Never got a heads-up from my dentist or doc about this either, which is wild considering how connected everything apparently is. I’m in braces now, so I’m brushing and flossing like it’s my second job, but I always figured it was just about avoiding cavities and not getting yelled at during checkups. Has anyone with diabetes noticed their dentist asking more questions about blood sugar? Or am I just missing out on the “perks” of having complicated teeth?
Honestly, my dentist barely asked about anything besides how much chocolate I eat. Didn’t even mention blood sugar stuff, and I’m in braces too. Maybe I just don’t look like I’d survive a pop quiz on gum health... but yeah, no “perks” here either.
That’s interesting—honestly, I think a lot of dentists focus on the obvious stuff like cavities and sugar, but gum health kind of flies under the radar, even though it really shouldn’t. Especially with braces, keeping gums healthy gets trickier. Did your ortho ever talk about inflammation or bleeding gums? Sometimes I feel like there’s a disconnect between what patients need to know and what actually gets covered in those quick appointments...
That’s exactly what I worry about with my kid. We spend so much time talking about brushing and avoiding candy, but the whole gum health thing just doesn’t get enough attention. The orthodontist did mention swollen gums once, but it felt like a quick side note, not something to really keep an eye on. I’m always nervous when I see a bit of bleeding after flossing—makes me wonder if we’re missing something important. It’s stressful trying to keep up with all the extra cleaning around braces, too… feels like there’s always something else to worry about.