Dr. James Pollard, DDS, Pollard Family Dentistry, 1905 S. Marshall St., was the guest speaker, presenting the program "Chew on This."
Pollard spoke about various topics that affect the teeth and mouth, especially those that affect individuals with diabetes.
"I want to take just a moment to kind of defend carbohydrates, because as I was reviewing some of the literature that I have, they think of carbohydrates as being a bad thing. Carbohydrates are a very inexpensive food - you think of rice, pasta, potatoes - they feed nations with these very inexpensive foods," Pollard said. "As many of you know, the carbohydrates start to be broken down right in the mouth - the saliva begins to break down the carbohydrates. With carbohydrates being broken down in the mouth and the people that have diabetes having a higher level of the sugar in their saliva - that's why the bacteria grow."
Pollard said individuals with diabetes are more prone to dry mouth, which can cause saliva to not be able to act as a buffer to foods and drinks.
"Also, people with diabetes are more prone to all sorts of infections and you have more dry mouth. Kind of going along with having a dry mouth, also mouth order goes along with that. If you're on some medications, then many of those can cause dry mouth. Why is that so important? Even people that don't have teeth, it's important to have some saliva because it acts like a lubricant for one thing if you have dentures or a partial," Pollard said. "But, also, the saliva buffers the acids that are in the foods and beverages that we consume and also that are produced by the bacteria in our mouths."
Pollard also discussed Biotene products, which effectively relieve dry mouth symptoms.
At one point in the discussion, an attendant of the meeting asked the question, "How does diet pop work on the mouth?"
"Well, certainly with someone who has a dry mouth already, as we mentioned already, that can be a big problem. The problem with a lot of the diet beverages is they're very acidic. It's kind of a double whammy. Like Mountain Dew, we've made a lot of dentures for people that aren't diabetic, necessarily, because the Mountain Dew has caffeine, which is a diuretic, that dries you out, and then you've got the citrus acid and then you've got the sugar, so it's a triple whammy for the teeth," Pollard said.
Pollard said he and his wife do not buy any soft drinks and that they instead make a drink called compote by boiling down fruit. He said a person can add sugar to it if they feel they need more flavor.
Pollard had part of a brochure from the Center of Disease Control that he read to the group.
"I thought this kind of really hit home. You're more subject to a lot of chronic diseases and when you're an uncontrolled diabetic, you're very prone to getting periodontal disease. But, recently research suggested a two-way connection between diabetes and periodontal disease. Not only are people with diabetes more susceptible to periodontal disease, but the presence of periodontal disease can worsen the glycemic control. Proper care of the mouth can help people with diabetes achieve better glycemic control." Pollard said. "Pregnant mothers that have active periodontal disease are more likely to have pre-term labor, low birth weights and preeclampsia. They made a lot of other connections, also with the heart."
Pollard said it is important to keep the mouth clean, but to also be careful when brushing teeth as to not cause an injury, which can introduce oral health problems. Also, it is important for those that have dry mouth to avoid sucking on sugary candy or cough drops, especially when they are sleeping. He said if a person feels they have to have a soft drink, it should be incorporated with a meal and not "nursed" all day long so that it can be washed away with the meal. Also, when selecting toothpaste, the most important ingredient for it to have would be fluoride.
For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, contact the Diabetes Center at 433-8624.
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