159. Your Oral Health Might Be the Missing Link to a Lower A1C

We brought an expert in for this episode, Dr. Katie Lee, dentist and author of Saved by the Mouth, to tell us everything we need to know about the connection between oral health and diabetes. Dr. Lee breaks down how conditions like Type 1 diabetes can lead to issues like gum disease, dry mouth, and slower healing due to a heightened inflammatory response. We also explore how blood sugar fluctuations—both highs and lows—can affect your mouth, promoting plaque buildup and increasing the risk of infections. Beyond just oral health, Dr. Lee reveals the surprising gut-mouth-brain link, showing how inflammation in the mouth can impact brain function, and what you can do to level up your oral health. There aren’t enough dentists making these critical connections, so EVERY person living with T1D needs to hear this episode!

Quick Takeaways:

• Oral health has a bigger impact on our overall health, wellness, and longevity than most of us even know 
• Why taking care of our teeth and mouth is so important for lowering inflammation in our body
• The connection between diabetes & dental health 
•  How blood sugar fluctuations—both highs and lows—can affect your mouth, promoting plaque buildup and increasing the risk of infections
• A dentist’s take on current oral health trends: do's and don'ts

Time Stamps: 

• [00:00] The traumatic event that led Katie to her career path 
• [09:13] The power of the mouth-body connection 
• [15:20] Implications of gum inflammation and diabetes 
• [17:14] A closer look at cavities 
• [20:25] “Dentists are not making the connection.” 
• [22:58] Hyperglycemia vs. hypoglycemia: How they impact your oral health 
• [27:00] What to do when your blood sugar goes low after you brush your teeth (the million dollar question) 
• [31:21] Reducing inflammation: 2 most important things to do
• [35:00] How often you should be seeing your dentist 
• [39:43] Oral health trends: do’s and dont’s
• [46:47] Find out where to hear more from Dr. Lee 

Have you heard any of this information from your dentist before? If not, it’s time to start making these crucial connections! Let us know what experts you’d love to hear from next, and be sure to share this episode with anyone who could benefit from this game-changing knowledge.

What to do now: 

1. Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop.
2. Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve. 
3. Download the first chapter of Dr. Lee's book for free here: https://katieleedds.com/saved-by-the-mouth 
4. Dr. Lee’s #1 recommendation to improve your dental health: Using salivary testing to discover inflammatory genes and bacteria--  https://portal.access-genetics.com/agenetics/login/RemoteOrder.do?orgOid=27626#nb-button
5. Follow Dr. Lee on Instagram (@katieleedds) and Facebook