Diabetes and Thrush

At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, Colorado, we provide general dental care for people of all ages and facing all kinds of oral conditions. People with diabetes are especially at-risk for a host of oral health problems, and in the past, we’ve described how we help them to combat gum disease and to qualify for the placement of dental implants. But people with diabetes are also at risk for the development of thrush, particularly if they have removable dentures, so we wanted to give that a bit of focus and help our patients to recognize it.

We always have a variety of microbes growing in our mouths, and for the most part, these are harmless or even helpful. But when fungus called candida grow out of control, a patient develops a yeast infection, or thrush. A person suffering from thrush may experience cracks in the corners of their mouth, as well as the development of painful white or red patches and the loss of taste. Thrush is especially common in places covered by the ridges of dentures, which people sometimes have difficulty cleaning.

Thrush rarely develops in healthy adults, but it can appear in people with uncontrolled diabetes. Why is unclear, although people with diabetes have more difficulty fighting off infections in general, and their saliva contains elevated levels of sugar, making it a better food source for candida. There are oral antibiotics to combat thrush outbreaks, but people can also practice prevention by brushing their teeth twice a day and drinking enough water to wash away sugary residue. People with dentures may also want to look into using an American Dental Association-approved cleaning solution and to be sure they’re using specialized toothpaste to avoid scratching their dentures’ plastic.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.