How Blood Sugar Reaches Your Mouth

Saliva is the watery fluid that keeps your mouth moist. It also carries a little glucose, a kind of sugar.

The glucose in saliva tends to rise and fall with your blood sugar. When blood sugar goes up, saliva glucose tends to go up too.

Plaque is a sticky film that forms on your teeth every day. It is made of bacteria. Bacteria are tiny living things too small to see.

Bacteria in plaque can use sugar from food and drinks to grow. Sugar gives them the energy they need.

Glucose in your saliva can feed these bacteria too.

A close view of teeth in pink gums. Plaque, a yellow film with bacteria, builds up along the gum line. Then the gums turn red and puffy and a drop of blood appears. Last, a toothbrush sweeps along the gum line, the plaque is gone and floss slides between two teeth.

A gum infection starts when germs grow in your gums. High blood sugar can make that more likely.

Picture a garden with extra fertilizer. Weeds spread faster there. Extra sugar in the mouth can give germs a similar boost.

Your doctor can tell you what blood sugar level is right for you.

Key takeaways

• Glucose in saliva tends to rise and fall with blood sugar.
• Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth every day.
• Bacteria in plaque use sugar to grow, and high blood sugar can make gum infections more likely.

Try it

Today, swap one sweet drink for unsweetened tea or water. If you use a sweet drink to treat a low, ask your care team first.