Improving the gum health of people with diabetes who are at risk of gum disease is pivotal to prevent health complications, a Luxembourg technology company has said.

To coincide with World Oral Health Day, Taradon Laboratory is raising awareness of how the risk of gum disease, or periodontitis, is increased among people with diabetes, particularly those with uncontrolled blood glucose levels.

Studies suggest that there is a bi-directional relationship between periodontal disease and disease: serious gum disease could affect blood glucose control and could increase the risk of complications.

In 2017, a UK survey revealed that 50% of people with diabetes had not been given any information about the risk of gum disease by their dentists.

Taradon Laboratory, a company which has developed products designed to reduce sugar levels in saliva, is hoping to lessen the risk and burden of the relationship between gum disease and diabetes.

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The AnOxident balance mouthcare range, which comprises four inter-related products, is designed to regulate the amount of glucose in the mouth.

“The protective mechanisms in saliva play an essential role in oral health, and incorporating these natural molecules in mouthcare products could help lower the risk of oral complications,” says Dr. Jean Paul Perraudi, General Manager and Researcher at Taradon Laboratory.

“This could lead to better daily oral health for people suffering with diabetes by helping control unwanted bacteria, reducing oxidative stress, improving natural oral defences and avoiding gum problems.”

Healthy gums are linked with lower risks of diabetes-related complications and with improvements in kidney and blood vessel function, according to a 2018 study by UCL Eastman Dental.

Alongside maintaining good oral health, people with diabetes or those at risk of diabetes can lower the severity of gum disease by keeping good control of blood glucose levels and eating a healthy real-food diet.