[Twentyplus]

Hi,
I have had diabetes since I was 11 ( about 25 years) and am in very good control, health, etc
I am married with two beautiful boys ages 4 and 6
However, for the past 10 years I have had more than my share of teeth issues...cavities, root canals , bridges, and 2 extractions.
And now I just went for my cleaning and have found out I have, once again, more..big issues, one of the teeth holding the bridge needs to be extracted ..so I will need two implants
HELP.. I am only 36
I know I have really weak teeth, but I also think that diabetes has been a major player as well..because , from being in such tight control...I have more lows...and have To eat more sugar etc than I would normallanywY, I just would love to hear if anyone else has any similar issues
I guess to feel, not so alone

 

[Adjitater]

I think some people are just blessed with harder teeth than others. I still have mine but my wife had to have upper dentures at abut the same age you are and she does not have diabetes.

 

[onlymep]

welcome Twentyplus yeah being diabetic means we can be more prone to dental problems. I get reminded of that everytime I see a dentist... you've just reminded me I need to go for regular clean too. I'm 37yo and have a crown already and several fillings. All these medical check ups certainly keep us busy. Keep us posted on how you're doing.

 

[jwags]

I think when you have higher bgs, it can cause inflammation in the gums. This inflammation causes gum disease which can affect the health of the teeth. I think trying to manage bgs better is all we can do and visit dentist often.

 

[Twentyplus]

Well, like I said..in my case..I'm fairly sure it's fromhavung such tight control..having more lows and eating candy, drinking juice..whatever it is that I can grab to bring my sugar up..
And/ or being low in the middle of night and having to have. A snack..and not enough energy to brush after wards
Blahhhhhh
Off to dentist tomorrow for what will be , the beginning of a longgggg process

 

[Twentyplus]

welcome Twentyplus yeah being diabetic means we can be more prone to dental problems. I get reminded of that everytime I see a dentist... you've just reminded me I need to go for regular clean too. I'm 37yo and have a crown already and several fillings. All these medical check ups certainly keep us busy. Keep us posted on how you're doing.

And there's THAT to..I feel like, with all my regular dr visits, every 3 to 6 mo. To the endo, yearly eye exams,and practily living at the dentist...everyone wonders why I haven't picked a primary care dr. Since we moved here over a year ago.

 

[onlymep]

And there's THAT to..I feel like, with all my regular dr visits, every 3 to 6 mo. To the endo, yearly eye exams,and practily living at the dentist...everyone wonders why I haven't picked a primary care dr. Since we moved here over a year ago.

I'm averaging a medical visit once a fortnight.... probably more lately. It's getting rather expensive for me too. I have a gastric emptying study booked for end of next week and that will cost $900. Everytime I see my specialist, that's $110. My doc is $67.50 per visit. But luckily with my doc lately he has been bulk billing to medicare for me he's doing "follow up" with me. I'd only get $21rebate anyhow when he charges. Now I have to consider alternative therapy costs... psychology has been recommended, but they're not cheap here either.

 

[Shanny]

I couldn't do without my PCP . . . he's is my "traffic cop" . . . he knows us well; he knows all the other docs and they forward copies of my chart to his office, so everything is in one master file. Meds are all listed from every doc so there are no contraindications. He once even stepped in when a neurologist called in an orthopedic surgeon for me, because he knew the ortho, and he wouldn't let him touch any patient of his. He dismissed the ortho & made me an appointment with a St Louis neurosurgeon, who to this day has not offered surgery as a solution to my bulging C4 disc. (gotta love a surgeon who isn't chomping at the bit to cut! )

And last Monday I was scheduled to see my PCP at 9:30am, but we got there an hour early. He took me right in & we had a very leisurely visit - by the appointed time of my appointment, we were nearly done & on our way home! Now THAT'S incredible!

 

[onlymep]

And last Monday I was scheduled to see my PCP at 9:30am, but we got there an hour early. He took me right in & we had a very leisurely visit - by the appointed time of my appointment, we were nearly done & on our way home! Now THAT'S incredible!

Now that's what you want a doc who will see you before your appt time. hehe. Sometimes I wait an hour after appt time to see mine... it's like that here though... extremely busy and not enough docs to go around I suppose. You often have to book a week ahead these days (some docs are booked 2 weeks in advance) and you can't just get in on the day anymore unless there is a cancellation (so you have to phone 7.30am for that). Fun!

