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    • 11 hours, 3 minutes ago
      TEH likes your comment at
      Are you familiar with cell therapies that are being developed to treat T1D?
      People keep sending me articles with headlines that suggest stem cell transplants “cure” diabetes. However, as mentioned above, a lifetime on immunosuppressive drugs carries its own risks that are probably worse than the risks of well-controlled diabetes. They’ll figure out a way to hide these engineered beta cells from our immune systems someday. I might be willing to call it a “cure” when that happens, although I’ll probably to too old to benefit by then.
    • 11 hours, 4 minutes ago
      TEH likes your comment at
      Are you familiar with cell therapies that are being developed to treat T1D?
      I am aware that cell therapies are being researched. This may be a panacea in the future. But, for me, red flags are waving. There are many possible dangers with these experiments. I only have this one life. There are no do-overs if something goes wrong, or if there are side effects. So, I tread carefully. Even with all the health issue that I have, I enjoy the one life that I have.
    • 12 hours, 46 minutes ago
      Janis Senungetuk likes your comment at
      Are you familiar with cell therapies that are being developed to treat T1D?
      Taking immunosuppressive drugs creates a whole other risk factor.
    • 13 hours, 54 minutes ago
      Amanda Barras likes your comment at
      Are you familiar with cell therapies that are being developed to treat T1D?
      Taking immunosuppressive drugs creates a whole other risk factor.
    • 14 hours, 4 minutes ago
      René Wagner likes your comment at
      If you or your spouse live with T1D and are thinking about having a baby, how concerned are you about them carrying T1D autoantibodies?
      I decided not to have kids when I was young enough to do so. I was too worried I may pass it to them, or their children.
    • 14 hours, 51 minutes ago
      Marty likes your comment at
      Are you familiar with cell therapies that are being developed to treat T1D?
      Taking immunosuppressive drugs creates a whole other risk factor.
    • 16 hours, 48 minutes ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      Are you familiar with cell therapies that are being developed to treat T1D?
      Taking immunosuppressive drugs creates a whole other risk factor.
    • 16 hours, 49 minutes ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      Are you familiar with cell therapies that are being developed to treat T1D?
      I follow diabetic research rather meticulously. Most advancements are top-notch. But please take note of the risks and warnings. My spouse, on an entirely different issue (lower lumbar pain) injected umbilical stem cells one ago and has had intense headaches ever since.
    • 17 hours, 28 minutes ago
      KCR likes your comment at
      Are you familiar with cell therapies that are being developed to treat T1D?
      Taking immunosuppressive drugs creates a whole other risk factor.
    • 18 hours, 3 minutes ago
      mojoseje likes your comment at
      Are you familiar with cell therapies that are being developed to treat T1D?
      Taking immunosuppressive drugs creates a whole other risk factor.
    • 18 hours, 17 minutes ago
      Gary R. likes your comment at
      Are you familiar with cell therapies that are being developed to treat T1D?
      Taking immunosuppressive drugs creates a whole other risk factor.
    • 1 day, 11 hours ago
      Amanda Barras likes your comment at
      If you or your spouse live with T1D and are thinking about having a baby, how concerned are you about them carrying T1D autoantibodies?
      I had two healthy pregnancies. The only issues were low blood sugars and my babies being born early other than that they are 38 and 35 years old, healthy children.
    • 1 day, 16 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      When you bolus for a meal, do you usually estimate carbs, use an app, or the nutrition label? Please share your habits in the comments.
      I use them all. I use an app when I’m eating out. I use labels when at home. If not on the app I estimate.
    • 1 day, 16 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      When you bolus for a meal, do you usually estimate carbs, use an app, or the nutrition label? Please share your habits in the comments.
      I generally do a very rough guess of carbs and correct if needed by adding more insulin for an also rough guess for effect of fat and protein later. My alert is set at 130 to remind me so I don’t get too high. I watch arrows a lot. I have had individual sensors lately that are not accurate. This can throw me off, where the sensor reading will be going up fast at say 180 and I will test my blood and it is 130. Sometimes I will have already corrected for the 180. This can cause a very rough day having to feed the insulin. I am hoping sensors will continue to get more accurate. So much depends on it especially with the algorithm. I usually don’t wait for my algorithm to correct because it will let my bg get too high. I know I’m supposed to let the algorithm do its thing but my goals are more strict. I am on G7 and Omnipod 5. I would like to be able to set my target at 100.
    • 1 day, 16 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      When you bolus for a meal, do you usually estimate carbs, use an app, or the nutrition label? Please share your habits in the comments.
      I should have clicked the fourth option. I use the labels if available. If not, I estimate.
    • 1 day, 16 hours ago
      atr likes your comment at
