PerioVive in Practice for Pet Parents: Diabetes and Oral Health

If your pet has been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM), then regular dental care is essential not only to their oral health but also their overall systemic health. Diabetes can worsen periodontal disease, and at the same time, periodontal disease (PD) makes it harder to properly control diabetes.

PD begins as gingivitis (swelling of the gums initiated by plaque bacteria) and, if left untreated, it will progress to periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory condition that destroys the gums and bone supporting the teeth and can lead to tooth loss. When DM is uncontrolled the pet’s blood sugar levels are consistently too high. This decreases the body’s ability to fight bacterial infections, resulting in bacterial invasion and growth in the gums, and eventually leading to inflammation and PD.

Chronic infection and inflammation associated with PD causes a decrease in the body’s ability to metabolize or break down glucose. In addition, PD compromises the production and effectively use of insulin. Both factors result in increased blood sugar levels.

Controlling diabetes is likely to reduce the risk and severity of PD and preventing PD will make it easier to control DM. Proper dental care, including both home care and regular professional dental assessment and treatment, are critical to minimize PD and to maintain adequate blood sugar control to prevent complications from diabetes.

PerioVive, a hyaluronic acid gel applied by your veterinarian after dental procedures, can dramatically improve the outcome of these procedures by doubling the rate of tissue repair. In addition, adding PerioPearls, a hyaluronic acid tablet, to your pet’s drinking water dramatically decreases the inflammation in their mouth.

By putting PerioVive into practice, pet parents can help manage diabetes and support overall oral health in their pets.