keep your blood sugar level in check and help prevent gum disease and other mouth infections. These are the main ways your body fights off infections that can show up in your mouth. But remember to keep that grin on your face!

The most common dental problem of diabetic children are:

  • Periodontal disease
  • Gingivitis
  • Reduced saliva
  • Taste dysfunction
  • Susceptible to fungal and bacterial infections

If a child has high sugar levels in their blood, those levels will also be high in their saliva. Plaque, a sticky film, contains bacteria that feed on sugar. Some bacteria contribute to dental problems, such as tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. If the tooth is not treated, it may result in tooth loss. Diabetes makes gum disease more severe and extends the time it takes to recover.

Having diabetes can have several adverse effects on a child’s oral health, including the following:

  • They may have less saliva, which contributes to your mouth feeling dry. (Dry mouth can also be a side effect of certain medications.)
  • Their gums can be inflamed and bleed frequently (signs of gum disease).
  • It might take longer for infections in their mouth to clear up.

If a child is diagnosed with diabetes at a very early age, that child and their parent may have the advantage of taking care of it and preventing oral complications. That is why, aside from other tests, it’s also essential to check a child’s blood sugar level to eliminate diabetes in the future.

Once confirmed, you can schedule a visit to a pediatric dentist, like Roseville pediatric dentist, to ensure that a child gets all their dental needs. The patient or the parents won’t have anything to worry about. Roseville pediatric dentist can provide all the dental care needs of a child while taking their diabetes into account.

Treatment for a Diabetic Child with a Dental Problem

The treatment will be determined by the nature of the child’s dental issue. To receive treatment for periodontal disease, a child must visit a pediatric dentist. This dentist may thoroughly clean the child’s teeth or refer the child to a periodontist for gum surgery. In addition, the dentist might recommend using a particular mouth rinse.

A medicine that eliminates the fungus that is the root cause of thrush may be prescribed by a doctor or dentist to treat the symptoms of thrush. If a child wears dentures (false teeth) or braces, they may require a different cleaning solution. Talk with the child’s dentist about the medications they are taking. 

Here are some additional tips you can implement to have successful treatment of oral problems for a diabetic child:

  • Avoid treatment during or near insulin peaks to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia.
  • Before the appointment, the child must eat normally and take medications as directed.
  • Use topical fluoride and see your dentist every six months.
  • Parents should start brushing when their child’s first baby tooth appears and assist them in brushing until the child is 8.
  • Use fluoridated toothpaste; for children under three, use a smear, and for children over four, use a pea-sized amount.
  • Parents should monitor dietary practices (i.e. avoid prolonged use of bottles, reduce amounts of sugar consumed, reduce the frequency of sugar consumed).

The dental provider must carefully review the patient’s medical history and evaluate how well they manage their diabetes. Appointments in the morning are recommended. Remember that the most important dental emergency to avoid in patients with diabetes is hypoglycemia.

Conclusion

Dental health is very important to live a healthy life. But, with diabetes, it might be even harder to do so. If you have or know a child with diabetes, taking care of their dental health should also be their top priority. If a diabetic child encounters a dental health problem, healing will be one of the worst problems for the child and the parent. But, whether diabetes is involved or not, dental health should still be taken good care of.

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