Does Diabetes Cause Gum Disease?

Can people with type 2 diabetes have problems with their gums (especially around their wisdom teeth)?

Patients with diabetes are more prone to infections. Patients with diabetes also have more difficulty healing from wounds and abrasions. Gums are exposed to mechanical abrasion from chewing foods and are also exposed to a variety of oral bacteria that can cause gum infections. The gum around wisdom teeth are especially vulnerable because there is frequently a flap of gum tissue on the back side of the wisdom tooth - readily trapping food and bacteria and difficult to clean.