      If you or your spouse live with T1D and are thinking about having a baby, how concerned are you about them carrying T1D autoantibodies?
      We knew the risk was 50%. My wife miscarried 4x. We ended up with three great sons, only 1 has T1D. His eldest daughter (of 2) also has T1D.
    • 1 day, 16 hours ago
      atr likes your comment at
      If you or your spouse live with T1D and are thinking about having a baby, how concerned are you about them carrying T1D autoantibodies?
      47 years ago i had my pregnancies and didnt hear about her carrying T1D antibodies but i did have concerns about my child having diabetes. When she was about 12 there was a study to see her chance of developing diabetes ,this blood test was negative. 2 of my grandchildren have been tested and were negative . At the time of my pregnancies i had diabetes for 10 years
    • 2 days, 6 hours ago
      Watertail likes your comment at
      When people talk about diabetes, are there trigger words that bother you? Please share what they are in the comments.
      oh and this one...... when I see a new doctor they say... "let's get some blood work to see if you have diabetes" and I ask them... did you even read my intake forms that say I have had T1 D for over 40 years? ughhhhhh
    • 2 days, 6 hours ago
      Janis Senungetuk likes your comment at
      When you bolus for a meal, do you usually estimate carbs, use an app, or the nutrition label? Please share your habits in the comments.
      I use the nutrition labels as a starting point. For home made foods or for restaurant meals, my wife who was a nutritionist, helps come up with a carb estimate. Then there are times that I just have to take a wild ass guess. I have collected a list of over a hundred common foods that I eat and I keep that keep that list in a notes app on my phone right next to my T-slim app. I often check the nutrition labels for things on my list to see if the recommended carb levels for that item have changed. Then I adjust my list as needed. I also check my BG response to listed carbs I eat. I have adjusted some items over time. So, I would call this approach a hybrid. As Daniel Bestvater notes above, we are only controlling one item out of 6. Your mileage may vary.
    • 2 days, 6 hours ago
      Watertail likes your comment at
      When people talk about diabetes, are there trigger words that bother you? Please share what they are in the comments.
      Not really trigger words as much as not understanding or even aware of the difference between Type 1 and Type 2.
    • 2 days, 6 hours ago
      Watertail likes your comment at
      When people talk about diabetes, are there trigger words that bother you? Please share what they are in the comments.
      And it's especially frustrating when HCP's ask about "checking your sugars? Be a professional dammit, ask about my "blood glucose"
    • 2 days, 6 hours ago
      Janis Senungetuk likes your comment at
      When you bolus for a meal, do you usually estimate carbs, use an app, or the nutrition label? Please share your habits in the comments.
      I count carbs, acc. To Mabel if I have, look up nutrition for items, and estimate if needed. Used to always cook myself till this yr, now in apt where food is provided, so now looking up a lot to estimate. Going pretty well
    • 2 days, 6 hours ago
      Janis Senungetuk likes your comment at
      When you bolus for a meal, do you usually estimate carbs, use an app, or the nutrition label? Please share your habits in the comments.
      Years ago I used to calculate out carbs with a scale & book. Then I realized it didn’t seem to make a huge difference. I had many discussions with an endocrinologist friend about this topic and we both found that highly accurate carb counting didn’t seem to make much difference. As long as you are in the ballpark. I think we need to realize the pancreas produces at least 6 BG regulator hormones and we are only injecting one, insulin. So we need to do our best but not stress over it. This is at least why 2 identical meals can result in two different BG levels.
    • 2 days, 6 hours ago
      Janis Senungetuk likes your comment at
      When you bolus for a meal, do you usually estimate carbs, use an app, or the nutrition label? Please share your habits in the comments.
      It depends on the situation. At home I calculate carbohydrate with my scale. At restaurants it depends on if they have nutritional information available. If they don't have it, I estimate. The same with eating with other people's houses even while using my scale.
    • 2 days, 8 hours ago
      AmyM likes your comment at
      When you bolus for a meal, do you usually estimate carbs, use an app, or the nutrition label? Please share your habits in the comments.
      If I have a label I use it. Mostly I guesstimate then use the info the next time I eat the same meal. I am a big eater with no weight problem. When I go out, usually 2-3 times per week, I have to put in 90 grams of carbs, then add if not enough because I will go low before I go high. The other times, when eating at home, I eat less. Exercise is key. I just got back from 3 trips in 6 weeks. To Sicily, Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and to visit family in Baltimore. Only in Baltimore did I have issues with BG, because I wasn’t walking as much, although I did walk 1.5 miles most days. A1C when got home was 6.3. Time in range about 75%, down from usual 85%. I’ll take that. Not traveling for another year probably and will get back on track.
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    Has living with diabetes adversely affected your dental health?

