Diabetes Health Talk

A new report suggests that treating gum disease in patients who have diabetes with procedures such as cleanings and periodontal scaling is linked to 10 to 12 percent lower medical costs per month.

The findings are encouraging but the study was not designed to firmly establish cause and effect, said George Taylor, University of Michigan associate professor of dentistry, who also has an appointment in epidemiology in the U-M School of Public Health. Taylor led the research project to investigate whether routine, non-surgical treatment for gum disease is linked to lower medical care costs for people with diabetes.

In periodontal disease, the body reacts to the bacteria causing the gum infection by producing proteins or chemicals called inflammatory mediators. Ulcers and open sores in the gums become passageways for these proteins and for the bacteria themselves to enter the body’s blood circulation. These inflammatory mediators, as well as some parts of the bacteria, prevent the body from effectively removing glucose, or sugar, from the blood.

The higher level of blood sugar is known as poor diabetes control. Poor diabetes control leads to serious diabetes complications such as vision disorders, cardiovascular and kidney disease and amputations, among others.

“Cleanings and other non-surgical periodontal treatment remove the harmful bacteria,” Taylor said. “We believe this helps prevent the body from producing those harmful chemicals that can enter the systemic circulation and contribute to poorer diabetes control.”

Blue Care Network provided U-M researchers data from 2,674 patients aged 18-64 who were enrolled in BCN between 2001 and 2005 and had at least 12 consecutive months of medical, dental, and pharmaceutical coverage.

“We found insured adults with diabetes in Michigan who received routine periodontal treatment, such as dental cleanings and scaling, have significantly lower medical care costs than those who do not,” Taylor said. “These results could be meaningful to individuals, employers, health care providers and insurers.”

The study showed that medical care costs decreased by an average of 11 percent per month for patients who received one or two periodontal treatment procedures annually compared to those who received none. For patients receiving three or four annual treatments, costs decreased nearly 12 percent.

The study also showed that combined medical and pharmaceutical monthly costs were 10 percent lower for patients who received one or two periodontal procedures annually.

Broccoli lovers, know this: Your favorite veggie is loving you right back, with ample amounts of this stroke-stomping, diabetes-deterring nutrient — vitamin C.

High blood levels of vitamin C could cut stroke risk by as much as 42 percent and reduce your odds of developing type 2 diabetes by a whopping 62 percent.

“C” the Stats
Yep, that’s exactly what happened in two recent studies involving middle-aged and older adults. As blood levels of C went up, risks went down. Researchers suspect that the vitamin’s strong antioxidant qualities may be the reason for its protective effects. And there’s no better way to raise your blood levels of C than to start filling your body with C-rich winter foods like broccoli, brussels sprouts, and oranges.

One Vital Vitamin

Slashing stroke and diabetes risk is just part of what vitamin C does. Here are a few of its many other roles:

Sight saver. Along with beta carotene, vitamin E, and zinc, C lowers the odds of age-related macular degeneration

Breath buddy. Your lungs love vitamin C.

Does Your Gum Have Vitamin C?

Snapping and popping gum remain image busters — just ask Britney Spears watchers. But here’s a good excuse for discreet chewing: less blood at the dentist’s office.

If your gums bleed a lot during cleaning — a sign of subpar dental health — your dentist may urge you to floss more. But chew gum more? It could help. In a recent study, gum chewers experienced less gingivitis-like bleeding than nonchewers, but only if their gum of choice was enriched with vitamin C. Better yet, they didn’t have to chew for a long time to get the benefit.

Dentists have been concerned that too much direct contact between tooth enamel and vitamin C leads to a breakdown in tooth structure, but there was no problem with erosion in this study. And gum chewers didn’t need to chew long — only for about 15 minutes — to release nearly all of the vitamin C in their sample gum. But they did chew daily — about five times each day, in fact — to achieve the benefits.