Diabetes Awareness Month & Oral Care Health

posted by Stacie on December 5, 2013 // 1 Comment »

I am being compensated by Colgate Total for your participation in this campaign as part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network.

Did know that according to the CDC, people with diabetes are two times more likely to develop gum disease?

I had no idea. But I do know that diabetes has affected my family. My paternal grandmother lived with us during the last several years of her life and I was one of her caregivers. She had diabetes.

As a longtime diabetic, she gave herself shots of insulin several times per day. When she became so frail that she could no longer do this, I gave her shots. I also tried to help her manage her diabetes which was not always an easy thing to do as she was famous for hiding sweets pretty much everywhere.

Her health was very important and she took great pains to make certain that her feet and her teeth were always taken care of. She was aware and so she did what she could.

SIMPLE STEPS TO TAKE TO HELP PREVENT EARLY GUM DISEASE

1. Make sure you visit your dentist. While your doctor and certified diabetes educator play an important role in helping with your diabetes, so does your dentist.

2. Follow healthy dental habits at home. Research shows that brushing twice a day with Colgate Total® toothpaste can help improve gum health in as little as four weeks.

GET HELP

Colgate Total and the American Diabetes Association launched a new campaign called “Watch Your Mouth!” to help raise awareness surrounding the often-overlooked link between oral health and diabetes.