Chennai: ‘Diabetes and Covid-19 have been found to exhibit a two-way interaction. In general, people with diabetes are at a greater risk of acquiring infections and it is just the case with Covid. Also, corona infections are proven to have a huge impact on the management of diabetes because they aggravate inflammation and alter immune system responses, leading to impaired glucose control,’ said Dr M S Muthu, paedodontics and preventive dentistry expert, Chennai.
‘More than young diabetic individuals, the older diabetic population is at a higher risk of developing complications and can succumb to the disease. More recently it is reported in the Lancet Journal that the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India, witnessed an unprecedented rise in cases of mucormycosis (black fungus) in poorly controlled diabetic patients,’ he says in an interaction with ‘News Today’.
‘Immune dysregulation caused by the SARS-CoV-2 and the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and corticosteroid particularly was likely to have contributed to the surge of Black Fungus,’ he adds.
On how diabetes and oral health are interconnected, he says, ‘oral diseases are prevalent conditions that can significantly add to the health and economic burden. About 3.5 billion people worldwide live with dental-related conditions, and a vast majority of them are untreated.’
Talking about handling diabetes in children, Dr Muthu says, ‘a comprehensive health history of the child prior to dental treatment can often elucidate crucial information. The oral history must include questions related to current oral conditions such as past dental treatment and potential complications from prior intervention including treatment failure and the delivery of anesthesia or post-treatment medication. An early morning appointment is advisable as the endogenous cortisol levels are generally high during this time.’