    Home > LC Polls > Has living with diabetes adversely affected your dental health?
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    Samantha Walsh

    Samantha Walsh has lived with type 1 diabetes for over five years since 2017. After her T1D diagnosis, she was eager to give back to the diabetes community. She is the Community and Partner Manager for T1D Exchange and helps to manage the Online Community and recruit for the T1D Exchange Registry. Prior to T1D Exchange, Samantha fundraised at Joslin Diabetes Center. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelors degree in sociology and early childhood education.

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    39 Comments

    1. sdimond

      Eating a low carb diet makes managing blood glucose much easier and significantly improves dental health.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    2. Tom Rintelmann

      CGM’s weren’t yet made so playing soccer I made your my blood sugar tester was in my bag for halftime use. A few peeled ripe oranges in a plastic container were also in my in my bag for quick snack when needed.
      Kind of a hassle for a 17 year old but better than the alternative.
      It didn’t prevent me from making varsity!

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    3. Molly Jones

      I think diabetes has been okay on my teeth although I have had other conditions that have had adverse effects on my dental health that were present well before T1D.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    4. Lawrence S.

      I honestly have no idea if diabetes has affected my dental health one way or another. I have always taken care of my teeth, brushing 2 or 3 times a day, flossing, and sometimes waterpik. But, I’ve had dental issues with softening teeth, sensitive teeth and the need for crowns. I once read an article that said, Celiac disease causes softening of teeth. I do have Celiac disease. But, honestly, no dentist or doctor has ever mentioned anything about diabetes or Celiac disease affecting my teeth. They just keep telling me to keep doing what I am doing. There appears to be a lack of information on this subject matter.

      3
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    5. Meerkat

      My dentist explained to me years ago that having diabetes can cause more bacteria in the mouth. I use a special mouth wash and brush often!

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    6. Mick Martin

      I’m not 100% sure that it was diabetes that has adversely affected my dental health, but I did have to have one tooth surgically removed as I couldn’t bite down on something as soft as toast. I developed an infection in my gum after the tooth was removed, but that MAY have already been developing prior to its removal.

      Since that time, some 15 years ago, I often notice blood when brushing my teeth, but that MAY be more to do with me being unaware of just how much pressure I’m exerting on my teeth/gums due to having peripheral neuropathy in my fingers/hands.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    7. Vicki Breckenridge

      I’ve had T1D for almost 40 years and have never had dental issues. I am diligent about brushing, flossing, and dental visits twice a year.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    8. Richard Vaughn

      I have been a type 1 diabetic for 84 years and I have had many problems with my teeth even though I brushed properly every day. Several root canals, many fillings for cavities, and three extractions in 2023. A bridge costing $7000+ is necessary to cover the gap created by the extractions.
      I think my dental problems are at least partially caused by diabetes.

      5
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    9. Kristi Warmecke

      I said other because I’ve had gum issues since I was a teenager. I didn’t have a cavity until I was in my 40’s; then during chemotherapy and radiation it just went downhill fast. I was told my gum issues were related to T1D .

      1
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    10. Francisco Varea

      Gingivitis, which may or may not have been exacerbated by diabetes

      2
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    11. Eva

      I answered yes because I learned that my gum health was affected due to the exchange of potassium when you go low. potassium is so, so important for healthy gums and veins. I load up to have upto 3,000 mgs a day and my gum and dental health has improved 100%.

      2
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    12. ConnieT1D62

      Yes – even with practice of good dental hygiene self-care. Over the years I have issues with gingivitis and gum tissue inflammation, cavities in my molars and have endured two root canals to remove decaying teeth and to clean out infected gums. I was told long duration T!D is often a factor in inflammatory gum disease. Now I see a dental hygienist faithfully twice a year for the past 20 years. However, in my some of my young and mid-adult years, I wasn’t always so disciplined with my dental health … mostly because I moved around a lot through various self-employed jobs and often didn’t have regular dental insurance. I still have many of my original teeth, but have crowns on 6 molars.

      1
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    13. Judy Hampton

      Over the very many years of Type 1 diabetes, I used candy as a method for treating low blood sugars as recommended by my pediatrician. He said I should keep Lifesavor candy with me at all times. Especially in the 60’s and 70’s before liquid glucose treatments were developed. Often this happened at times I could not immediately brush my teeth, i.e., away from home at school, at work, as a child during the night just trying to go back to sleep. I have spent thousands on dental care and I believe the sugar in treating lows without immediate brushing afterwards contributed to a lot of the cost.