 

[Monica]

Hi! Sounds like an awful ordeal, I know I hate going to the dentist!

I'm having too many dental problems too, and have been trying to figure out how to improve my dental health, so I've been looking into integrative dentistry. I think it used to be called holistic dentistry. What I've found out is fascinating, but since I just started following their advice, I can't tell you yet if it works for sure.

I'll be glad to share with you the highlights of what I've learned so far in case the information can help you. There was a dentist, Dr. Weston A. Price, who noticed that a person's diet drastically affected the health of their teeth. He became so fascinated, he traveled around the world inspecting people's teeth. He confirmed that diet does, in fact, drastically affect the health of your teeth.

His quest was to find out which foods are necessary for healthy teeth. One of the things he discovered was the essential role of healthy fats -- fats from fish and the fats from grass-feed, pasture-raised animals. These fats are high in vitamins and minerals, and also in substances that the body needs (activators) in order to convert sunshine into Vitamin D, and to be able to use Vitamins A & K which the body needs for a healthy immune and other vital functions.

One of these functions is the body's ability to release minerals to the teeth to keep them strong and healthy. Without the activators in grass-fed animal fats, the body is not able to supply the different parts of the body with the minerals it needs for healthy functioning.

Another factor that affects how the body uses minerals is sugar and low-glycemic foods. When these quickly-digested foods hit the blood stream, they are too acidic for the blood, so the body pulls minerals from other places to balance the pH of the blood. Where is the body going to pull calcium from? You guessed it, teeth and bones!

Yet another factor that affects dental health is stress. Too much stress, like sugar, causes chemical reactions in the body that turns the blood pH acidic. Tums, anyone?! To balance the blood pH, again the body pulls calcium from other parts of the body, namely teeth and bones. (As a side-note to the Tums comment, antacids bind to certain minerals in the body and can cause serious, even deadly, health problems.)

Proteins are acid-forming too, so it's good to balance them with plenty of mineral-rich dark leafy green veggies or other veggies.

In our family, we've found out the hard way that sugar isn't the only factor that causes cavities. Celiac disease and other inflammation-based health conditions can also contribute to poor dental health. Every food and drink we put in our mouths either causes inflammation or reduces inflammation. If the inflammation occurs in the stomach, the foods pass through the inflamed openings into the blood stream undigested. The body cannot use the undigested foods, no matter how nutrient-rich they may be. The body can become mineral and nutrient deficient because of the silent inflammation.

Because everyone is diverse and unique, what causes one person inflammation may not cause someone else inflammation. In our family, wheat and corn cause some inflammation, and vegetable oils like canola, soy, safflower, corn, sunflower, and peanut oil cause others inflammation.

My solution? Food journal! I also use the Paleo diet as a guide since it avoids all the foods we can't eat, and there are thousands of recipes and lots of supportive people.

Hope this helps, and be sure to keep us updated on what changes you make and if they are effective!

 

[JLVaughn]

Higher bgs means your gums are leaking sugar. That's a serious problem for tooth decay.

 

[silvertiger]

Hello! When you say you're tightly controlled, do you mean you don't eat many carbs? Because if you aren't eating many carbs, you should be able to adjust your insulin so you aren't going low that often, at least that's how I understand it...

 

[Twentyplus]

When I say I'm tightly controlled I mean I work my butt off every day - running- biking- caring for my 2 young children- and all the things that go along with my life and I test 10+ times a day and maintain a1c's that are alwyays in the 5 range. So that Being said...yes, I do get low.ypthe tighter control you have the more frequent hypos. And as you should know, if you know much about type 1 - there are many other factors that p,ay into blood sugar levels - such as menstual cycles, stress, viruses

Hello! When you say you're tightly controlled, do you mean you don't eat many carbs? Because if you aren't eating many carbs, you should be able to adjust your insulin so you aren't going low that often, at least that's how I understand it...

 

[Twentyplus]

Who said Anythung about high blood glucose????

 

[Shanny]

I suspect this thread was inadvertently revived when people didn't notice the dates of the previous posts. And in view of the direction it is taking, it is now being closed.