How Diabetes And Osteoporosis Can Affect Your Dentures

If you are a senior who is about to be fitted for dentures and you also have diabetes or osteoporosis, then you should be aware that these conditions can affect the way your dentures fit. These two diseases can make it hard for you to keep your dentures fitting properly, especially if you do not get them under control. Here is what you should know about how each condition affects the fit of your dentures:

Diabetes And Your Dentures

Diabetes can cause gum disease. If you fail to control your blood sugar, then your gums can become inflamed, which can prevent your dentures from fitting properly. The inflammation can be caused by thrush, which usually manifests itself as red and white patches. The best thing you can do once you start wearing your dentures is to look out for signs of thrush, as well as other warning signs that your dentures may be affecting your oral health. These signs include:

• dry mouth
• decrease in the flow of saliva
• burning sensations in the mouth
• bleeding gums
• chronic bad breath

Osteoporosis And Your Dentures

Osteoporosis can cause bone loss in your jaw and make your dentures fit improperly.  This means that if you suffer from osteoporosis you may find yourself replacing your dentures more regularly, since the deterioration of the jaw makes it more likely that the dentures will become loose more often. Here are some warning signs that osteoporosis in your jaw might be worsening:

• changes in the shape of your face
• having to realign your dentures more than four times per year

The Diabetes And Osteoporosis Link

Diabetes can affect bone density, which can lead to osteoporosis. When these two diseases are combined, they can cause a lot of problems with the fitting of your dentures. However, if you adapt the right lifestyle habits, you can greatly reduce your chances of having problems.

If you have diabetes to help prevent osteoporosis, you should make sure that you control your blood sugar level at all times, you should also try to get as much calcium as possible along with vitamin D. Eating dairy products is a great way to get more calcium and getting plenty of sunshine when it is available will help your bones to absorb more vitamin D.

Being alert and taking care of your general as well as oral health when you have diabetes or osteoporosis can help you to wear your dentures more comfortably.