According to data from the 10th edition of the Diabetes Atlas of the  International Diabetes Federation (IDF), between 2019 and 2021, in Spain there has been a significant increase in the number of people with diabetes and many of them are not diagnosed.

“Studies conducted in diabetic patients show a clear bilateral association between diabetes mellitus and periodontal disease. Diabetics increase the risk of periodontal pathology and caries. In turn, the presence of periodontitis is a limiting factor because it makes it difficult to control blood glucose”, recalls the president of the General Council of Dentists, Dr. Óscar Castro Reino.

Risk factors and recommendations

According to the ANIBES study, carried out by the Spanish Nutrition Foundation, the average sugar intake of a person is 71.5 grams per day, almost triple the WHO recommendations (28 g/day). This figure indicates that 19% of daily energy comes from sugars. This situation contributes in a very important way to the rising numbers of overweight, obesity and diabetes in our country.

The care of the mouth of the diabetic person is essential to avoid complications. For this reason, the General Council of Dentists recommends following a series of guidelines:

• Eating a healthy diet, low in sugar, salt and fat, helps reduce the risk of oral diseases.
• Go to the dentist at least twice a year and whenever there is any injury or alteration in the mouth.
• Control the disease to reduce the risk of suffering from oral diseases.
• Extreme oral hygiene, brushing your teeth after each meal with a soft bristle brush and fluoride toothpaste. Also use an interdental brush or dental floss for daily cleaning between the teeth.
• In case of being a carrier of prostheses, hygiene measures must be taken to extremes on a daily basis.
• Avoid tobacco. Diabetic smokers, 45 years or older, multiply by 20 the risk of suffering from severe periodontal disease.