Diabetes is a health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. People with diabetes have a higher chance of getting cavities and losing teeth.
But why is that? Scientists have been trying to figure this out. A new study using mice has helped us understand the reasons better.
What Did The Researchers Do?
In this new study, researchers used mice to help us understand why kids with diabetes are more likely to have dental problems.
These scientists work at Rutgers University School of Dental Medicine, a school where people learn about teeth and how to take care of them.
The person leading the study was Mohammad Ali Saghiri, an assistant professor at the school.
Here’s what they did: they took 70 mice and split them into two groups. One group of 35 mice was made to have type 1 diabetes, a kind of diabetes usually found in children.
The other group of 35 mice stayed healthy. For nearly seven months, or 28 weeks, they studied the teeth of these mice.
How Did They Study The Mice?
The scientists used a special tool called a Vickers microhardness tester. This tool measures how hard or soft a material is. They used this tool to check the hardness of the mice’s teeth.
They studied two parts of the teeth – the enamel, which is the hard, outer part of the tooth, and the dentin, the hard material under the enamel that gives shape to the tooth.
What Did They Find?
At the start of the study, the teeth of both groups of mice were about the same. But after about three months or 12 weeks, the scientists found something interesting.
The enamel of the teeth of the mice with diabetes started to get softer. And it kept getting softer as the study went on.
The dentin also started to get softer, but this change happened later, at the end of the study, around week 28.
What Does This Mean?
These findings tell us that diabetes can make our teeth weaker. Weaker teeth are more likely to get cavities and fall out. So this study helps us understand why kids with diabetes tend to have more tooth problems.
Professor Saghiri and other scientists have been studying this issue for many years. They want to know more about how diabetes affects our teeth and gums.
They have found that diabetes can also mess up the process of adding minerals to our teeth. Minerals are like vitamins for our teeth; they keep them strong and healthy.
Why Is This Important?
Lots of people have diabetes, and the number is growing. This means more and more people might have problems with their teeth because of diabetes.
So there’s a big need for new ways to help these people keep their teeth healthy. Unfortunately, not many researchers are working on this issue.
But Professor Saghiri and his team are determined to keep going. They want to develop treatments that can protect our teeth from the negative effects of diabetes.
This study is a big step forward in their work. Thanks to their efforts, we are starting to understand why diabetes causes more tooth decay.
And with more understanding, we can find better ways to keep our teeth healthy. So next time you visit your dentist, remember to tell them if you have diabetes.
It’s important information that can help them take better care of your teeth!
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about a cure for type 2 diabetes, and green tea could help reduce death risk in diabetes.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about bone drug that could lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and results showing eating more eggs linked to higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
The study was published in Archives of Oral Biology.
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