HealthDay reports a new study suggests that people with poor oral health have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. After examining “data from almost 190,000 people in South Korea,” researchers found that “having gum disease was linked to a 9% increase in the risk of diabetes,” and “people who were missing 15 or more teeth had a 21% higher risk of diabetes.” The study also found that “people who brushed their teeth three or more times a day had an 8% lower risk of diabetes.” The findings were published in Diabetologia.
This is yet another in a long line of studies completed internationally that examine with connection of our oral health and diabetes. Regular dental care – among many other healthful activities – play a major role in the prevention of diabetes.