Can People With Diabetes Go For Wisdom Tooth Removal?
Can can a person with diabetes have a wisdom tooth extraction: Every dental patient must ensure that they receive the appropriate dental treatment when addressing their dental concern or maintaining their oral health. If suitable personalized dental care is not provided, the patient may cause complications. This is one of the reasons why patients are advised to consult a dentist before undergoing any dental treatment. You might be wondering why it is important to talk to a dentist before your wisdom tooth extraction. Well, you must check your candidacy for the procedure before undergoing it.
Before we discuss how wisdom tooth extraction might or might not be suitable for diabetics, we must first understand what wisdom tooth removal is, can a person with diabetes have a wisdom tooth extraction, and how diabetes can affect your health during and after wisdom tooth extraction.
What Is Wisdom Tooth Removal?
Wisdom teeth are the final set of molars that erupt after all other teeth in many people aged between 17 to 21 years. They are supposed to stay throughout their lifetime with proper oral care. However, there are certain circumstances in which their extraction is required. These include tooth decay, misalignment, crooked teeth, infection, trauma/injury, gum infection or disease, and tooth impaction.
Link Between Diabetes and Tooth Extractions
The mouth contains hundreds or thousands of bacteria. High blood sugar levels provide an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive. In diabetic people, the spike in blood sugars allows the bacteria to thrive inside the mouth. These bacteria can multiply and adversely affect the gums. Over time, the bacteria can destroy the soft and hard oral tissues and also the fibers attaching the teeth to the gums. Eating away at soft tissues can cause gum inflammation and result in loosened teeth, gingivitis, and periodontal disease. The rise in blood sugar levels can weaken the immune system of the patients and make their teeth more prone to decay. Furthermore, serious gum issues can increase the blood sugars and the cycle can repeat itself. If the tooth decay becomes severe and the root canal could not save the tooth, the only option is to extract the tooth.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction For The Diabetic Patient
A diabetic patient can have their wisdom teeth extracted, but there are some restrictions. Before performing a tooth extraction, the dentist checks the patient’s blood sugar levels, which should not be higher than 13mmmol/L. If it is not within limits, the healing process after tooth extraction may be delayed.
When the patients go for wisdom tooth extraction, they must have good oral hygiene. The healing period after the tooth extraction must be immediate in order to avoid any infection. Diabetic patients must be careful if they go for tooth removal due to the risk of gum infection. This infection can cause hyperglycemia and fatty acids movement, resulting in acidosis. If hypertension accompanies diabetes, the complications will be more severe. All of these conditions make controlling blood sugar levels difficult.
However, if a wisdom tooth extraction is necessary, the blood sugar level must be controlled to avoid common issues like blood clotting, hyperglycemia, osteomyelitis, and cytokines (harmful proteins of gingivitis tissue that block the growth proteins responsible for wound healing).
To bring their blood sugars to an optimal level, diabetic patients are provided with certain medications. This way the gingival tissues will normally react after tooth extraction. Such patients must be regularly monitored for their blood sugar levels for 2 weeks along with other medications like antibiotics and analgesics. The assessment must be performed again when the course of the prescribed medication ends to ensure that the blood sugar levels are ideal and stabilized. When the blood sugars are under control, wisdom tooth extraction can be performed. This period requires proper extra care and the patient is advised to avoid certain behaviors and foods.
This leads to the conclusion that diabetics who experience a rise in their sugar levels must take precautions to keep it under control with two weeks of medication. If successful, the wisdom tooth extraction can be safely done with minimum to zero complications. Just like any other non-diabetic patient, the patients can recover soon from the treatment.
If you are diabetic and want to get your wisdom tooth extracted. Go for safe wisdom teeth removal in Chicago at The Dental Specialist (TDS). The team of oral surgeons at TDS are experts in wisdom tooth extraction for diabetic patients and ensuring that the patient can achieve safe and desired outcomes.