Patients with type 2 diabetes who demonstrate good oral hygiene habits show lower blood glucose levels over 24 hours.
This is according to a joint study by the Minami Diabetes Clinical Research Center and oral healthcare company Sunstar.
The new cross-sectional study investigated oral hygiene habits and blood glycemic control indicators, finding that good oral care habits – such as interdental cleaning – in people with type 2 diabetes are associated with better glycaemic control.
Results also showed that regular dental visits are also important for people with type 2 diabetes from the perspective of better blood glycaemic control.
In addition, findings indicated the link between tooth loss prevention and good oral care habits.
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Strong links
This study confirms the relationship between blood sugar fluctuations and the number of teeth in people with diabetes.
The number of teeth is also strongly related to interdental cleaning and dietary habits to maintain oral health.
Although the results of this study alone do not reveal a causal relationship, it is expected that incorporating regular dental visits and interdental cleaning into oral care will help prevent tooth loss but also maintain overall health.
The results of this study were presented at the 66th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japan Diabetes Society in May 2023.
Urgent calls
This follows calls for ‘urgent action’ from Diabetes UK after its report in May revealed the ‘catastrophic impact’ of the state of diabetes care in England.
The survey into diabetes care in England has found that less than half of people with diabetes are receiving vital care.
It also revealed that the number of people dying from diabetes in the UK per year has increased by 7,000. The charity believes this increase may be linked to the backlog in routine diabetes care caused by COVID-19.
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