Drooling acidity as a diabetic

The first thing that came to my mind as I was trying to figure out what title to give this post was ...  yeah, that drooling alien that makes you just want to hug it and bring it home to meet your Mum (due to some problems with Google saying I violated rules of posting in 2023 - years after this post - I have removed the picture of the "alien" and instead you'll find what I'd posted in this YouTube video clip. 

Today, I went to have my fangs scaled.  Something I'm doing now in between the once a year cleaning.  As of September, this will no longer be covered since medical insurance that we've had through my husbands work place ... stops.  No more, 80% payout for anything we have performed that isn't covered by the provincial healthcare (optometrists, eye ware, dental, specialist services).  So, of course, I'm stressed out (and maybe my Dad is right, my recent ocular rosacea flare up that sent me to ER since my regular eye doctors were both on holidays and their answering machines said ... take thyself to the ER ... which I did).

It didn't help that I was having a low about an hour before hand, and as I was telling this to the Stephanie, my dental hygienist, that I was okay at 4.1 (yes, yes, yes, I know, I was below 5 - but sometimes we break our own rules that we try to get others to follow - don't shoot the messenger).  Oh darn, I'm just realising as I write this, that I was supposed to contact the dental office that I arrived home safe .... uhmm ... that was like 4 hours ago.

Stephanie went off to my dentist, and they both came back to my chair to make sure I was okay for this small procedure.  If it hadn't been myself in the chair, Dr. Chadwick said if it was anyone else, she would have rescheduled.  So, we proceeded while I suspended Big Blue, my Animas Vibe (and the CGM was way off with saying I was 2.8 mmol/l when I was actually at 4.1 mmol/l ).

So, the point of this long winded story?  Here I was thinking, since I am known by many of my dentists over the year as the "Drool Queen" that this was a good thing.  It is ... and it isn't.  It's better to not have a dry mouth as this can cause problems.  In my case, Stephanie went on to say that with being a Type 1 diabetic, we tend to have acid saliva which causes tartar build up.   It doesn't help as she explained that when we have a low blood sugar we are eating sugar.

At that point, I told her that I after eating foods containing sugar when I have a low blood sugar, I tend to rinse my mouth with water, and eat either a few nuts or cheese to offset the evils of the sugar decaying on my teeth.  While it is good, what she suggested next for future use after eating a meal is something I wish I'd known about before!

You know how we've all been told to brush our teeth after eating?  Well, again, it's 50/50 sorta good.  Because we have such acid saliva, and because the majority of the foods we eat (yes, eating healthy foods like fruits, vegetables have/create acid in the mouth) ... that if you go to brush your teeth after eating a meal ... you are only pushing the acid further into your gums.

Her tip?  Before brushing your teeth, always rinse your mouth out with mouthwash BEFORE ... not afterwards.

So, here's my take on the whole thing ... that I will retain in my sponge brain for future, and maybe you will too, since as we all known healthy teeth and gums as a diabetic are important, and many people overlook this thinking

If need be (and do this on a daily basis anyways before bed), after your meal, FLOSS your teeth to remove any food debris stuck in between your teeth.   RINSE thoroughly with WATER to remove any dislodged particles.   GARGLE mouthwash for 30-60 seconds, then SPIT out.   Then without rinsing again,   BRUSH  your teeth for 2-3 minutes with a toothbrush, being sure to follow the correct brushing procedure shown to you by your dentist and/or hygienist.