      1
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    14. Bob Durstenfeld

      I have had receding gums that needed grafts plus Multiple root canals.
      It’s hard to tell it it is diabetes or that my parents had poor teeth too.

      1
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
      1. Lenora Ventura

        Me too!

        1 year ago Log in to Reply
    15. Tina Roberts

      Yes! My teeth started breaking off and cracking right before my diagnosis. I have many root canals and caps!

      1
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    16. Carrolyn Barloco

      50 years ago, before I was diagnosed with T1, my dentist asked if I had diabetes because of my teeth and gums. more recently, my oral health seems directly correlated to my time in range.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    17. Marty

      I believe I inherited terrible teeth from my mother. Every molar in my mouth has a filling, a root canal and crown, or has been replaced by an implant. However, all of this happened before I was diagnosed with diabetes in my early 30’s. Now I get compliments from my dental hygienist after every visit.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    18. Janis Senungetuk

      Yes! Past childhood, when my parents paid the bills, I have often lacked the financial reserves to pay for dental care. When I was able to have scheduled care I needed several crowns and extractions. For the past decade, increasing issues with gum disease have left me with a mouth filled with decaying teeth. When I was able to get dental services I was told that there was a strong connection with gum disease and T1D. In 2019 I participated in a clinical study as a Joslin Medalist regarding that connection.

      2
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
      1. Lenora Ventura

        Did u ever hear back the results of the study?

        1 year ago Log in to Reply
    19. Bruce Schnitzler

      Diagnosed with T1D in Dec 1951. The only available home testing was using urine. I’m certain the elevated BG levels contributed to dental problems.

      2
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    20. A Montalbano

      Not yet, but worry about it. Especially treating overnight lows without brushing.

      2
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    21. cynthia jaworski

      Not as much as grinding my teeth has.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
      1. Jeff Balbirnie

        And that grinding our teeth… THAT is caused by our D directly, just sayin >;~ )

        1 year ago Log in to Reply
    22. KCR

      I am not sure whether night-time dry mouth is more attributable to age or diabetes or some combination of both.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    23. Sandra Rosborough

      Knocked out a tooth during a seizure. Also knocked front tooth out of place.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    24. Twinniepoo74

      Yes it caused a bad infection in my mouth that I had to get all my teeth removed. I remember having bad sores than the infection spread according to my dentist from the diabetes.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    25. Edward Geary

      Yes, unfortunately, after about 30 years of T1D, I began experiencing progressive gum disease and bone loss requiring extensive surgeries, bone grafts and now dental implants. Now at fifty years, I routinely need dental work costing thousands of dollars over and above insurance coverage. Dental care particularly home care for diabetics is critical as well as 90 cleanings by a hygienist needs to be an element of every care plan. In hindsight, I wish my caregivers recognized this complication and recommended preventative treatments. Similarly, I wish insurance companies provided coverage for more frequent cleanings and other treatments.

      0
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    26. LuckyPineapple

      My teeth are horribly yellow because of the sugar leaching out through them. It’s affected my self confidence immensely

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    27. Maureen Helinski

      Yes, I lost bone tissue and have several implants.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    28. Lynn Smith

      I put Other because my answer is probably. I suspect it did years ago before fast acting insulin and pumps. No one ever said anything about a connection between diabetes and dental health in the past. I have had 5 root canals in my lifetime, so obviously that’s a possibility. But since getting on a pump and CGM, I have had no problems. Also, these days, I floss constantly during the day, so that helps, too. I carry around flossers everywhere I go.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    29. Lenora Ventura

      Yes it has. Coupled with lack of instruction and no access to dental treatment until after diagnosis @ 9, my experiences have scarred me more than those left by T1D. I will say that the personal responsibility required by T1D has come in handy during my adult years to lessen the trauma of dental treatment thanks to education and consistent care by dental professionals

      1
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    30. Daniel Bestvater

      I think maybe. I’ve always brushed and flossed but ended up with multiple fillings and two implants. Maybe 45 years of T1D contributed.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    31. Lisa Sierra

      It’s worse as I’ve gotten older.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    32. Becky Hertz

      Not that I know of.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    33. Carol Meares

      gum recession

      1
      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    34. William Bennett

      Well no, but my current dental health is adversely affecting my T1. An old root canal has developed an infection/abscess and it’s driving my BGs higher.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    35. Joindy23

      I answered ‘other’ because I don’t know.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply
    36. Anita Stokar

      I am not 100% positive, but my mouth can be a little drier than normal according to my dentist and I know dry mouth can be a dental problem for diabetics, so I said yes.

      1 year ago Log in to Reply

    Has living with diabetes adversely affected your dental health? Cancel reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.




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