Diabetes

According to the American Diabetes Association, about 16 million individuals in the United States suffer from diabetes, although more than half of Americans have not yet been diagnosed with diabetes.

A disease that causes altered levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood, diabetes develops either from a deficiency in the production of the insulin hormone or from the body's failure to utilize insulin properly.

Diabetics are at higher risk for developing infections, including periodontal (gum) diseases, from mild gingivitis periodontitis to advanced gum disease. As infections hinder your body's ability to process and utilize insulin, rendering diabetes more difficult to control, infections are more serious for a diabetic than a non-diabetic individual.

Consult both your physician and periodontist specialist about the association between oral infection in various stages of gum disease and diabetes.